A Glorious Failure?

In college I was privileged to have Frank Newfeld as an instructor in the illustration program I was enrolled in at Sheridan College. Frank was a major force for innovation and creativity in the direction that 20th-century book design and illustration took in Canada. For myself, he was one of those key individuals or mentors in one’s life who stretches and challenges you to grow and learn by making you think critically without simply handing you every answer. He would challenge preconceived ideas and expectations by turning them on their heads, many times through his famous abstracted dialogue which in the end, would help lead you to discover your own answers.

An Unusual Comment
Frank’s regular process with each assignment was to sit down with you in his office to discuss the mark given and his reasons for it. Even here he was unconventional giving out one of two marks: satisfactory or unsatisfactory. His reasoning was that an illustration could either be used by a prospective client (satisfactory) or was unusable (hence unsatisfactory). He did occasionally give a satisfactory plus, meaning that it surpassed his expectations but jokingly added that he would still only pay you the same amount as a client. At one such meeting, Frank started off by describing my assignment as a “Glorious Failure”. Which of course was uncomfortably mysterious at first, but Frank always had intent behind what he said. He went on to explain that even though the illustration was “unsatisfactory” it was because I had ventured into areas of unique technique exploration and colour use, that was completely out of my wheelhouse, that merited it as a “Glorious Failure”! Not simply due to my trying something completely new but because he felt that I should continue to develop and hone this new direction and technique. I took his advice and used this new method of working in many of my first professional illustration works.

Failure Only Happens When You Don't Try

It has been many years since that meeting with Frank and while I define the word “failure” only in terms of someone does not attempt to do anything, it taught me an important lesson. Never see a drawing or painting as a failure but always as something you can learn from. The very fact that you took the initiative to draw or paint something should never be seen as a failure but simply as part of the artist's ongoing process from which you can learn. Drawings or paintings that I see as not working (never a failure) are the ones I glean from the most. Going back and analyzing why they didn’t work can give new insights or direction. Sometimes it takes effort but many times the answer is informative or even "glorious". 

An Important Lesson for Artist's Block

This type of thinking is especially important when you hit that wall called “artist’s block”. Some artists have a tendency to stop working at this juncture, or wait until “the creativity returns”. I always encourage my students to keep going and keep pushing in. Many times artist's block is your unconscious mind helping you to verbalize a struggle that you are unable to understand as of yet. Therefore the importance to keep pushing in. Once you identify the issue you can then take the necessary steps to deal with it. 

Everyone Experiences It

A few years back I was working on a painting for James Gurney's Weeds and Wildflowers Painting Challenge. I had done my preparatory studies and scouted out my chosen subject for the final painting. My easel, gouache paints, brushes and the rest of my materials were loaded into my backpack along with high expectations as I set out to paint a group of wildflowers.

That expectation began to fade somewhat as I was not happy with the initial result, The larger flower didn't seem to fit in, while the area to the left of it was a compositional hole dividing the painting into two. Additionally it was the last day to submit paintings for the challenge, naturally my first response was to forget about entering it. It was my oldest son who encouraged me to listen to my own advice: assess what was not working and fix it. Below was the first version.

After an hour or so of work, the flower and compositional issues were addressed taking it from something that wasn't working to a painting that I was happy with. It was finished in time to be entered and I was quite surprised when it turned out to be the first runner-up in the challenge. You never know. Here was the final version. 

Many times what we perceive to be a failure is actually only a few steps away from being a success. Other times it leads us in new directions. Remember failure happens only when you don't try. Every time you choose to push in, regardless of the outcome. it is a success. 

Messing With Manet

A great exercise is to do a copy of a master's painting. The classical example is to spend an extended period of time carefully mapping out and painting a copy as close to the original as you can; line for line, stroke for stroke, and colour for colour. Traditionally this is done in a museum or gallery from the actual painting. Most of us won't have that opportunity so we work with images found in books or on the internet.

However, there are different considerations and levels of finish that can be taken into account. For this series of exercises, done as demos for a student who loves Manet, the basic shapes of the painting were blocked in loosely. The aim was to work on colour and brush strokes, or mark-making. The original images of Manet's work were to serve as a guide and inspiration but NOT to be strictly adhered to in terms of demanding perfection. It was to help the student loosen up, look at large areas of colour and work on using abstract brush marks to create representational objects.

Messing With Manet 
My student loves Manet's paintings and selected a number of pieces to work with. I call it messing with Manet because we were not doing exact copies but using his work more as a starting point, inspiration and a specific focus for each exercise.

Messing With Colour 
We used Edward Manet's "The Monet Family in Their Garden at Argenteuil" painted in 1874 as our first selection. The emphasis here was about laying down large areas of colour while keeping the study as direct and simple as possible.

Messing With Brushes 

Manet's "The House at Rueil" from 1882 was next. Here the use of various paintbrushes was looked at in the process of creating unique marks. We even cut up a few brush tips for special effects. Again, Manet was our starting point, but the exercise took priority. Especially evident in the tree foliage, as it is quite different from the original. Some points of interest. The actual house in Rueil, which still stands, looks very different in reality. Manet added some windows on the main floor and lengthened out the house horizontally. The present house has no shutters, so he may have even added them in!

Messing With Strokes

The final exercise was all about making stokes. My student had the natural tendency to fill in areas of colour with a flat application of paint. Not a negative thing, but they wanted to explore more impressionistic stokes as well as utilize a few "abstract" strokes to convey something that would read more representationally in the end. Manet's 1864 "Peonies in a Vase" became our next selection. 

Having Fun While Messing

Again, the exact placement of leaves and flowers was not the purpose. It was to create a look of leaves and flowers, using strong, direct brush strokes. Being more focused on spontaneity and not overworking the paint. Put the stoke down and leave it alone. Taking the "perfection" element from these exercises makes for an important aspect of painting, enjoying yourself and having fun!

Not All Images Are Created Equal
One thing that we discovered throughout this process, is the wide variety of colours available for the image you select. Some images are brighter, some are duller, and some have very extreme colours. Simply go online, Google a specific painting, and you will see exactly what I am referred to here. We selected images that appealed to us, that had some vibrancy and life to them.

Select a famous painting that you like and try one or more of the exercises listed above, and remember to have fun.

Getting Practical: The Focal Point

A favourite word of mine, especially in the area of art instruction, is practical. It is at the forefront of my workshops and behind every post I write. Of course, I've missed that mark at times but it is the goal. Practical instruction requires transferable content, making it straightforward for students to apply it and practice it in their work. With this in mind, I thought it would be helpful, from time to time, to "practically" apply some of the instruction from topics I have been posting in the foundations 101 series and elsewhere.

The Focal Point
The importance of establishing a focal point for every drawing or painting we do was looked at in "How Our Eyes See": Part I and Part II. Having worked through the information in those exercises let's see how they unfold, practically, using this ink and watercolour sketch of old Vancouver. It was composed using clips from a 1907 movie taken by William Harbeck. 

The three figures on the road are my focal point. Specific steps were taken to achieve this. At the drawing stage, heavier lines, plus more descriptive details, were used on our trio. During the painting stage, Burnt Sienna was added to their faces, hands, and, clothing for emphasis. Positioning them against the light-coloured road, provided them with the strongest dark/light value contrast in the piece. Additionally, some compositional elements were used to direct the viewer to our three friends. On the left, a horse glances towards them. While on the right, a couple of store canopies point down at them.

The drawing itself was done directly, using curve-tipped fountain pens, with no pencil block-in. I kept the linework "open", meaning no area would be hatched or filled in with black ink, as seen above. Take note of the variations in line weight plus the use of broken lines. Dark-gray was mixed from Paynes Gray and Burnt Siena for the dominant colour. This allowed me to cool down the grays for the shadows by adding more of the Paynes Gray or warm it up in the sunlit areas with more Burnt Sienna.  

Of course, there are a variety of ways to create a focal point in a drawing or painting. Each piece requires thought and planning on how to achieve the most effective result. 

Look at the work of various artists, then start observing the elements they use to help create a focal point in their work. Record them for future reference for your own drawings and paintings.

Breaking The Lines

Variety Is the Spice of "Lines"
From a young age, we have an unconscious tendency, to contain every shape within a constant, even, solid line. Putting in all the details for every object we draw. The effect can be like a bad colouring book page. One that has too much information and is flat nor visually interesting. Alternatively, having a variety of line weights in a drawing, ranging from thin to thick, helps create visual interest with a sense of light, shadow and depth. Thinner lines are generally used for elements further away in the background, with heavier lines applied to objects in the foreground. Adding to this, we can "break" some of these lines into broken, even unconnected marks to create more visual interest for our viewers. With these things in mind, compare the two drawings above in terms of which is more visually appealing.

Knowing Which Weight of Line to Use
A common question is: "How do you know when to vary the line weights?" One way is to think of your lines in terms of light and shadow. For instance, in the house on the right, the light is coming from the left-hand side. Therefore, the chimney has a thicker line on its right side, the shadow side. While its left side has just a hint of a broken line, where the light is hitting it. The key is to keep this treatment consistent throughout the drawing.   

Varying Similar Elements
When drawing repeating objects in a subject, vary the treatment of each one. The windows in the left drawing are basically the same. Not of much interest, visually boring. For the windows in the right-hand drawing, each pane of glass is rendered differently. Every detail doesn't need to be put in, because the reality is we cannot see every detail. This type of treatment allows the viewer's mind to add those details, therefore, engaging them more with your drawing. A simple readjustment in our thinking and execution can make a simple drawing look like an illustration.  

Sidenote About Ability
Did you notice that the left-hand drawing of the house in the above sample was done using what could be referred to as a“child-like” style? The house on the right has EXACTLY the same underdrawing, using the same shapes and forms, with NO DIFFERENCE IN DRAWING ABILITY. It is only the treatment of the lines and edges that have created a distinctive look.  

Exercise Sheet
Click on the exercise sheet below, copy it, print it and using a black marker or pen (no pencil) apply the concepts discussed here to create a new drawing on the greyed out image.

Small adjustments in our thinking during the planning aspects for the linework in our drawings can make a big difference in the final result.

A, B and C: Good Things Come In Threes

If you have not read “It's as Easy as A, B, and C" please click HERE and do that exercise first as it lays important groundwork for this one. 

Drawing is not so much about the eye or the hand per se. It is more about how your mind processes and understands what is being observed through the lens of the eyes giving your hand the ability to draw a subject more accurately. This exercise is going to “force” your mind to process what it is looking at which will enable you to draw with more accuracy.

Art Materials:

Three pieces of paper and pen or marker (no pencil), a 500 ml/16 oz) water bottle, some form of timer (watch, phone, cooking timer, etc.)  

Set-Up: 

Place the water bottle* about two feet (60 cm) away from you and your drawing materials. Please note that the distance here is important. You will be doing three timed drawings of 5 minutes each. Using a timer helps you to focus on the drawing and not the time. 

* If you prefer a more challenging object, feel free to select something else. However, keep it in the same general size as the water bottle.

Exercises:

1. Start your timer, set for 5 minutes. On the first piece of paper, draw the water bottle, ignore any text, logos, etc. Just focus on the shapes and relationships of the bottle. Do not worry about being perfect. When the timer goes off, stop drawing, even if you have not completely finished. Write the letter "A” somewhere on the page.

2. Look at this first drawing comparing it to the bottle. Note any elements that are out of proportion or out of relationship. For example, the cap is too big or too small, the bottle is too wide or too thin, etc. Keeping this information in mind, turn drawing "A" face down until the end of the exercise. 

3. Reset Your timer. Draw the water bottle a second time and label it drawing “B”. Repeat the assessment process you did in step 2 with drawing "B". Turn it face down.

4. Draw the water bottle for the third time as before. Label this "C”. Review it as above.

5. Now turn over all three drawings. You should see a progressive improvement from “A” to "B" to “C”. Not just in terms of accuracy, but also in terms of feeling more confident with each successive drawing. The lines in your final drawing might seem more assertive, less hesitant. The last drawing of the three is usually the best.

What Happened?

You did not suddenly acquire “talent” over the 15-minute span you were sketching in. As you drew, then redrew, the bottle, your mind became more and more familiar with the subject. The bottle’s height to width ratio, the cap's size compared to the rest of the bottle, where the neck of the bottle turned out, etc. The shapes and relationships began to be more consciously understood, or "seen" in your mind.  

Visual Memory Files

Accurate drawing is about understanding as much information regarding your subject as you can before putting a mark down on your paper. It is building what I call a Visual Memory File. The more information you learn about your subject, the more data you put into your Visual Memory File, the more accurate your drawing will be. We will look at ways to plan and develop Visual Memory Files in upcoming posts.

Drawing is about understanding
as much information regarding your
subject as you can before putting
a mark down on your paper. 

One Strike and You're Out?

Ironically, many people will try drawing something once, but seeing that it doesn’t look right, they give up. If they had continued doing another drawing or two they would have seen much improvement. Without realizing it, their mind had started the process of building a Visual Memory File.

Only for Beginners?

Many professional artists and illustrators have learned the benefit of drawing or painting their subjects numerous times. They practice this with both old and new subject matter. It is invaluable in the planning and preparation for a final drawing or painting. 

Now that you have worked through this exercise, repeat it using other objects always trying to work from life as much as you can.

It's As Easy As A, B, and C

What I want to show you here, and in other posts, is that if you can read and write, you already have the skill set required to draw. Now! Today! 

Drawing is not about talent. It is about following the steps required to develop and create a skillset. In other words, a process that is more about "how to understand what you see" rather than simply a formula for "how to draw". 

Let's Get Started.
Take out a sketchbook or piece of paper along with a marker or pen (no pencil at this point). Draw the image you see below:

If you were able to draw this shape, you have just proven that you actually can draw and, more than that, you understand some of the basic processes involved with drawing. 

How can I make such an outrageous statement? 

Process: Let's Walk Through It
Most people draw the large, triangular shape of the “A” first, finishing with the small horizontal line. I have never met anyone who drew the cross stroke first. This is the process of drawing in a nutshell: start with the largest shape in your subject or scene, finish with the smaller shapes and details. In this case, the triangular form is the largest shape in your subject. It gives the relational proportions of the height and width while the small horizontal line is the identifying detail giving recognition to the letterform. 

Having a process gives you a plan for where to start and the steps to get you to finish. The biggest frustration for many people is that they look at a blank piece of paper and do not know where to begin their drawing or how to take it to finish. Understanding the process of large shapes to small shapes is an important piece of the drawing process that will help you move forward more easily in your work.

Start with the largest shape
in your subject or scene, finish with
the smaller shapes and details.

Process: Remember Your First "A"
Think back to the first time you tried to draw the letter "A". Did you get it perfect the first time? No, of course not. There was a process given to you by your parent or kindergarten teacher. Once this process of where to start and the steps to finish are understood, it gives you a manageable target for success. Practicing and applying that process brought you to the point today where you can draw an "A" without hesitation or a second thought. 

This learning process of printing individual letters expanded to encompass words, sentences and then moved into grammar and more. It started you on a journey of development that could take you from kindergarten to college or university. The same is true of drawing. Once you understand the processes, you can keep building and developing your drawing abilities

Always remember the two lessons of the "A". First any artistic endeavour requires a process where you understand how to start and the steps that will get you to finish. Second, it takes time to develop and practice those skills.