Z fails to draw part 10. Z draws but not enough to write home about

Hmm. Yes, I’ve practised a few times. Once quite well, once my hand was a bunch of bananas, the rest were something in between. I’ve not enjoyed it much. My hand isn’t that interesting. The next chapter is on perceiving spaces; that is, negative space, the part that isn’t there. This interests me quite a lot – I’m quite good on the idea of the abstract, the switch of vision between one view and another. But I have a problem. As before, you start by making your drawing (a chair, in this instance) on your picture plane and then transfer that to paper and then you draw it from the chair, using your transfer sketch as a guide. But the bit I find immensely hard is transferring the picture plane template onto the paper. Betty recommends a single crosshair in each direction, but that’s not enough for me to get any idea of placement or scale. I don’t know if I should just try harder or add more crosshairs. I’m inclined to the latter, because repeated failures are discouraging and the last thing I want is to discourage myself. I get all she says, but when she says that a number of crosshairs make many of her students count and over-analyse, I don’t think that would be the case with me. I”m just not very good at scale and need more help.

Anyway, having read all the chapter, which she wanted me to do before trying, I realised I needed more of a setup than I was going to start on at 6pm. So I’ve put it off for another day. I’m feeling slightly put off by the thought of the transfer, not by doing either the picture plane drawing or the still life drawing. Any advice from someone who knows what I’m talking about would be appreciated. Though I’m not going to over-think this. I’ll just do it and if I do it badly, it’s no big deal. I’ll try again and, eventually, do better.

I’ve always found it best, with a challenge, to take on something far above my abilities. Sink or swim, that’s another of my mottoes.

JFDI, it’s not a competition, sink or swim. Have fun anyway.

2 comments on “Z fails to draw part 10. Z draws but not enough to write home about

  1. Scarlet

    I think I skipped drawing on a pane altogether as it seemed a faff, and I didn’t have a pane. When I used this book I did it all on paper. For transferring a sketch to another piece of paper I used to use a whole grid system. These days I use methods that won’t help you at this stage – they are just total cheats, and feature a photocopier and tracing paper!
    Sx

    Reply
    1. Z Post author

      Discovering about a pane was a game-changer to me, I knew nothing about the notion of treating a 3D item as if it were 2D. Eventually, the idea is to abandon the pane, once one doesn’t need it, of course, but – well, I think I need transparent paper – next stage up from tracing paper!

      Reply

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