A lesson from a bad drawing
I’ve decided to start sketching.
This morning I drew myself, bed-head and all.
First I drew the one on the left - which I hate to show because it’s such a terrible drawing. I spent around 10 minutes on this one, focusing on each detail of my face – attempting to get proportions right – being real careful. At some point, the halfway decent artist in me realized that this was one of the worst drawings I’ve ever done. It is stiff and generic – proportions were way off – it looks nothing like me – there is no personality or gesture – I had no feeling of satisfaction after drawing it – terrible, just terrible. I was genuinely mad and my motivation to draw was fading. I decided to give it another try (drawing on the right) and this time I scribbled for maybe 2 minutes. I didn’t attempt to draw a literal translation of what I saw in the mirror – I hardly looked in the mirror at all. I just used what I knew of my face from the previous drawing and how I felt at the time. Now I see that the first attempt wasn’t a waste of time. It allowed me to identify what it lacked, what it had too much of and without it I wouldn’t have been able to make the better drawing.
September 10th, 2007 at 2:01 pm
First sketch has a police sketch feel to it. Second sketch has the signature Wallace look.
September 10th, 2007 at 3:00 pm
yep, the one on the left I wouldn’t have recognized as you, but the one on the right looks exactly like I imagine you would look in your state of being P O’d about the previous drawing.
September 10th, 2007 at 4:12 pm
I love the before and after. I think in all forms of art, and even what I’m noticing in writing, is that to truly become a master of any craft, you’ll ultimately fail at points. No one whips out a Picasso painting on their first try, nobody writes a symphony on day one, and nobody writes a classic American novel the first time they pick up a pen. Like you said, the first drawing wasn’t a waste, because it made your second one better.
September 10th, 2007 at 5:51 pm
The one on the left is “Paul after he beefed up for the movie ‘300′.” The one on the right is the ragamuffin I wake up next to.
September 10th, 2007 at 7:36 pm
Wow! You’ve been busy since I was on here last. I love this! I agree w/ what your mom said. Never would have recognized you from the first sketch. It’s great to know that everyone has these humbling, (and aggravating) experiences…even in our areas of expertise. As you said…How else could we grow?
And I love “Visitor”. The details on the residents are so quintessentially rest homey (homish?)…whatever.
September 11th, 2007 at 11:03 am
left - Definitely 300, as Denise put it.
right - love the classic Wallace big left eye and scruffyness.
September 11th, 2007 at 12:23 pm
jeeze, is your left eye really bigger? i noticed it in the drawing, but have never noticed it in reality. clue me in.
September 11th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
Where’s the rest of the sketch? The part that shows you sewing underwear in the park. Creepy dude! Comb your hair before you sketch next time. On a less creepy note, I’ve been showing off your flamingos and everybody who has seen them loves ‘em.
September 11th, 2007 at 2:13 pm
relax mom. I’m perfectly symmetrical.
September 11th, 2007 at 3:58 pm
nobody’s perfectly symmetrical and I AM relaxed.
September 13th, 2007 at 9:18 pm
I think the one on the right looks like you. Who’s the other guy?
September 14th, 2007 at 8:15 pm
Nicely done. You need to hold a weekend course for all of those sketch guys at Knott’s and Disneyland so that they can learn to move from the left to the right.