Below are a number of links to webpages I’ve found interesting on the subject of drawing and painting from direct observation.
Firstly, the Jacksons blog post, The Art of Drawing and Observation by Jarvis Brookfield, has some nice quotes and snippets to learn from. Brookfield says: ’For me, drawing is just as important as reading and writing. It’s a way of seeing, a way of feeling, a way of understanding, and one of many tools for probing the mysteries of life.’ If you haven’t had a look at the Jacksons blog before, I’d recommend you do as they have lots of interesting posts.
If you have ever discussed observational drawing in the past, then you will have most likely heard or used the phrases; ‘Drawing is about looking’ and ‘Draw what you actually see, not what you think you see’. Seeing is not as easy as it sounds. It actually requires a lot of effort and practise. Betty Edwards put together a great book back in 1979 called ‘Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain’. If you are new to drawing and you haven’t seen it before, I’d highly recommend getting a copy of it and have a go at the excellent drawing exercises which will help you draw what you see. I made this short video for beginners to demonstrate ‘upside down drawing’, one of her exercises from her book. You might also find this short video I made at a similar time explaining ‘eye level and perspective’ useful.
David Hockney, as always, has plenty to say about this subject. His book Secret Knowledge was a comprehensive look at how artists have approached drawing what they see throughout history. If you fancy hearing a few nice words of wisdom from David, you can listen to him here.
APV films make films of artists demonstrating how they paint and sharing their painting tips. I recommend watching Ken Howard paint. There are films of him painting outdoors and in his wonderful studios in London, Cornwall and Venice. I remember him saying in one of his videos that Sickert once said; ‘when you paint, show that you have noticed something’. I have always kept this is my mind.
With regards to drawing still life, there’s this lovely little film of David Hockney talking about his time at the Royal College of Art, where he spent the first two weeks drawing a skeleton. Euan Uglow was a figure and still life painter known for his strict attention to measuring. Raphael Hynes has attached images of Uglow and his work to Martin Gayford’s BBC recording with a lot of care and uploaded it to youtube. It’s very watchable.
Grayson Perry drew his wife Philippa from direct observation on the first episode of their Art Club. Fast forward to 26m 40s to watch. As with all of these links, listen out for the little sound bites about drawing. Most of the time they’ll help you become a better artist.
Also good to watch are these introductions to two figure painters working today, friends Lewis Hazelwood Horner here, and Tim Benson here.
A bit of fun…. I made this time-lapse video as a teaching aid a while back, where I make a self portrait painting using a mirror.
Regarding painting and drawing from direct observation outdoors, plein air, I’ve always loved seeing Constable’s oil painted landscape sketches; quick paintings made directly from in front of his subject, painting on a coloured pre-prepared ground which is often a very dark in colour. You will find some on display at the V&A, Tate Britain and the RA. Have you ever heard of the Prints and Drawing Rooms at the V&A and the Tate Britain? Most people haven’t, but they are free facilities where you can go and request to see prints and drawings not on display, and sit with them, unframed, in front of you.
If you ever start to feel painting outside is too much hassle, watch this quick film of Hockney painting outdoors to get inspired. If you like painting outdoors, then why not apply for Sky’s Landscape Artist of the Year, or if you prefer painting portraits, how about applying for the Portrait Artist of the Year instead?
Finally, there are a number of artists working directly from their subject outdoors today, for example Peter Brown (Pete the Street), who shares a lot of his thoughts of working Plein Air here. Then there’s this film of Melissa Scott Miller and finally, here’s a clip of Haidee Jo Summers.