Thursday, February 19, 2015

SKETCHING HOURS AWAY

A friend suggested that while I was immobilised, I could think about doing some sketching. It is something I have not taken a notion to do for more years than I can remember. I liked the idea and gave it some thought.

Hubby has enough to do  responding to almost my every whim and supervising me when wobbling on the crutches. Before you ask, no, I have not mastered them. Trying to move short distances on the crutches gives the palms of my hands a break from the pressure pain, caused by hopping with a zimmer frame. Notwithstanding my limitations, some strategies for being a bit independent are evolving.

Sketching. First of all I would have to send hubby to find the materials. I am not sure where they are. I remember buying a video about sketching, colouring skills and ideas,  to go with some lovely Keswick pencils, before such things were recorded onto CD's and DVD's.  This would be a great opportunity to get on with watching it, but..........for the moment, we are both having quite a lot of domestic changes to adjust to, without adding layers to them.

Inspiration: why don't I download some arty apps onto my iPad - so I did. There were a couple of free ones that did not appeal, one tried to suck you into cloud storage with Adobe.  There are two apps that I decided upon.  One is free the other I paid a nominal asking price. If I don't get on with either of them, there won't have been a large investment.

Digital art creation on an iPad is strange. It feels like there is less control over the progress of an opus. There is obviously a technique to master. Of course, all these apps are sooooo eeeeasy to understand. I am still working out how to save what I do and find it again. You erase something, you get the outline of the erasure when you apply your correction.  The best I can say so far, ( early days yet) I have the time and space to experiment and hopefully, improve.  Also a couple of hours disappeared while I tried to acquaint myself with digital sketching.  One thing I am really good at is using the eraser. 

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Have fun. I think that I would have just used paper and pencils, not that I'm any good at all. Flighty xx

ZACL said...

Hi Mr F,

I'm on your side of the sketching divide. I'll play with the apps a bit longer. xxx

:)

Anonymous said...

Enforced inactivity can offer a good opportunity to learn new skills - provided there is not too much frustration in the process! Good luck!

ZACL said...

Frustration is a common theme running through this enforced restriction period, GillyK. It is about a variety of events, some unexpected. Keeping a measured sense of proportion is my focus, much more of an effort than it usually would be.

I have not played with the mobile art apps today. There have been other prerequisites, including reading about how to use crutches and watching a number of informative videos on the subject. I had no idea how quickly my laptop would need recharging after doing a couple of hours of 'safety' education.

Snowbird said...

I can just imagine how irritating and frustrating those crutches are, I hope things get better soon. Glad to hear you are enjoying your arty apps though, that sounds like fun!xxx

ZACL said...

Hi Snowbird
The arty apps are absorbing a bit of time trying to work out what they are capable of, what I am likely to be capable of using those apps. They do seem strange in use, not likely to be an extension of my finger, but more an extension of digital programming. They are clever for what they seem to offer.

Thanks for the idea. I am hoping to get to get to pencil and paper at some point. Manual and digital exploration should take up a fIr bit of time! Xxxxxx

Jennytc said...

I think I'm right in saying that David Hockney has used an iPad app called 'Paper 53'. I remember seeing a programme on TV and he had produced some amazing stuff - but then of course, he would! ;)

ZACL said...

I remember that programme Jennyta. It was about the time Hockney had an amazing canvas at the summer Royal Academy Art exhibition, which, I got to see. It was generally agreed that the exhibition that year was amongst one of the best.

The version of Paper 53 I downloaded was the app that 'guided' you to store on Adobe cloud. It put me off testing it further. Ah well, at least I had spotted something a great artist coukd use!!

I agree, Hockney would produce amazing stuff. :))