"The sketch hunter moves through life as he finds it, not passing negligently the things he loves, but stopping to know them, and to note them down in the shorthand of his sketchbook."—Robert Henri
John Constable [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
How or why it first becomes an addiction, I don’t know. The craving to capture the world with pencil and paper quickly grows a taproot in an artistic soul, and the sketching habit soon becomes a constant companion—like a marriage, for better or worse, through thick and thin. The sketchbook, that visual record that accompanies not only artists but other visual people as well, becomes a lifeline to observation, knowledge, creativity and life itself. Rosa Bonheur, once said of her sketches “I have made all manner of studies and I would prefer to content myself with a piece of dry bread every day of my existence rather than be without them.”
Recently, while toying with the idea of trading some easel time in for additional sketching time, it occurred to me that some of you might like to better understand the often private world of sketching. An artist likes people to view and buy their fine art pieces, but when it comes to their sketches, the complete opposite occurs--most artists never part with them and often do not want to even show them to the public. In addition to shedding some light on this all-important activity, I am hoping you might consider the possibility that sketching is not just for artists and could enrich your own life as well.
sketchbook of Eugene Delacroix
The Craft of Seeing
The greatest challenge in teaching art is to help people understand that one learns to draw by learning to SEE. If we open our eyes and really see, we can magically draw. The sketchbook is the perfect laboratory for developing this skill. By filling the pages with constant observation, we learn to tune in with our eyes instead of our minds. It is often said that most mistakes in drawing are made in the first five minutes. By doing many quick drawings, we learn to self correct our mistakes and become ever more attentive to the subject as it actually appears. Our vision becomes expanded, and a major perk of the process is that we also become more sensitive to the world around us, not only physically but emotionally as well.
It is only by drawing often, drawing everything, drawing incessantly, that one fine day you discover to your surprise that you have rendered something in its true character. —Camille Pissarro
Albrecht Dürer [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
The Search For Knowledge
The most famous sketchbooks of all time are those of the genius Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo filled his sketchbooks with his investigations not only into art, but also into anatomy, science, plants, animals, birds, and machines. In fact, there are relatively few paintings created by Leonardo, compared to the huge volume of work in his notebooks. I find it not surprising that he used his sketchbooks as the major tool for learning and understanding the natural world. Through sketching, we observe with far more attention and concentration and notice details that stimulate our thought processes. Leonardo is considered one of the greatest geniuses of all time—maybe we should all copy his technique of studying the world with a sketchbook.
“Principles for the Development of a Complete Mind: Study the science of art. Study the art of science. Develop your senses- especially learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else.” —Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci
Design and Imagination
The sketchbook gives us a “safe place” to put our thoughts and ideas down. It is a not only a favorite instrument to work out composition and design ideas, but to put form to our imagination. And there are few who have a more imaginative mind than that of the famous film maker Tim Burton. What many people don’t realize is that Tim Burton was a compulsive sketcher before he became a filmmaker, and that many of his “creatures” in the Nightmare Before Christmas and other movies first took shape in his sketches.
“Visions are worth fighting for. Why spend your life making someone else's dreams?”—Tim Burton
Storytelling
Artists have been going “on location” to draw and paint throughout the centuries. But now, with the aid of the internet, there is a wonderful new sketching movement taking place throughout the world. It is called the “Urban Sketchers” and the members call themselves “reporters”. Their mission is, as stated on their website is to “raise the artistic, storytelling and educational value of on-location drawing, promoting its practice and connecting people around the world who draw on location where they live and travel” (http://www.urbansketchers.org ). There is no level of “expertise” required, and the only equipment needed is your pencil or pen, paper and lots of passion.
“I take time to experience and respond to my environment in ways I couldn’t begin to without pen in hand”. Cathy Johnson, from “The Art of Urban Sketching”.
Toulouse Lautrec
Sketching as Meditation
Probably the greatest benefit of all is the increased sense of connection/mindfulness while sketching. One of the greatest proponents of using sketching as a form of meditation was Frederick Franck, a dental surgeon turned artist/sculptor and spiritual teacher. In his book “Zen Seeing, Zen Drawing” he writes:
“When the eye wakes up to see again, it suddenly stops taking anything for granted. The thing I draw, be it leaf, rosebush, woman, or child, is no longer a thing, no longer my “object” over and against which I am the supercilious “subject.” The split is healed. When I am drawing leaf or caterpillar or human face, it is at once de-thingified. I say yes to its existence. By drawing it, I dignify it, I declare it worth of total attention, as worthy of attention as I am myself, for sheer existence is the awesome mystery and miracle we share.”
Do you sketch? We’d love if it you would share any experiences or thoughts on sketching in the comments below.
For fun:
Here’s a link to great article on Tim Burton, the artist.
http://the-artifice.com/art-tim-burton/
