Pop Goes the Artist!

There are a number of things I find very intimidating to draw: clear and reflective objects (like glass), drapery, and trees (something about branches and foliage confounds me, I don’t know why). Lately, though, I’ve been inspired by the example of my lovely roommate, who happens to be a talented artist (she can do watercolor!), and I’ve been spending more time drawing things I find challenging.

Today, for instance, the weather was so beautiful that I practically had no choice but to go outside and draw. So I gathered my charcoal, my sketch pad, and my iPod (loaded up with the Ramones and Edith Piaf) and went outside to draw trees. I mostly focused on the trunks and the bottom few branches (baby steps), but I’m happy enough with the results that I’d like to spend more time drawing trees soon. The combination of willow charcoal + kraft pad makes for particularly nice texture in the bark.

A few weeks ago, I finally sat myself down to practice drapery, which is a fantastic and frustrating exercise in forcing yourself to see exactly what is there, because drawing what you think is there makes for a mess. It takes some patience, and I am not a particularly patient person. But maybe I’m getting there. Besides, who could resist all those lovely curves?

Maybe I should do this sort of thing more often.