Journal

Cow

11 October 20071 min read

I drew this cow in my journal yesterday. The page was already painted the pinky colour with the blue and white smudges. after I finished the drawing I decided to add a the green and blue background.

I should draw more often. But nothing around the house shouts out for my time or attention.

For some unknown reason I had made a rule that I shouldn’t draw from photographs. What a stupid rule!! My computer is chocked full of interesing photos that I’ve taken over the years and it’s really silly not to use them for inspiration.

So, this is a cow. A calf actually.

Looking at it now on the screen I think need to strengthen up the lines around the nostrils and mouth area.

The conversation

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meg12 October 2007
another thing you could try is 'drawing blind'. Using your fav pen and without looking at what you are drawing - DON'T DRAW SHADES JUST THE LINE, think of everyday things that make up the background of your life. Power points, tea cups and tea pot, taps and sink, wine glasses, books, vases, buttons, telephone, toilet, jars, salt and pepper shakers, lamps, garlic, washing basket, bread tags, pens and pencils, bike, cheese grater, rubbish bin, remote control....... These are the best type of excercises for controlled hand movement. At first the lines will be all wrong and overlapping but as you get used the 'space' the little drawings will start to feel better. The best thing about drawing like this is that all the classic mistakes that creep into our drawing become very obvious. Try it and let me know....x
redredday17 October 2007
i would have thought you painted the background first and then the cow. love the blue and white that seeped through the pink flesh. i also have the same rule for not drawing from photographs. is it a stupid rule? i do find that it does limit you from fully getting a feel of the object/subject you're drawing. there is more room to deviate when you're looking at the actual object than if you were drawing from the photo (i think). and then when you do try to stray from the photo, you're either stuck or kind of lost (at least that is my experience with my crying girl painting). BUT you know what? i wouldn't have even suspected with your lovely cow painting! :). loving the work you are doing in your journal...
Claire17 October 2007
Hi Meggie,Â I do blind contour drawing to warm up.Â I should do it more often as, I agree, it really does help get my eye and hand working together nicely :-)

I've been down the track of drawing bits and pieces about the house, but I don't really enjoy it very much.Â Depends on my mood.Â There's too much plastic, too many hard lines...Â Sometimes I don't mind doing that.

Because my main time for creativity is at night time after work, I suppose I like that photos give me the possiblity of varying what I draw, even though I'm just in my little workroom.
Claire17 October 2007
Hi Mien,

Thanks for your comment about my little painting and my journal.

I think that relaxing the rule of 'no photos' might give me more options.Â I definitely won't give up drawing from life to focus soley on photos, but sometimes I want to draw a cow, and it is night time and I'm at home, miles away from any cow LOL

I tend to find drawing a little boring unless I'm in the right mood.Â This means that I'm not drawing as much as I would like and I think that varying my subject matter more by using photos could give me a little boost.

Cheers

ClaireÂ

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