Tea and Doodles

It has taken me to select photos and sketches to work on this exercise, for me to let go of my previous composition for now. It was a more made-up impromptu landscape, which hasn’t allowed for in-depth study yet. Whilst studying this section, I did watch the BBC’s This Green and Pleasant Land: The Story of Landscape  Painting. It was certainly offered some much needed motivation and inspiration. I am not entirely happy with the lenticular cloud, but I decided to stop working it. I’m also not so happy with the shape of the tree on the right. New version: Reflection

I went through my sketchbook, especially my holiday sketches that I hoped might be useful for this section, as well as the preparatory sketches for part 2. The following are drawings that included elements I would like to include in a larger drawing. Such features include a body of water, mountains and rock formations as well as ruined or derelict buildings. With this in mind, I brainstormed the following compositions.  In reflection, the compositions are similar. As I stated in my afterthoughts, I think I need to get this drawing into being and then I can move past it. I will return to this exercise again and again, which is no bad practice.

Go for a walk. Find a familiar view. Use viewfinder and focus on a point of interest. Make four sketches during the walk. Draw rapidly. Draw over any mistakes, restate what needs to be depicted. Try to capture the idea of what is seen through drawing; think of sketching as taking notes. Try to get in, everything no matter how roughly. Fast drawing helps to concentrate and see more clearly, shutting out unnecessary ‘noise’. Make written observations where appropriate: * time, weather, direction of light and shadow * main point of interest * the division of space into foreground, middle ground and background  * patterns and textures, repetition of large and small shapes, tonal values etc