For me, field sketching is
experiential learning at is best – one must do it to learn
it! While drawing or painting a subject I try to convince myself
I’m actually touching the object with my pen in order to
experience the contours, details and subtleties observed. This
“cognitive connection” heightens my sense of beauty
and understanding of the subject. Sketches like these may be
the inspirations for a painting but more often they are just
fulfilling my desire to learn as much as I can about my subject
in the time I have - to create and communicate through art. |
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When sketching animals from
life, nature seldom allows time to make real detailed studies
while the subject is still present. Therefore I spend the first
valuable minutes not drawing, but studying my subject closely
with an artist’s eye for proportions and attitudes that
will help me portray each species essence. If the critter stays
around long enough (like this turtle!)I will start sketching
but observations are often fleeting so many pages are actually
done from memory – when so, I label them as such for later
reference. |
