05 April 2007

Lessons From Art Class

From the Jan 2006 issue of Rogue Project Leader:
Meditations From A Drawing Class
The Rogue Zen Master recently took a 3-week drawing course at the local high school. It was a profoundly enlightening experience and a source of much insight. The following Principles from the Art of Art are presented for your meditative consideration.

- Stand up.

Just because you are drawing at a table or desk does not mean you have to be seated at that table or desk. By standing, your arm and body are able to move more freely. You’ll have better control and will be more likely to move around a little and accurately see the object you are drawing.

- Rotate the paper.
Just because your drawing will be viewed with the paper in a particular alignment doesn’t mean the paper has to remain in that alignment while you draw. For example, bio-mechanically speaking, it is easier to draw a straight line if you move the pencil from the lower left toward the upper right part of the page. When you want to draw a straight line, rotate the paper so the line you draw will begin at the lower left and proceed towards the upper right.

1 comment:

Passante said...

And when you are copying a drawing, it's much easier to turn the original upside down. Your brain doesn't then over-ride your eye to the same degree. Try it right-side-up and then upside-down. It really is astonishing the difference!