A theory is not almighty, whereas an action is the answer. Seeing and drawing is believing. My favorite joke is, "A man believed he had understood what Niagara fall was, by a bucket full of water." All of us laugh and say, "How silly he is!" but, in fact, we tend to do the same in a daily life. The joke tells the importance of experience. I trust in my eyes and hands most, not a camera. My experienced subjects assist my drawings from photo references and imagination.
I enjoy landscapes. Did anyone go for sketching water and a bridge? When we have a heavy rain, Parramatta river will make a fall. I love watching moving water. Its smell and sounds are life. I saw it. Exciting! My motto is "Never miss out an opportunity for drawing." I really wanted to sketch a dynamic water fall! The heavy mud water was rushing through the river, while it was splashing and making bubbles. They made a strong contrast and the colours. It so fascinated me. What a lucky day I had! I worked on sketching nearly in the evening.
The technical point is, really, the amount of water and timing of putting paints, before paper gets too wet or dry. My experience of "waves" at Narrabeen helped to create these sketches (all A4). Creating "washes" and "high light" was a great fun and the pleasure of watercolour! I love them all! I played with paints. Wash, wash, wash and splash, splash, splash! (*Not laundry). The colour of the river water intrigued me most. It was more green with raw sienna than an ocean. The sea shows more blue and the variation of colours such as a mint green/blue, very dark green/blue, grey etc.
You may wonder what about a calm river. I just sketched it a few days before it became wild. It is a fun to sketch a same spot on a different weather. Colour and value are dramatically changing. You cannot imagine a fall and it's colours from this peaceful and quiet river.
Then, yet exciting, sketching is my richest and the most calm time in an outside. It was really lovely to feel water and wind constantly tapping on my own cheeks.
People talk to me, while I was sketching. "I can draw cartoons, but I can't draw like this," they say. I gently smile and listen to them, but I feel it's "upside down." What do you think, Friends? For me, without concrete drawing experiences, it's difficult to either simplify visual information, interpret imagination or exaggerate images. Look at Picaso. His drawings were astonishingly "traditional" at an early stage. I hope myself to use my drawing skills to interpret a person's inner world, emotion and imagination. Not easy for me, but I want to go one step further to develop my art world.
Water always reminds me of life. "Bridge Over Troubled Water" is one of my favorite songs. If you have a tough time in life, I'd send you this song.
Drawing of landscapes is fun. A very simple truth in experience is that the more, we draw, the better we do. I'd believe a hard working donkey does more job than a lazy full-blooded horse. It's my comfort and hope in art, for, a word, talent has ambiguity in it.
**Can you believe this? We had four seasons in yesterday : sunshine, roaring thunderstorm, hail and snow pelt us!
Please take care and Happy Painting, Friends!
Drawing is the Best Teacher
When reading about Bridge over troubled water, I got a feeling of the meaning of those words that I have never felt before, It actually hit me, and I got shivers all over. It is such a beautyful song!
ReplyDeleteSketching is the basic MUST in a painting, and a good way of practising the way you visualize the world surrounding you. The most difficult part in painting is to get the FEELING on the paper, and I think you did that great in that rushing water under the bridge scene. Love it! A completely different feeling from that of the other calmer water. Have a great coming week Sadami! Enjoyed your post as allways :)
Oh, Catherine, thank you very much. Happy to know you enjoy the post, particularly, your honest and strong response to the song inserted there. I always send that song to dear friends at a tough time. Btw, I went to a Simon & Garfunkel concert in Sydney several yrs ago. I did "Never miss out an opportunity."
DeleteYes, sketching everything surrounding me or sketching anything interests me -- is my practice methods. I do not think much to choose a subject. It's more like, "grab a subject" that amuzes me like a toddler.
Regarding art work, yes, exactly, like you say, to express FEELINGs on paper is my challenge. I'll keep on my journey. You, too, enjoy this journey. Have a creative week, Catherine! Best wishes, Sadami
Nice to see the same drawing with different weather like that. Makes a whole different picture. Yes, Mother Nature is throwing some strange weather all over the world. Same here in Maine USA, first sun, then rain, hail, more sun. Don't know what next! Got to just go with the flow. Have a beautiful day Sadami.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much! Indeed, Mother Nature is mischievous. Sounds your place, too, has a hectic weather. Have a nice day, Carol. Best wishes, Sadami
DeleteWhat a difference the weather makes! That is really troubled water. I love the colours in the water! Have a nice week, Sadami!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Judy! It's good practice for colour option and the chanding of a slight composition to focus on the subject, the river. You, too, have a nice week! Best wishes, Sadami
DeleteRunning water is always an interesting subject. You have captured the character beautifully here. The colors are just there. Fabulous is the word!!
ReplyDeleteSweet, AK, thank you very much! You, too, enjoy drawing and have a creative week!
DeleteCheers, Sadami
Funny, I just did a blog post on this same subject...that a person really has to draw (if they want to paint)! It is everything. Your drawings/paintings always show that practice has rewards. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Celeste, so nice! Yes, simple, just draw, draw, draw your head off, is my mantra. You, too, enjoy drawing. Best wishes, Sadami
DeleteSadami, la naturaleza nos brinda infinidad de situaciones diferentes. Es interesante saber captar a través de la pintura varias de esas situaciones. Tú con estos dos dibujos has conseguido captar lo más interesante en cada ocasión. Claro, aquello que no es muy "natural" tiene mayor belleza, como esas aguas que vienen turbulentas y sucias. Has pintado maravillosamente la escena! El correr del agua, su espuma y su fuerza! No es fácil! Te felicito
ReplyDeleteUn abrazo.
Dulce Joshemari, gracias mucho! Sí, la madre naturaleza es un gran artista como tú dices. Siempre queremos capturar su belleza. Estoy seguro, también quieres disfrutar dibujando y paisajes, ¿no? Mantener tus maravillosos dibujos. Realmente, realmente ansío tu trabajo. Mis mejores deseos, Sadami
DeleteSweet Joshemari, thank you very much! Yes, mother nature is a great artist like you say. We always want to capture her beauty. I'm sure you, too, want to enjoy drawing nature and landscapes, don't you? Keep up your wonderful drawings. I really, really look forward to your work. Best wishes, Sadami
>>> Joshemari said...
Sadami, nature gives us an infinite number of different situations. It is interesting to know capture through the painting several of these situations. You with these two drawings have managed to capture the more interesting each time. That is not very "natural" course, has greater beauty, as those waters that are rough and dirty. You have beautifully painted the scene! The running water, the foam and its strength! It is not easy! I congratulate you
A hug.
So true! I find that more I draw more I learn about the universe and I get to know more about myself too :) I like how you say you trust your eyes and your hands ! and you are right -- I love how you have painted water --calm as well as rushing !
ReplyDeleteThank you, Meera. I love your thoughts and paintings, too. You have philosophy and try to capture the world with your honesty. Let's enjoy this journey. Best wishes, Sadami
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