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It is just possible I might be back...
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Message
Posted
Not that my being back will give anyone joy or comfort, but I was standing next to Salisbury cathedral the other day and saw a fabulous sight of cathedral before impressive clouds. I took a few photies and thought, hmmm, I reckon I could have a go at that. So tonight I have begun the laborious task of getting reacquainted with my pencil and pad. Having been so utterly repulsed by my own work (I really dont know why...death of mum maybe?) it is genuinely a struggle to even make a mark, but I am doing so and my wife is delighted (she clearly has good crap filters fitted). Thoughtfully the designer of said cathedral made it modular so even I can begin to see that there are guide marks aplenty. Anyway, I have made the first scribbles. I'll start again tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that...until I feel I have something worth adding paint!
Its a slender cathedral and getting that right is defeating me at the moment. And how to get those straight lines??? Can I use a ruler...my old art teachers said "no" but the grown up sitting on my shoulder says "sure, use whatever you need to get it right...the final viewer wont know anyway!" I'll end up using a ruler...rather that than a wonky spire (isnt that in Derby?)
Best wishes all...
David
Best wishes all...
David
Posted
Well David...great to see you back...don't vanish again , please.
Haven't you set your self a task? I looked at this Constable painting most of my growing up days. And the Ken Follett book is excellent. If you haven't read it , I can well recommend it.
Keep at it with the pen and brush and lets see the results soon.
🙂
Posted
If you're drawing/painting buildings, a ruler will at least help you check the angles - not always necessary, but with a complicated piece of architecture you do need to know that your perspective is right and your uprights are, in fact, upright. You can judge a lot of this with the unaided eye - even mine - but don't deny yourself any aid that helps: if you want to feel especially arty, you could use a pencil or mahl stick to check your angles, but I really don't see that this is any better. There are those who just love to surround this process with rules, just not rulers: but I do get what your tutor might have meant - the freely drawn line has more life than a ruled one: but if your hand shakes, or your eyesight isn't perfect, there's no point in denying yourself a bit of extra help.
I suspect s/he meant that you shouldn't treat figurative art like an architectural drawing such as might have been made in an architect's office before everything went digital. And so far as it goes, I agree with that; but I do have a ruler - it may not be employed very often, but when it's needed, well - it's needed.
PS:
(Isn't the crooked spire at Chesterfield?)
Edited
by RobertJones
Posted
Thanks all...Chesterfield, yes thats it!
I once took a girl home to Chesterfield and she saw the spire and told me the legend - that it will straighten itself when a girl from Chesterfield gets married a virgin - then as she realised what she'd said she had to stifle a cheeky giggle. And I really was ONLY taking her home!
David