While cleaning out some old stuff the other day I came across some drawings which I did years ago when a friend persuaded me to go with her to weekly drawing classes .I knew nothing about drawing but relished tackling the exercises, in oil pastel, of diverse subjects ... my own eyes , copies of old masters work , rabbits! Without stressing about colour I learned to find and show tone , shape and edges. I relished working slowly to draw something accurately, really learning to look at my subject. Looking at these sketches reminded me that drawing is just as is important to me now as it was then - if your drawing is wrong your painting will never be right. So I've begun taking my sketch book with me when I'm on gallery duty at Wall to Wall in Nelson. Whenever I get a quiet moment there I'm drawing in pencil and enjoying slowly capturing my subject.
This doesn't mean that I'm going to paint in a photographic way, but does give me a good understanding of the shapes I'm looking at.
At a recent beginners workshop I could see one person struggling with shapes and suggested that she step away from paint for a while and concentrate on her drawing skills. She called in to my studio with a big smile on her face this week clutching her new copy of Betty Edwards "Drawing from the right side of the brain" a brilliant book to get you started.
Anyone can draw- you just need to learn to look and be prepared to practise .
This doesn't mean that I'm going to paint in a photographic way, but does give me a good understanding of the shapes I'm looking at.
At a recent beginners workshop I could see one person struggling with shapes and suggested that she step away from paint for a while and concentrate on her drawing skills. She called in to my studio with a big smile on her face this week clutching her new copy of Betty Edwards "Drawing from the right side of the brain" a brilliant book to get you started.
Anyone can draw- you just need to learn to look and be prepared to practise .
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