The Pen
7/16/2010 04:52:00 PM Posted In ink drawings , sketching Edit This 15 Comments »
Today my friend Vicki and I went out drawing sketching together. It's very hot here (in the 90s today), so we sanely decided to do our sketching indoors. First we went to a mall and sat on a sofa near a coffee kiosk. In spite of my love of the pencil, I used a Micron pen to do my sketching as I almost always do for this kind of playing. Here's why (just in case anyone is wondering). When I use a pencil, I tend to want to keep refining and refining my drawing. This is all well and good when the subject is staying in one place, but when everyone is moving, it doesn't work very well. So I've learned that for me, using a pen is better. There's no real going back to correct things - it just is what it is. It forces me to move faster, and even though the drawings aren't very good, oddly it seems to put a sock in the mouth of my inner critic. I think it's because my expectations are lower - I already know the sketches will be rough and may not look anything like the person I'm trying to secretly capture. So, here are the sketches done at the Cool Beans Coffee Kiosk.
Across from the sofa where we were sitting was a jewelry counter. There was a young man looking at the jewelry - I imagined he was looking for a special ring .... maybe so, but he was only there for a couple of minutes before moving on.
After lunch we left that mall and went to another one. There was a Secretary of State office there with lots of people patiently waiting their turn. Happily, the front of the office was all glass, so we were able to sit outside of it and do our sketching. I sat on top of a counter that probably used to be a business of some sort, but now is empty. That way I could see their faces.
I had a really good time (as I always do with Vicki), and I hope we can do it again. Even if I go by myself, the practice is good for me and I always feel so much better after having done something like this! Have a great weekend, my friends!!
After lunch we left that mall and went to another one. There was a Secretary of State office there with lots of people patiently waiting their turn. Happily, the front of the office was all glass, so we were able to sit outside of it and do our sketching. I sat on top of a counter that probably used to be a business of some sort, but now is empty. That way I could see their faces.
I had a really good time (as I always do with Vicki), and I hope we can do it again. Even if I go by myself, the practice is good for me and I always feel so much better after having done something like this! Have a great weekend, my friends!!
15 comments:
These are really great. I like how the pen forces the artist to just go for it! Reading your experience makes me want to go out drawing with some friends.
I agree with you 100% Nancy! When I use pencils...I tend to draw lines over lines just to get it "perfect"... but the price is that I am giving up speed instead of trying to capture. I need to learn to sketch with pen. These are lovely by the way!
Your sketches look really good. It would be fun to have someone to sketch with.
Isn't it the most wonderful experience to sketch in public? I also have been using the Micron pens and really like the 005 width. I think you are doing great. I have the same problem with pencils, btw. The other day I wanted something to be right, so I used a pencil. I erased and erased and finally just erased the whole thing. Then I used a pen and came out right the first time! I am so used to pen now. Go figure! Anyway, if you are going to use pencil at all, use one without an eraser. Then you can fully enjoy the medium, with shading and all and not have the risk of temptation to correct - that is when I do well in pencil. It's crazy, I know.
How well you have captured these characters! I had a philosophical moment while looking at your sketches, thinking about the people who pass through out lives unnoticed, unknown and unrecorded. Well, you have certainly recorded these people!
These are just great Nancy. It's so good to see you fully 'back in the saddle'. You've captured the gestures nicely and the posture of the woman on the stool is just perfect.
And I agree with you totally about using a pen.
Glad to see yu had fun sketching with Vicki, definately pen for me!
You've got some really great captures in here! My favorites are the woman in the shorts on the bottom scan (It's the shorts that draw my attention...very well captured!), the guy resting on his elbows, also on the last scan, and the woman sitting on the stool in the top scan. I really like these for the way they capture the gesture. Well done!
Nice job on the sketches and good for you for going for it with pen. I have been enjoying sketching with pen too, esp. my new Lami Safari fountain pen with gray ink.
Sounds like a lot of fun, out sketching with a friend, nice tip on going to the Secretary of State office.
Ewian
Great collection of drawings! You should be pleased....
Thats a great day you had, you got a lot sketching done. I like both pencil and pen (ink), but should do more pencil only...
You did a lot of drawing here. Glad you had fun. I couldn't have got half this done and maybe none. Whenever I visit with someone, the sketch pad doesn't make it out of my purse!
Sounds like you had a wonderful sketching date! Your sketches are lovely to look at too. Is your friend Vicki Holdwick, by chance? I notice you two live near each other.
Wonderfully inspiring sketches..sounds like such fun and the perfect kind of day!! Shine on!! Happy Creating!
Victoria~
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