Eyes-Brain-Hand Reconnection
At the end of the month, I’m heading to Chicago to finally do something I’ve always wanted to do- draw uninterrupted at the Art Institute of Chicago.
When travelling, I’ve often felt constrained by time or the needs of others, which has kept me from drawing as much as I’d like. At museums, my goodness, that desire to sketch intensifies. I mean, I could easily spend hours in front of a single item studying and sketching. Just imagine being in a place like the Art Institute of Chicago, which takes like three days to cover at best, and the draw to draw there. I’ve been there a few times now, but I’ve never gotten the time and space to do what I want.
So, in preparation for this long awaited moment, I need to reawaken the synapses that connect my eyes to my brain to my hand. This requires practice. Blind contours galore, live sketching, and also just getting comfortable drawing out in public again..
Today was my first day out in the wild. I went to a jazz jam at a local bar, sipped in a tea, and drew a lot.
I warmed up with blind contours:
Then I moved on to some basic figures and shapes of what I saw:
Finally, I made a return to umbrella perspective:
Honestly, it was tough. First of all, I was a little nervous about drawing in public?? Thought I’d shaken that off for good, but nevertheless, I powered through. Regarding the umbrella perspective, I had to go back and rewatch a couple of Paul Heaston’s videos. It’s not perfect but I’m optimistic as to how the month will go. The warm ups helped big time!
Part of this eyes-brain-hand reconnection will also be about refining which tools I want to take with me to Chicago. I definitely need to restock on a few things. And dare I say I need an actual pencil case???
Thanks for reading!
xo A
Sidenote- love the bar I went to. So cozy. I’ve been before, but never alone or to draw. The jazzology was great. The seniors danced. The bartender was so friendly and played my music in the interim. I got over my nerves regarding drawing in public so quickly because I was so comfortable. Will def be going back.
