Honestly I am rubbish at drawing-really rubbish! I was quite good at scientific diagrams when I did my science degree and into my professional career as a wildlife conservationist but when I became an artist everyone assumed I could draw and they don’t believe you when you say you can’t and you won’t and you are not interested in learning or doing it.
So when I paint it usually comes from my head onto the canvas without drawing. An exception is a couple of lines if I am creating an animal or building where a few guidelines are pretty useful as I actually would like an owl to be the shape of an owl more or less and not a total blob on the canvas!
So I am in Ypres or Flanders last week painting (see separate blog) and I have taken the advice of a friend to take a sketch book. No pencils though but oil pastels with no idea how to actually use them except light can’t go on dark-I think thats the rule but I don’t have rules so its tricky to have this rule…. This trip was momentous in many ways for my art practice and the sketch book was another incredible thing that came out of the trip. I used my oil pastels each day in several locations and all my sketches are below. I really enjoyed trying something new or playing as I call it when I do something different. The sketch book was in my bag all week! They aren’t great but I like some of them and thats good enough for me!
TYNE COT CEMETERY-large allied cemetery
LANGEMARK CEMETERY-German cemetery
THE CLOTH HALL-Ypres
ST. SYMPHORIEN CEMETERY
ESSEX FARM CEMETERY MEMORIAL AND 49TH DIVISION MEMORIALS
SHELLS IN MUSEUM-different colours mean different contents
MENIN GATE 8PM CEREMONY
POPPIES AT ESSEX FARM
HILL 60-where miners blew the top of the hill off!
THE DUNES-leaving Dunkerque
COMING HOME-the white cliffs
Do you sketch? Any tips?
More of my WWI work can be seen on my website and blogs! www.charronpugsleyhill.com
