Plein Air and Everywhere!
For the first few years of the course one of our regular field trips was to a Dance School, Cat’s Corner. Then we started visiting Ballet Divertimento and EDCM. And a favorite session of mine is often when we bring in musicians to draw.
For a long time i’ve enjoyed trying to sketch at live shows, readings, cafe’s and parks, Plein Air sketching is a joy, and a fantastic way to learn and stretch yourself.
It’s best done fast, on the fly, driven more by gesture than construction. I typically take one of my less ostentatious sketchbooks, my travel pack, and hope for enough light to see what i’m doing. I work in everything from ink wash, to pocket brush, ballpoint, pencil, markers, you name it. I have favorites but I like to keep myself on my toes.
Certainly their are also events like Dr Sketchy and life art sessions, Syn host some interesting ones nearly every month.
Including a few based on classes I hold in Dynamic Drawing! But waiting for these opportunities to draw will limit WHAT you draw. And when you want to learn a lot, fast, you better draw a lot, and lots of different things.
Look again, for the things you have trouble with, and try again. Take turns, first studying, then doing. Begin with gestures, then remember line and tone and colour for ways to finish it off.
Don’t be precious, make mistakes,
make mistakes work for you. Have fun!
