Drawing and Painting the Landscape - The Evocation of Memory

Invented Landscape
Drawing and Painting the Landscape
January 2019
Various Media
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
7.5cm x 11.5cm (3" x 4.5")

Elaine gave me Drawing and Painting the Landscape by Philip Tyler as a Christmas present. The subtitle of the book gives a clue to its structure "A course of 50 lessons".

The first lesson is called "The Evocation of Memory". It starts with a discussion of how photographs of landscapes can take us back to a place and a moment in time. A familiar landscape is more than a view - it is a collection of memories.

The lesson then goes in the opposite direction to show how little is needed to give a sense of landscape.

Invented Landscapes - 1
Drawing and Painting the Landscape
January 2019
Various Media
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
21.5cm x 30.5cm (8.5" x 12")

The first exercise involve placing a horizontal horizon line somewhere in a rectangle then drawing more lines moving down the page. Initially, drawing lightly with the lines close together. The lines get darker and further apart as they progress down the rectangle. In the first exercise, the lines do not have to be perfectly straight, but any deviations should be relatively small. In the second exercise, the lines can develop lumps and bumps of increasing size as they get further from the horizon.

Invented Landscapes - 3
Drawing and Painting the Landscape
January 2019
Various Media
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
21.5cm x 30.5cm (8.5" x 12")

In the third exercise, the lines are drawn on top of torn coloured paper . The paper is initially torn neatly and then more roughly.

Invented Landscapes - 3
Drawing and Painting the Landscape
January 2019
Various Media
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
21.5cm x 30.5cm (8.5" x 12")

Many of these drawings look like landscapes to me, but Elaine is less convinced. The ones she finds most persuasive are the ones with low horizon lines.

Invented Landscapes - 3
Drawing and Painting the Landscape
January 2019
Various Media
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
21.5cm x 30.5cm (8.5" x 12")

The picture quality on this post is not up to the usual standard. I’ve bought a new sketchbook for the course and it is slightly too big for our scanner. I’m experimenting with different approaches, but I haven’t found the right solution yet.

My intention to draw for 15 minutes a day in 2019 has already fallen by the wayside, but sometimes plans must change to accommodate events. I'm drawing most days, and still feel as though I am sticking to the spirit of the challenge.

Keys to Drawing with Imagination – Adding On

View from the Office on Christmas Morning
January 2019
Ink and Watercolour
Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook
20.3cm x 14.0cm (8.0" x 5.5")

Chapter 2 of Keys to Drawing with Imagination by Bert Dodson is called Drawing A New Reality. It establishes a link between observation and imagination. Bert suggests drawing from direct observation as a springboard to spin-off into imaginative drawing.

Adding On is the first exercise in the chapter. The instructions are to make line drawings of 3 unrelated objects at different times and in different places. Position the first object in the foreground and the other objects behind it - overlapped by it and without regard to scale.

I drew this sketch over 3 days. On the first day, I drew a roof from my office window. On the second and third day I added the snowman decoration and Christmas tree bauble.

Painting is probably not strictly within the rules of the exercise, but this was my plan from when I included the snowman.

View from the Office on Christmas Morning
Adding On
Keys to Drawing with Imagination
Ink on Paper
20.3cm x 14.0cm (8.0" x 5.5")

Time for drawing and painting is going to be precious while Doris (our new puppy) is young. I've set a challenge to draw (or do some other hands-on creative activity) for at least 15 minutes each day in 2019. So far, I've been focused and made good use of the time. I've probably got more done than I would have without Doris and the 15-minute challenge, but I have been finding more than the 15 minutes during the holidays. Back to work tomorrow.