Listen to Your Drawing

Sydney Sketch Club, we sketched a pretty house and I drew one member, too. Another member so much inspired us at lunch. "Listen to your drawing. What does your drawing need to put in?" I've realised that I tried so hard to apply new approaches to a subject and did not work well. Apart from an experiment of a new methods, I need to well listen to what my drawing needs. Otherwise, I will mess up the work. His say sounds like upside down though, it convinced me so much. I want to feel what my drawing wants for. What do you think, Friends? 

But it is certain that we cannot grow without stepping out of a comfortable zone and try something new or different. Experiments are fun and pain, which depend on outcomes. I'm interested in a background for a portrait. This is the portrait of a sketch club member. I felt a blank background was empty. I wondered if the portrait wanting for a background and added a simple background. It seems I like bright colours, hahaha!? Any feedback is welcome. Sometimes, an image of a background's colour comes up from the beginning of live portraits on spot. Sometimes, not. Or I might be a deaf and cannot listen to my own work's cry. Or that work does not want anything more and enough. I should leave it alone. Technically, it's hard to resume watercolour in my style, because of edges and washes. I prefer to finishing up work in a short time on a same day.  

The member who enlightened me was a former architecture teacher at an art school and an artist. He always gives me something interesting and generously helps us in need. That's the beauty of group activities and Sydney Sketch Club. 

The pretty house was on Queen St. We had fun on Queen's birthday. Another member commented, "Nice painting, Sadami. I see that yours is a lot more accurate." Until his say came, I did not realise my architecture drawing was precise. I always start from accurate "dessin" in a traditional drawing learning methods. Then, I can loose up or other techniques in watercolour painting. Ultimately, -- another artist taught me -- a person's techniques cannot go beyond her drawing ability/skills. "So, Sadami, draw!" he said. I've kept that advice for ages. Btw, I used a hake brush in this work to create a background. It was fun. Not completely satisfied with a result though, an interesting and good lesson. I'll try it more to enjoy hake.  

How do you interpret this "Listen to your drawing"? I've got that it means in a more profound and general way. It could mean "Look at your work objectively," in my interpretation. I hope I will grow as an artist. 
Friends, let's enjoy our art journeys. It's wonderful to have company in journeys. Thank you for your friendship. 
Happy Painting!!    

Listen to Your Drawing