Not Bad for a Barn

Judith,

Recently while cleaning up a bit and attempting to organize my drawing and painting space, I came across a graphite drawing I’d made. It surprised me for two reasons. First, I’d forgotten all about this drawing. Second, it’s a drawing of a barn and small shed. And most surprising of all, it’s actually a fairly good representation of a barn. If you’ve followed this blog for a while, you know that I struggle with barns and other buildings.

Old Barn

What you’re looking at here is an inked-over version of the drawing. I wanted to be sure it would scan so that I could share it here on the blog.

The sketch is dated October 12, 2018, so it was drawn about two months ago. It was obviously part of my studies on perspective. I have to say I’m rather pleased with it. Finding this sketch tucked away among my art books brought a smile to my face.

But even if I can draw a basic barn on a piece of drawing paper, can I do the same thing on canvas? And once I’ve drawn the barn, will I be able to paint it? As pointed out from ThoughtCo recently, drawing and painting are very different skills, and success in one doesn’t necessarily mean success in the other.

On the other hand, success in drawing the barn with graphite does give me a boost of confidence. Maybe I can re-draw this barn on one of my canvas panels, and maybe I can actually paint it. Or maybe not. Either way, it will be good practice for me, and that’s what I need most of all.

 

 

17 Comments

      2. I ended up with a beautiful sky and lots of new ideas. I’ve been drawing bird silhouettes recently, so I’m thinking I might try painting a few flying birds and seeing what else I can come up with for the canvas. 🙂 It’s always fun to play and try new things. It doesn’t always work out, and yes, sometimes I get frustrated. That’s just part of art, I’ve learned. At least, it is for me. But when one thing doesn’t work, I just try something else and keep on going.

        Like

    1. Yes, that’s good advice. I’ve thrown away a couple of drawings — one of the hostas in our yard, done when I’d been drawing for only a couple of weeks. It was so awful I had to get rid of it, otherwise it would have convinced me to give up learning. I vaguely recall throwing something else away once, but I don’t remember what it was. I’m sure it deserved its fate. Now, though, as I’ve gained a little more experience, I do see the value in keeping all that I draw — even the worst things. I need to get back into the habit of repeating drawings — doing the same subject over and over until it’s close to the reference I’m using. That helped me in the past, and it was always good to see how my sketches improved with each attempt.

      Like

      Reply
  5. Pingback: Painting a Fantasy | Artistcoveries
  6. Pingback: Look! Up in the Sky! | Artistcoveries

  7. Keep drawing, Judith! One of my mentors told me that drawing lays a good foundation for all kinds of art. Someone recently mentioned Jose Trujillo’s art here on your site. Jose has a lot of experience in drawing.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I’m glad I’ve learned basic skills for drawing, and I hope to learn more and improve my abilities as I continue drawing. I think drawing and design are both important elements for any art, and I’m studying design principles now, too. There’s so much to learn! That’s what keeps art interesting — and challenging.

      Like

      Reply

I'd Love to Hear Your Thoughts!