Following the Process

Drawing #3: Two Mugs

After I posted my first two drawings here: Buddha and Wooden Spoons & Fork, I was upset with the overall composition of my drawings.  Both drawings had the subject matter right smack in the center and not much too it.  Pretty bland and stagnant.  Not much movement around the page for the viewer’s eye.

Even if an Artist decides to draw or paint a still life, and the subject the Artist chooses is a bit simple or commonplace, this does NOT mean it can not come to life in their Art.  Much of the magic happens through how the Artist sets up their composition.  (Composition, in case you are not familiar with Art lingo is the placement of objects on the page or canvas.)

When creating a still life, Artists can play with where they place objects on their page, as well as play with how the objects they are drawing from are arranged.  Where things are placed can cause a feeling of excitement, tension, seclusion, etc. to a piece.  I believe that a good drawing is not only rendered beautifully, but the drawing also lends itself to some set of narrative or emotion.  This is done through composition.

So what are some tricks to creating a more interesting composition?

Cropping your image–not showing the entire object

Making the page off balance–more objects in one area then another

Using diagonals- in your arrangement and in line

Having objects in different areas of the page

Drawing #4:  Strawberries

So drawing #3 and #4 are my attempt to jazz up the composition a bit!  Not only do I want this challenge to be an opportunity for me to practice and refine my drawing skills, but also to explore the issues that arise in creating a drawing.  I plan to share more of my findings here!

Just for fun I made a little time-lapse video of the process of me drawing Strawberries!

Peace & Love.