Head #12. drawing from a live, moving image

title options:
"Defiant chin"
"Study in red wine and red crayon"
"I'm starting to like this drawing thing"

capturing the image in Photobooth

I've been capturing my sketches in with my webcam, since I don't have a scanner handy, and my digital camera is missing it's card reader. Tonight I decided to capture my image with the webcam, and draw from that. As a very talented and wise artist said to me today, it is a lot different drawing from an image than from in real life. Very true! I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. There is something more organic about drawing from something that moves slightly each time you look at it. A bit more forgiving, perhaps.
But, really, what I think is that I need to wax that upper lip!

ahhhh... realization mid-sketch

Instructions for epifany:
1) begin sketching because you said you have to.
2) start on the left.
3) draw like you don't care, because trying to hard is not what this is about.
4) start in on the right eye, then stop and realize it doesn't actually look like your right eye, because, oh, yeah. you weren't actually looking at what your right eye looked like. hm. funny that.
5) stop focusing on the drawing, and focus on the looking.
6) remember that the hand is connected to the eye, and when you really look, the hand knows.
7) draw right eye, and rest of the drawing.
8) keep the first part of the drawing to remind you this lesson.

I seem to remember a drawing instructor saying, in the class where I realized that I could actually draw, to trust your eye, as long as you give let your eye lead. Things don't look like you think they look like. They look like you see them.

do this and you may see your drawing looking right back at you.

inspired by Cubists, or was she just drunk again...

Head #9
A very quick, late night sketch.

Wearing my sunglasses at night

Head #8
Self-portrait in my favorite sunglasses that aren't dark enough to not look silly when worn out of doors. There must be a product out there to darken the lenses.

Head #6
I was once compared to an elf, maybe this drawing is a little proof.












Head #7
In this one, I'm auditioning for some courage, but it turns out I had in me all along.

To Rachel and Ben! Thanks for the Seattle fun, and making me keep my "draw every day" rule, even while in a boozy drunken late night diner booth. I will, will, will see you soon.

Yes, the note at the bottom says "Drunk". Head #4

Head #2, #3

6000 heads - my 100 heads

When I saw the post on Drawn.ca http://drawn.ca/2007/10/10/6000-heads/, I was blown away by the variety of works, and the lack of preciousness in this exercise. As a tapestry weaver, I feel like I have become ruled by extensive planning and incredibly lengthy projects. With these sketches, I can just throw something together. It's pretty freeing. and scary. But I'm enjoying the process, and parts of the drawings. I think as I go, I will start to like more of them.

well, first weekand didn't make it.

Got an encouraging email from NaBloPoMo admin today, telling me that we mad eit through the week. Yes, I made it through, but it had nothing to do with posting on my blog. Did not do that, instead, just made it through a tearful, confusing, emotional week. and I seem to be better comign out the other side, mostly just for hte talking it out. with the people involved. For me that is a big step. Talking about my emotions before they are all figures/analyzed/sorted... It's been a big realization that one can share confused feelings and talk them through, simply by saying "I'm confused but this is how I'm feeling." That contradictory feelings does not make one a hipocryte. (just maybe a bad speller??)
So I didn't post everyday, but I'm still feeling good. and I'm not going to remove myself from NaBloPoMo. I jsut won't get any of their prizes... just my own.