Why bother to use a sketchbook? – Works in development versus a record of travel and experience.

Every artist should ask themselves “Why use a sketchbook?” Is it as:

- a memory jogger, a working tool to aid the creative process?

- a nostalgic record which allows you to recall happy times?

- a means to experiment with a new media?

- a workhorse, with great swaths of pencil/ink showing the finer nuances of you creative process?

- a handy means to keep all you paintings in one place?

How you use a sketchpad depends on your answer to these and other questions. In many ways it is easier to just take a photograph! There are many transient moments that can only be recorded by a photograph. But a sketch is more personal, more intimate. It bestows some of the character of the artist in ways a photograph cannot.

In the past two days I’ve produced 2 sketches. This one last night during “Earth Hour”.

I had some time – about 20 minutes - enough to achieve a level of completion, however flawed I might feel it is.

The second was a five minute creation while I was standing waiting for my children to go on a ride at Legoland in Windsor. I had to stop before it was anywhere near “completion” However it still had value as a thumbnail sketch. On this occasion I also took a photograph. Which is a backup practice many artist’s now use. But I still have this sketch. I took many photographs today. I may not remember all the details surrounding them in months to come. But this sketch is carved in my memory in a way no photograph can or will ever be! So yes, it may be incomplete, but it has so much more value than the corresponding photograph.

So why do you use a sketchbook?

 

Sketches at home

Today has been a bit unplanned. I’ve managed to get some painting done, but nothing finished so I’m posting an ink sketch I did at the weekend. It’s a view I see regularly when I draw other things, so I thought why not draw it.

 

Today seems to have been lived without my having any influence on it at all. I ended up waiting in for someone who didn’t turn up until after Lunch. I then had to go out to shop, on the way back I remembered I was supposed to be at a special assembly at my daughter’s school. Then after the school run, I had to go back for a parent teacher evening. It’s all been rather frenetic!

I think I might finally have my website up and running properly. The new site is currently at cathyread.co.uk I’ve just managed to link up the art for sale with payment and sort out the last of the teething problems –oh, I think there’ll probably be more of them!!!!! Anyway, once I’ve had a few people look at it I’ll redirect the cathyread.com traffic to it as well.

Finally, I’ve  discovered that I’m on the first page on google search if you type in my name. Wahay! who needs SEO companies!!!!!! I’ve been pestered by a few of them recently. I’ve come to a conclusion. If they don’t come up when you google SEO companies, then they’re probably not that good.

Out and about

I spent most of today out at meetings and shopping for craft bits for the sleepover on Saturday. As a result I wasn’t at home much. I did manage to do the pencil work for THAT commission and also had time to do some quick sketches.
This little one was done quickly in the coffee shop at the garden centre.

I’ve also got to arrange collection of my rejected paintings, ho hum.
The Royal academy are promoting their Summer exhibition, already. Need to sign up for this year, not sure what to enter ye, though.

It’s my pressie!

I’m having extreme difficulty getting access to my computer at the moment. Normally we have another one that the children play games on but it’s broken – pretty completely at that. So everyone wants to use mine… it’s making posting a tad difficult but I’ll press on. Even when I do get near the computer, someone is usually hovering wondering when I will finish. Not that I have anything to post for yesterday. A couple of pencil scribbles but nothing finished or worthy of sharing. Spent most of the day either food shopping, sorting out the house or cleaning the cooker-yuk. By the time I’d finished all that It was a struggle to motivate myself to do anything. Had a drink and watched “Mr and Mrs Smith”

Today has been much better and I managed an indoor sketch, first thing. I will add it tomorrow, so if you’re reading this before then, sorry!

Here it is, the view from my bedroom.

Still some more cleaning, de-cluttering and general tidying to do – we’re having a party for Siobhan next Saturday. Eeeeeek! Why, oh why, oh why did I agree to that?

To add insult to injury, even Andrew’s hogging the laptop to scan in old slides with the slide/film scanner he’s just bought!!!!!!!

Ronan Keating!

I've finally started my last entry for the BAFA competition - just over 2 weeks to go, nothing like leaving things to the last minute, huh! I spent a lovely couple of hours trying to create a face from self levelling gel which was supposed to be blood red. It's more shocking pink than blood red, trouble is, until it dries I won't know if it's right! Hopefully it is.

I did a sketch of the living room, inspired by watching Ewan pelt down the stairs. He sits at the top of the stairs with his legs and body stiff but flexed at the hips, arms held behind him, regulating his speed. Down he goes, again and again and again! Noticed that the view I had was very interesting, there is a hint of Ewan on the stairs in the picture, but not much.

I'm now off to do some more caricaturing, which I'll hopefully be able to post it later.

Here's my 4th attempt at a quick sketch of Ronan Keating. The first one had the best likeness but the body was a mess. The rest had some major flaws, well to my mind anyway.

Wow! I've just realised this is my 300th post. Never thought I'd keep the blogging up quite as well as I have. I'm now on twitter as well, need to work out how to link the 2.