Thursday, June 2, 2011

Sketchpad basics


Music, pen and a sketchpad, sometimes that’s all you need. Going back to basics has a tendency to help creativity, especially if one has artist block. Without the crutch of a computer, especially the ability to use the undo command, one learns to become more precise with their lines. This is also true with the pencils ability to be erased. I liken it to sumi-e, where there is no, undos or do overs, there is just what is placed on the paper. “Good” or “bad” what is is what is.

So, being away tends to be good artistic training. A computer doesn’t magically make bad fundamentals just go away, sometimes it just amplifies them. A building needs a foundation if you want it to reach the sky. For art, my time on the island is a welcome thing. Of course paid vacations make it even nicer.