Part 7 ➤ Enjoying the Artist’s Life 340 The love you liberate in your work is the only love you keep. —Maurice Prendergast Museum Walks There is nothing as nice as a day in a museum, a day full of visual stimulation and the com- pany of the masters, old or new. Museums are also great places for a date, or an affair, or a date with an old affair—not that either one of us has done that, of course. The Wealth of Museums In the museum, it’s all there for the looking—rooms and rooms and long halls and hidden corners filled with forgotten gems. Go and look at drawings, paintings, sculpture, jewelry, objects, furni- ture, fabric, costumes, china, and more. You won’t want to overdo it, so decide what you want to see and then stop before you get over- whelmed. Then there are all the specialized museums, such as natural history mu- seums and science museums, full of specimens—huge skeletons and dioramas of tiny little nocturnal animals you would never see outside of a museum. There are plants, too, and birds and butterflies enough to last you into the next millennium. Styles of Drawing Through History Styles of drawing through history; yikes, we could write forever on that one. Just go to the museum and look, then do it a few dozen more times and you will have a rough idea about styles of drawing through history. You will see how artists have developed ➤ from the early cave drawings, ➤ to the flattened drawings attempting three-dimensional figures done by the Egyptians, ➤ to the very realistic sculpture done in ancient Greece (by folks who could certainly draw well), ➤ to the more primitive, flat religious images produced in the Middle Ages, ➤ to the interest in perspective and shape in the Renaissance, and ➤ to the fine attention to detail in Flemish paintings by the Old Masters, the strict tradi- tion of studio work in the Classical Period. Then, the Barbizon artists started painting outside of all things, and the first dissension oc- curred when the Impressionists started breaking loose. Then there was the heyday of Post- Impressionists, including the Nabis, Fauvists, Cubists, Expressionists, Dadaists, and all the rest of the ways that artists decided to explore and express, right into our recent century and the one we just entered, including the most recent versions of old schools and the “shock of the new.” It’s a lot to see! Try Your Hand Mr. Homer, do you ever take the liberty in painting nature of modifying the color of any part? Never! Never! When I have se- lected a thing carefully, I paint it exactly as it appears. Winslow Homer 341 Chapter 26 ➤ The Artist’s Life Learn by Looking, Then Try a Copy Museums put the benches there just for you—yes, you, with the sketchbook. Go sit down on that nice bench in front of a piece of art that you like. Make yourself comfortable—the benches aren’t, but who cares, you could even take a pillow. You can learn from just look- ing, but get out your pencil and draw what you like or what you want to remember, the di- agonals in the composition, the shape of a tree, how a flower was drawn, the features of a portrait—whatever you like, you draw. Drawing from sculpture or objects is better practice in three-dimensional drawing. That beautiful torso, imposing warrior, or delicately shaped vase is there in space and presents you with a lifetime of potential drawing. Some possibilities: ➤ Arrange yourself for simple views and then try more challenging ones with foreshort- ening. ➤ Draw parts of figures and the whole. ➤ Draw the details in a set of armor or the looming figures on a crypt, the subtle propor- tion of a Ming vase, or the scrollwork on a Japanese table. The more you draw, the more you will see to draw. It may begin to seem as if you can never go home again. What Do You Like? By now, you have developed some opinions along with your sore butt. You may not know all there is to know about art, but you know what you like. Some work will pull you back every time you go, while others become part of your visual memory. No matter what, everything has its place. Sharing Your Work Another thing that’s probably happening by now is that you’re feeling pleased with your efforts and your growth from a beginner to a developing draftsman. Chances are your friends and family have seen your work and have perhaps gotten a little interested themselves. The Art of Drawing Art history books will put particular drawings into historical context and add interesting informa- tion about the artist or the period or the various schools of thought at the time. But don’t take our word for it, take the word of a wonderful painter, Charles Demuth. “Look at that!” is all that can be said before a great painting, at least, by those who really see it. Back to the Drawing Board Don’t be afraid to submit your sketches to other publications if you think they are applicable for the style and content of the pub- lication. You never know, and you can’t win if you don’t play. Part 7 ➤ Enjoying the Artist’s Life 342 Now, you can begin to share your enthusiasms, your experiences, and your work with the rest of the world. Someone else may do the same for you: What goes around comes around, and all of us will benefit. Most towns have art groups, art classes, maybe a small museum or community center that shows art, discussion groups, guest lectures, school programs, visiting artists, and local fairs that include art exhibits. It’s your choice—whether to join, how much time to spend, should you volunteer or just look—but you do usually get something out of participation in community events. But you won’t know unless you try. Here are some possibilities. To Show, to Publish, or Just to Draw Sometimes you just need to get out of the house with your work to get a better look at it and where you want to take it next. The white walls of an exhibition hall can allow you to see your work differently, for better or worse. Even if the experience sends you back to the drawing board, you will have learned something and can go on from there. Publishing your work is a thrill in itself. There’s nothing like the printed page and that cred- it line underneath your image. Start with your local paper if you have landscape or wildlife sketches that might work as decorative spots, or if you have developed a cartoon style or have taken up caricatures of the locals. All this diversion is fun, but try not to let yourself get diverted from the real business of see- ing and drawing every day. It takes a long time to learn how to draw well, and, though you may have come a long way, there is still a long way to go. Trust that it is a good road, and take the time to go there. Take a Path to the Zen of Drawing The peace and serenity you can gain from drawing is perhaps the best reason for simply at- tending to seeing and drawing. We live in a world that is too focused on achievement and not enough on centering and introspection. Give yourself the gift of balance and oneness with your work and the world. Do your draw- ing with nothing else in mind but the relationship you are experiencing between your sub- ject, your work, and yourself. The timelessness and serenity is its own very deep reward. Express Yourself. 343 Chapter 26 ➤ The Artist’s Life Encourage and Support Your Creativity Remember to always support your own process, feed your own spirit, and nourish your cre- ativity as the special part of you. You are the one who has to deal with the outside forces, make time amidst all the distrac- tions, ignore the demands for your personal time, and those who try to discourage your ef- forts. Then, too, there is Old Lefty, who’s still out there, waiting for his chance, but you know what to do with him by now. Knowing When to Push Yourself Higher We know well how difficult the balancing act that is life in the twenty-first century is: sup- porting one’s own creativity, finding the time for work, taking one’s work seriously, feeling the peace from the time spent, the satisfaction from the learning and the accomplishment, and yet constantly striving for more. Remember, no matter what, that you are your own best critic and fan, alternately and at once. Trust yourself, your inner voice, and your instincts, and banish those critical voices where they belong—hung out to dry with Old Lefty. One Inspiring Tale to End A recent interview on NPR was with Harry Shapiro, who, at 100 years old, is painting full time. He came to the United States from Russia in 1905 at 5 years old, and grew up in New York, where he was an avid student of American history and took art classes. Shapiro be- came an illustrator/commercial artist, but has always painted on weekends and vacations. During his interview, Shapiro spoke in a clear, melodic voice about painters he admires and his commitment to painting. He has never had a major illness and believes “art and music preserve life,” as well as “a heart full of love.” He “works with some urgency now,” and would like another four or five good years of work to “do some good paintings to sum it up.” I know there is a God in some form. I paint to make things whole. —Harry Shapiro You don’t get better than that. Thank you, Harry. With Our Best Wishes We have both enjoyed researching and writing this book. Besides the fun we have had “our own selves,” we’ve also found pleasure in developing the ideas for the book, trying out the exercises, and writing and honing the text and the directions. Watching it become a book was a pleasure. Lauren has enticed her friends over to “draw for their dinner” to make some of the draw- ings for the book (she is a good cook), and worked with her mother’s drawing group for some of the others. Still other drawings and responses come from her classes, and she found a few old treasured pieces, hidden away in her file drawers. Part 7 ➤ Enjoying the Artist’s Life 344 Lisa has enlisted her daughter to make a few drawings around her house so both sides of the country are represented. As her daughter was temporarily camped out with her during the writing of this book, it was only fair. We hope you enjoy this book for a while and dip back into it whenever you want an idea, a tip, some encouragement, or some of our soon-to-be-world-famous wit. We leave you with the best set of guidelines we know: Be well, be happy, encourage your- self. Try to follow them, and you’ll soon be guiding others as well. The Least You Need to Know ➤ The world is your oyster. Draw it. ➤ Time and tide wait for no man (or woman). Draw it now. ➤ A rose is a rose is a rose, until you start to draw it. ➤ Love the world in your drawing and in all your work, and the world will love you back. Appendix A Your Artist’s Materials Checklist For Your At-Home And Portable Drawing Kit Paper, in a Variety of Types ➤ Newsprint ➤ General drawing paper in pads or sketchbooks ➤ Bristol board ➤ Watercolor paper Drawing Utensils ➤ Mechanical pencils in various hardnesses and leads ➤ Drawing pencils in various hardnesses ➤ Charcoal pencils, and soft-charcoal sticks and paper stomps ➤ Spray fixative ➤ Conte crayons ➤ India inks, dipping pens, brushes ➤ Drawing and technical pens ➤ Dry-erase markers and permanent markers For Exploring Color ➤ Colored pencils and water-soluble pencils ➤ Oil pastels and crayons ➤ Colored markers ➤ Pastel pencils and soft pastels ➤ Watercolors, gouache, and acrylic paints ➤ Water-based crayons Nice Necessities ➤ Erasers ➤ Drawing board Appendix A 346 ➤ Artist’s tape ➤ Ruler ➤ Clips ➤ Pencil sharpener(s): manual, electric, and battery-operated ➤ Viewfinder frame ➤ Plastic picture plane ➤ Your sketchbook journal For Your Studio ➤ Adjustable drawing table ➤ Comfortable office-style chair ➤ Extendable goosenecked architectural lamp ➤ Small freestanding bookshelf ➤ Supply cart on wheels (a taboret) ➤ Tackboard ➤ Computer, printer, and scanner ➤ Filing box ➤ Portfolio ➤ Set of paper storage drawers Appendix B Resources for Learning to Draw Bays, Jill. Drawing Workbook. Devon, England: David & Charles, 1998. Box, Richard. Drawing for the Terrified. Devon, England: David & Charles, 1997. Brookes, Mona. Drawing with Children. New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam, 1996. Calder, Alexander. Animal Sketching. New York: Dover Publishing Co., 1973. Cameron, Julia. The Artist’s Way. New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam, 1992. Codniat, Raymond. Twentieth-Century Drawings and Watercolors. New York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1968. Crispo, Andrew. Pioneers of American Abstraction. New York: The Andrew Crispo Gallery, 1973. Crispo, Andrew. Ten Americans—Masters of Watercolor. New York: The Andrew Crispo Gallery, 1974. Draper, J. Everett. Putting People in Your Paintings. Cincinnati, Ohio: North Light Publishers, 1985. Edwards, Betty. Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam, 1999. Frank, Frederick. The Zen of Seeing. New York: Vintage/Random House, 1973. Frank, Frederick. The Awakened Eye. New York: Vintage/Random House, 1979. Gedhard, David and Phyllis Plous. Charles Demuth. Berkeley: University of California, 1971. Harding, J.D. Lessons on Art. London: Frederick Warne & Co., 1915. Hinchman, Hannah. A Trail Through Leaves: The Journal as a Path to Place. New York: W.W. Norton, 1999. Hoagland, Clayton. The Pleasures of Sketching Outdoors. New York: Dover Publishing, Inc., 1969. Hultgren, Ken. The Art of Animal Drawing. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1993. Larkin, David. The Paintings of Carl Larsson. New York: Peacock Press/Bantam Books, 1976. Levy, Mervyn. The Artist and the Nude. New York: Clarkson Potter, 1965. Nice, Claudia. Creating Textures in Pen & Ink with Watercolor. Cincinnati, Ohio: North Light Books, 1995. Parramon, Jose M. Drawing in Pencil. New York: Watson-Guphill, 1999. Partington, Peter. Collins Learn to Draw—Wildlife. London: HarperCollins, 1995. Appendix B 348 Perard, Victor. Sketching Landscape. New York: Pitman Publishing Corporation, 1957. Petrie, Ferdinand. Drawing Landscapes in Pencil. New York: Watson Guphill, 1979. Pincus-Witten, Robert. Georgia O’Keeffe—Selected Paintings and Works on Paper. New York: Hirschl & Adler Galleries, 1986. Pisano, Ronald. William Merritt Chase. New York: M. Knoedler & Company, Inc., 1976. Raynes, John. Drawing the Figure. Cincinnati: North Light Books, 1997. Rines, Frank M. Drawing in Lead Pencil. New York: Bridgeman Publishing, 1943. Robertson, Bruce. Collins Learn to Draw—Countryside. London: HarperCollins, 1999. Selz, Jean. Nineteenth-Century Drawings and Watercolors. New York: Crown Publishers Inc., 1968. Slatkin, Regina Shoolman. Francois Boucher in North American Collections. Washington D.C.: National Gallery of Art, 1973. Sloane, Eric. An Age of Barns. New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1985. Stebbins, Theodore E. American Master Drawings and Watercolors. New York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1976. Sternberg, Harry. Realistic, Abstract Art. New York: Pitman Publishing Co., 1943. Thoreau, Henry David. Walden. New York: Holt, Reinhart, and Winston, 1961. Turner, Elizabeth Hutton. Georgia O’Keeffe, The Poetry of Things. Washington, D.C.: The Phillips Collection, 1999. Tiner, Ron. Figure Drawing Without a Model. Devon, England: David & Charles, 1992. Vallery-Radot, Jean and Maurice Serullaz. Drawings of the French Masters. New York: Bonanza Books/Crown Publishers, 1962-1964. Van Gogh, V.W. Vincent Van Gogh, Paintings and Drawings. Amsterdam, Netherlands: NV’t Lanthuys, 1970. Wadley, Nicolas. Michelangelo. Middlesex, England: Spring Books, 1965. Wadley, Nicolas. The Drawings of Van Gogh. London: Hamlyn Publishing Group Ltd., 1969. Weiss, Harvey. Pencil, Pen, and Brush. New York: Scholastic Books, 1961. Wiffen, Valerie. Collins Learn to Draw—Still Life. London: HarperCollins, 1999. Woods, Michael. Landscape Drawing. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1989. Appendix C Drawing Glossary al fresco Italian for “in the fresh air;” it is the term for doing things outside—including drawing, of course. artists’ studios range from converted closets to converted guest houses. Where you put your studio depends on where you have room, of course, but its individuality can be what- ever you choose. cairns man-made trail markings, most often piles of rocks that mark the trailside path. Adding these mini-structures to your drawing can lead the viewer onto the trail, too. calligraphic handwriting in a particular style, or font, often with a wedge-tipped pen called a calligraphic pen. chiaroscuro Italian for light and shadow. It refers here to a system of tonal shading to render an object so it appears three-dimensional. color wheel a way of showing primary and secondary colors. The circle is divided into sixths, and the primary colors—red, yellow, and blue—are in every other wedge. In between each of them are the secondary colors—orange, green, and purple—which are made by mixing the primaries on either side of them. contour drawing any drawing in which the lines represent the edge of a form, shape, or space; the edge between two forms, shapes, or spaces; or the shared edge between groups of forms, shapes, or spaces. drawing a way of representing what we see by placing lines onto a surface. dry-erase pens pens designed to mark on smooth surfaces and wipe off easily. Delis use them for writing the day’s specials. Look for them in an art or stationery store. en plein air a French term meaning “full of fresh air.” It refers here to painting done out- of-doors. Because classic painting had been done in studios, painting outside was a radical move. eye level (see also, horizon line) straight out from where you are, neither above nor below the level of your view. As you move up or down, your eye level and view change. filters the process of noticing only what we need to in any given scene. Frames are a simi- lar sensory device, where we ignore what’s outside of what we want to look at. fixative protects an unstable surface; it is sprayed on a finished drawing to protect it after you’ve completed it. . are some possibilities. To Show, to Publish, or Just to Draw Sometimes you just need to get out of the house with your work to get a better look at it and where you want to take it next. The white. long time to learn how to draw well, and, though you may have come a long way, there is still a long way to go. Trust that it is a good road, and take the time to go there. Take a Path to the Zen. certainly draw well), ➤ to the more primitive, flat religious images produced in the Middle Ages, ➤ to the interest in perspective and shape in the Renaissance, and ➤ to the fine attention to detail in