For a long time I have recognized a fundamental difference between working on paper or canvas and working in fabric. On paper or canvas, you start with a support of a predetermined size and shape, and have to decide at the very beginning how the composition is going to fit into that shape. With fabric, your shape changes continually as you stitch pieces together. If you have a beautiful red shape at the center of your composition, you're only a slice away from moving it to the edge; if your composition starts out squarish and you decide it would look better as a rectangle, you need only add more fabric or cut away some at one side.
As a result of decades of making art from fabric, I think I'm pretty good at composition, but have noticed in the past that whenever I have to make art to fit it's a lot harder. I have written about this problem before in the context of making quilts, and acknowledge that my improvisational working style makes it even harder; my mantra is "sew first, plan later." My inability to translate a composition into a space has not been helped by years of photography, where I have infinite capability to shoot and reshoot, adjusting the camera position to get the scene framed exactly as I want it. (And if that doesn't work there's always cropping...)
Now that I am both taking a drawing class and drawing as a daily art project, my spatially challenged chickens are coming home to roost. I am having a hard time getting my drawings to fit onto my paper. Even when I spend time thinking about it and figuring out how big the drawing should be, I end up with it huddled over in one corner of the page or, more frequently, I run out of paper before I run out of drawing.
I guess the remedy for this is practice, practice, practice.
A bigger sketchbook might help too
ReplyDeleteYou're right, and I realized that within a week -- I obviously had bought the tiniest sketchbook out of fear. But rules are rules so I'm going to fill up this book before buying a new one.
DeleteInterestingly, I'm having the same problem in the huge sketchbook for my drawing class!
I had the same problem when I started drawing classes. Teacher had us measure the object and major elements with a pencil held at arms length, to get overall proportions correct. Cured me.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't thought of that, but I too have trouble fitting into a particular space. Looks like you just need to start a little higher on the page and you'll be fine.
ReplyDeleteI took a figure drawing class last semester (my first art class in 20 years) and had exactly the same problem!! It was somewhat comforting that many other students in the class had the same thing going on- the professor was always harping on it- trying to get us to improve!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if you could intentionally choose to draw a portion of an item from the start. Then it could fill the page or not and leave the rest to the imagination.
ReplyDeleteSandy
even better -- you just announce "I intentionally chose to draw only a portion of this item so when it went off the page that was on purpose."
DeleteI've taught drawing for 10 years. That's a tough thing to learn. Your last drawing is lovely.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how big your sketch pad is but it could be too small. You might feel more comfortable with an 8 x 10. It's hard to draw when you're limited by the size of your paper. As a teacher id rather see you draw comfortably than constantly try to adjust to the size of the page. Since drawing is about measuring with your eyes, you will eventually get it.
Too many artists work only in a "blob-in-the-middle"
ReplyDeletestyle.. Nothing wrong with going off the edge.. Your quilts have stuff right to the edges, right?
Still, your drawings are looking awesome! I am inspired.
ReplyDeleteMany thoughts re your drawings and small paper. Perhaps it is the paper that is too small but perhaps the reality is that you're too big! ...in vision, scope and energy.
ReplyDeleteShannon's comment would help.
Michael Britton of artacademy.com teaches Symphonic Composition: The elements of pictorial division. It is a brilliant course which will teach you how to place your finished drawing on the substrate and what size your substrate should finally be.
As it is, you're making sketches, which is a form of gathering information. Must say, I like them going off the edge. Very interesting.
Vancouver Barbara
Just keep drawing. After a while, it will sort itself out ...or rather, you'll be comfortale with some of the many other things that seem to need attention now, and will be able to subtly adjust this aspect.
ReplyDeleteIt's coming along just fine!
I've taken one life drawing class and had the exact same problem. My teacher finally suggested that I work from a macro perspective so that whatever I drew couldn't fit on the page and it was implied it was supposed to extend beyond the frame. Took a lot of the pressure off.
ReplyDelete