DONs' World

Here is another sketch that was glued into one of my sketchbooks. A scrap of paper, saved, trimmed and spray glued and placed in a sketchbook.

I refer to this type of sketch as a notan sketch because a few years ago, I decide to change how I draw in order to practice creating and visualizing notans of scenes, people and etc. (notan being the light and dark principle of design, google it and learn more about the term). This sketch was created in faculty meeting of people speaking, listening faculty and well background scenes, ties and stars and etc etc etc. Darks against lights (white of the paper) and the occasional repeat pattern on clothing and what not. One scene or one person’s portrait is arranged to be part of a whole. What is not black, must be the paper; what is white of the paper must be black or some sort of texture, and on and on. I think that is VP Andy Fulp who was the star of the show that faulty meeting. Andy left us with the wisdom of these words: the mic is always on. Makes one think.

The other day, I came across a few elephant drawings in an old sketchbook. I think they were done in preparation for a demo in Materiasl and Techniques I course. It’s odd to look back at roughed out sketches because they seem to have no real purpose. Often times, I have to remind myself they do serve a very real purpose. It may be a subtle one. And the reason for the drawings may escape us now that we see them again after a long time.  In fact, I questioned the time I spent on the drawings. What was I thinking? Their purpose is not so easily embraced nor regarded with much pride of accomplishment. But this repeat performance of the drawing routine, engaging in this ritual of visually figuring something out , (even if it is a ritual as simple as drawing with a no 2 pencil on paper),  will produce in the artist a sense of confidence and maturity. So,  for me, this ever present struggle to stay on the path of  artistic development , reworking ideas, drawing and redrawing, pulling ideas out of the brain and putting them onto a page of my sketchbook for consideration maybe a very necessary part of being an artist. That’s what I hear anyway. Most of the time it seems to be a painful exercise but, every time it is a necessary one. It may be, simply, the price one pays to grow. So let’s give ourselves some credit. And, how about a pat on the back!. Even if these  drawing efforts are not considered obvious evidence in producing wonderful works of art. It seems to be a required part of the art life.