Hi There, I’m Shoo Rayner and this is the Wednesday Drawing Show.
In this week’s program we have - drawing from photographs - your work from last week’s
task - some advice about sketchbooks and a drawing task for you this week.
I recently had a great email from Devina in Indonesia, who says:
Hi Mr. Shoo.. My name is Devina Samantha. I am from Indonesia. i want to say that English
is not my mother language
I just wanted to say that i am very blown away by your artwork. You're showing me that
art doesnt have to be the-good-realistic drawing, but it can be simple and still awesomely good!
I really like your illustration on children's book.. Well, thank you Devina
I am a design student. Before, i am so stressed how i can't draw
things realisticly.. But then i see your artwork.. and i understand that it doesnt have to be
realistic.. People have their own style.. So then i learn to draw and trying to find
my own style. So thank you for teaching me that. :)
It’s a pleasure Devina and something I really want to teach. Once you understand that drawing
is not about making photographs, drawing becomes a whole lot more fun.
On monday, You’ll have seen me drawing a picture of Michael Jackson from a Photograph.
I cheated on purpose and traced it to make sure it looks as much like the photograph
as possible. Do it this way and your friends will all say Woah! Dood That’s amazing!
That’s because most people expect art to look like a photograph.
I could have spent hours measuring the drawing but I was just trying to make a point. The
Art in this picture is made by Michael Jackson and the Photographer, who as far as I can
work out is Sam Emerson. They did all the work of planning, posing, undergoing surgery,
design, dressing, hair, makeup, lightin, post processing all that sort of thing.
When you copy that photograph and make it look as much like a photograph as possible,
you are undoubtedly using incredible skill - but we have photocopiers to do that these
days.
Before Cameras Artists were commissioned to paint photographs. We all love to see pictures
of ourselves. Artists made great likenesses and added the Art, with a capital “A”
with the lighting and the hair and makeup etc that made their subjects look great.
When the camera came along, the Artist was no longer required to do that job anymore,
because the camera takes a better likeness, much more cheaply.
So artists was set free from the job of painting photographs and began drawing and painting
the world in new and exciting ways. That’s when we got Picasso and Monet, fauvists, cubists,
surrealists and all those amazing 20th century artists we go to see in Museums.
Drawing is not Art
Art with a Capital “A” is an investment business. Some artists are lucky and get chosen
to be promoted and their work becomes famous so that millionaires have somewhere safe to
put their money. You usually have to be a dead artist to get rich this way or have a
brilliant business manager. Perhaps I need one of those!
So Get Art out of your head.
Drawing is not Art.
Drawing is about understanding the world around us. Drawing is a universal language. We can
all read a drawing without trying. We all have an innate ability to draw and make beautiful
pictures.
Sadly, culture and society bash that out of us in school. We all start to believe that
our drawings should look like “Proper Art” and so we give up.
But some of us are compelled to keep on drawing, and it’s a good thing we do.
Drawing is the method with which our ideas are turned into reality. without this stage,
nothing would ever get built and we would still be living in caves.
Drawing is the planning stage, the learning stage, where you are allowed to make mistakes
and have fun. But like learning to write, it takes practice to learn and get better
at the language of drawing.
When you have worked everything out in drawings, and have something to say, then you can go
on to create the work of art., which might be another, finished drawing or it might be
a building or a statue or a painting... you might even choose to take a photograph.
Make sure you stick around for this week’s related drawing task.
@ 5mins
Well there’s nothing in the mail this week! What Nothing! If you want to see your work
on the Wall of Fame behind me, You’ll have to send it in and where do you send it?
I love getting Stuff in the mail.
Last week’s task, you’ll remember, was to draw a Rhino from memory. If you don’t
know what I’m talking about, go and watch last week’s show!
I drew a Rhino from memory on my Friday Drawing. I did it in Biro because I want an empty biro
for another task I’m going to make you do in a couple of week’s time. So you may want
to start emptying a biro now!
On thewednesdaydrawingshow.com intrepid pioneers have been uploading their own Rhino drawings,
drawn from memory and here they are. Your work could have been here! Keep watching for
this week’s task and join in the fun!
Thanks everyone for sharing your work with us.
Now I’ve had another interesting email this week, from Brett who says
hi shoo im 13 years old and a keen sketcher. my question
is about sketchbooks. i have a few but if i get something in it wrong or
mess up i end up ripping it up.It makes me feel im wasting the paper and pad even if
i dont rip it out
hope u answer this or even put it on your show p.s i think the w.d.s is awesome keep
it up
Thanks Brett. Well, Sketchbooks are there to make mistakes in. That’s the whole point.
Sometimes you will come across the work of someone who is so good, they make their sketchbooks
look perfect, That’s their style. Most sketchbooks are a bit messy, mine certainly are. Mine
have a lot of writing too. This is my wednesday Drawing Show planning sketchbook for instance.
It’s pretty messy and all over the place
These are a couple of sketchbooks I take with me when I go out and about and this is the
book I generally sketch in when I’m watching the TV. They are all a bit messy and full
of mistakes.
Don’t rip the bad stuff out, Brett. The mistakes are the drawings you learn from.
A sketchbook is a record of your ideas and progress. A drawing you didn’t quite get
right might just be the one that helps you understand where you’re going wrong and
be the sketch that moves you forward. If you chuck it out, you also chuck out what you
learned and you will never be able to go back and see where you went wrong and how you are
now getting it right.
Love your sketchbooks and they will look after you. They are like big storage tanks of ideas
that you build your new ideas on.
***
If you are proud of your sketchbooks and would like to share them with us, make a video response
to this video and if I like them, Maybe I’ll feature them in the Wednesday Drawing Show.
Another way to get featured on The Wednesday Drawing Show is to join in with today’s
task!
I want you to make a drawing from a photograph and make it as realistic as you can. I want
you to get it out of your system!
I’m not saying photographs are bad. I use them all the time for reference for things
and places I’ll never see. You have to use photographs to draw famous people that you’ll
never get to meet. Sometimes, you just want to draw your heroes and heroines, but I think
you should draw them your own way. Do your heroes the honour of adding your own personality
to the drawing.
So, find a photograph of someone famous you like (here’s a tip - on google images turn
on the search tools and search for large images)
When you have done your pencil drawing so it looks as near to the photograph as you
can do it, go to www.thewednesdaydrawingshow.com/youruploads and follow the instructions to upload your
picture.
Only press the button once and wait for your picture to appear. I’ll then move it across
to the Famous Photo’s album for everyone to enjoy. Remember to add your name if you
want us to know who did it!
Then Next week, I’ll share the drawings with you all on the Wednesday Drawing Show.
Well, that’s all for this week. If you enjoyed the show please vote and favourite and blog
and tweet and share. Don’t keep it to yourself I need lots of viewers around the world if
I’m going to keep up with the show.
I’d be really interested in your contributions if you have ideas and can make short videos
to be included on the show.
In the meantime, Keep Drawing Drawing Drawing - Practice Practice Practice - and I’ll
see you next time - You take care now, Bye Bye!