Yesterday was a mixed bag as regards art. I was really sore and tired. The weather was glorious so I decided to go to the local park and get a good walk in, enjoying the sunshine and lack of chilling wind. I came home feeling full of fresh air, had lunch and felt myself draining.
Due to a string of lack lustre days I made myself go into my art room. Once there I could not see one thing I wanted to work on. I did a little for a mask my son needs for school and then ground to a halt again. I was just so tired and it hurt to sit there. I didn't want to work on one of my projects in case I messed it up (very likely at the time). I couldn't face starting my new oil painting course. I was nowhere near the mindset needed to take that on.
As I sat there getting increasingly frustrated, dearly wanting to do something but knowing I wasn't up to it a thought came to me: "If you're too sore and tired to draw, why not draw what it feels like to be too sore and tired to draw". And that is what I did. Without any real thought I grabbed my trusty charcoal and drew myself. When I stopped I was amazed to see I had correctly caught all the crookedness in my face without even thinking about it. I added every line and sinew I felt when things hurt like this. The result was an ugly, honest drawing of pain. I even did a partial body, using darker, harsher lines for the pain areas. An unusually personal piece. Short and sharp.
The day was not a lose though. In need of setting myself up in a positive way I bought myself a course to teach me how to use my SketchBook Pro 6 software. It was another purchase from a good while ago when I thought being able to paint digitally would get me creating again. It did not happen as I was quickly intimidated by the software. Now, after my abstract adventures, I thought it would be good to learn how to use it properly. I reason I can use it to work on pieces that didn't really work to try and get something from them, I can do rough drafts of project ideas to see if it could work without wasting any materials. It will even give me a way to paint from bed if I'm having a really bad day. Overall, if I learn it it offers another creative outlet. A great aspect of the software is you can open an image file, add a new layer and trace the original image, and then delete the image leaving the trace. This will save a lot of time when trying out ideas. As I will of course draw the final work by hand there is also no feeling of cheating.
I also gave in and joined the SAA. My mum referred me and I was drawn in by the online videos and their magazines which all contain several mini projects you can try. Many assume a good skill level to begin, but they at least offer something to follow. They also let you enter competitions and exhibitions. Maybe too early for that, but it's nice to know it's there. Add in great discounts on art supplies and why not?
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