April 9, 2024

A few simple interesting lines

I already know this but it begs repeating – one does not always have an idea to draw, but one should probably draw anyway. Mark making, in any form, has an unusual but reliable way of feeding itself. One mark begets another, and another. It’s from this that ideas emerge.

Lately, I’ve been in a slump. Maybe it was COVID but I’ve just been unsure about what to draw. Feeling guilty, I picked up a pencil and begun making doodles – just circles and lines after circles and lines. I began without a direction let alone a destination and, despite an hour of messing about, walked away fairly uninspired – except for a few simple lines.

A few days later, I looked back over the work with the intention of ripping it up and throwing it out but those few simple lines caught my attention.

A drawing of a woman in an awkward yoga pose
I never set out to draw something like this, but it came anyway

I’m not sure why, but there was something about the awkwardness of a character that emerged from that aimless session that I found interesting.

From these few lines ran a thread of thought – how would this character look in the various other yoga poses that exist? And, from a question, ran a small project.

A poster mockup of several yoga poses hand illustrated in black ink and halftoneA drawing of a woman in a yoga pose with halftone coloured leggingsA drawing of a woman in a yoga pose with halftone coloured leggings
Yoga for everyday people

Her body shape and ‘normal’ level of flexibility, combined with the challenge of drawing someone like this in enough of a balance (although not too effortless), became a fun half-day of drawing and, because of the momentum, I’m ready to go again tomorrow.

I don’t know how many times I have to write these words in various different ways for it to sink in but it seems to be that, more often than not, ideas emerge from the work, not the other way around.

Other observations
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May 13, 2025

It ain’t gonna draw itself

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May 6, 2025

Like a machine

Should artists aspire for robotic-like accurate and consistency like those who are the best in their sport?

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