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Reference granted for leopard drawing
1 min read
Great stuff, I've just been granted permission to use this leopard photo for my next drawing.
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Why use the grid method?
2 min read
I've never used the grid method in my life and never will. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with it if that's how some artists want to work and if it gets them to their final goal, I just believe it doesn't teach you much about proportions or give you confidence to draw freehand as it is all set out for you and can ultimately become a handicap.
I have made a lot of mistakes in my work but sometimes they're glorious ones that have taught me a lot in improving my skills but finished pieces can also be better for it. Many drawings that are rendered using the grid method in my view lose that spontaneity and become kind of lifeless because the artist is trying to replicate too precisely what they are copying without any margin for error. Sure their level of detail can be superb and there is no denying the artists skill but in many instances using the grid method loses something special in the final piece that would otherwise be present without it.
I have made a lot of mistakes in my work but sometimes they're glorious ones that have taught me a lot in improving my skills but finished pieces can also be better for it. Many drawings that are rendered using the grid method in my view lose that spontaneity and become kind of lifeless because the artist is trying to replicate too precisely what they are copying without any margin for error. Sure their level of detail can be superb and there is no denying the artists skill but in many instances using the grid method loses something special in the final piece that would otherwise be present without it.
In my opinion it's the artists own instinct and feeling for the work that is lost for drawing by numbers; a mechanical and rigid way of replicating reality that becomes kind of dead in my view. I'm not saying that all work rendered using the grid method is like this but artists who use it can lose what is special in the work that only a freehand drawing can achieve.
I believe in the long term you can achieve greater drawing without using the grid method by only using your own observational skills. It might be harder but it's a lot more satisfying and you learn more from it in the end.
This is only my opinion so please feel free to disagree.
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Snow leopard photo for next project?
1 min read
I think I've found a really good photo of a snow leopard for my next drawing. It's not showing the cat in its natural habitat but in Zurich's Zoological Garden. The picture does give a good impression that the snow leopard is in a natural environment though and I think this will translate really well as a pencil drawing. I just have to get permission from the photographer first... fingers crossed! Link: fav.me/d1wcgj6
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Sometimes less is more
1 min read
When drawing, sometimes less is more and vice versa depending on the subject. Some of the most beautiful drawings I've seen are incomplete.
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