A big cold draw

Eric Ngan and Steeven Mou Sang organise The Big Draw Meet-Up in Auckland every month. I’m happy to be corrected but I think they've been organising this artistic get-together since 2011.

PAH HOMESTEAD, HILLSBOROUGH, AUCKLAND

Today we met to draw at the Pah Homestead in Hillsborough, Auckland. In a past life, the Homestead was just that; these days it’s a gallery and cafe. Views across Auckland are just gorgeous. Along with those views, on days like today, there’s a wicked breeze that really means only we hardy souls will stay outside for any length of time.

The Big Draw typically starts at 1pm on the last Saturday of every month. We all meet again at 3:30pm and chat, compare our drawings, and take a group photo. The smarter members of our group drew inside; a couple of us hunkered down against the elements outside and drew the building, sculptures, and features of the beautiful grounds.

The Big Draw team meets to share our work

The Big Draw team meets to share our work

Figuring out what to draw can be a real time-consuming part of the day. Every moment I spend finding the ‘perfect’ subject to draw, is a minute I’m not going to be able to spend drawing. I like to made a decision quickly and get started. Some of the points I consider when deciding what to draw include:

  • sunshine at from behind
  • cast shadows adding strong contrast
  • an “essence” of the environment

Sunshine

Having the light-source at your back saves your eyesight. Staring at a subject with the sun in your vision makes for a very low contrast, and a bright distraction that can really make things a lot harder than then need to be.

Shadow

Strong shadows add drama and help define the shape of the subject you're drawing without necessarily needing to draw too much detail. Shadows are particularly fun if when painting with watercolour - washing across a drawing following strong angular shadows can really add interest to a work.

Essence

When I'm having trouble deciding what to draw, or where to draw from, I ask myself "What can I draw that will communicate this place?" This can really narrow the list of options to a manageable number of options.

Sometimes though, I do just draw the thing that grabs my attention. Today it was a wrought-iron gate. Although drawing a gate can be done at one hundred other venues in Auckland, drawing something is better than drawing nothing. 

Regardless of the subject or the place or the materials being used, the number one piece of advice at The Big Draw, or anywhere you're working in a group, is: Don’t compare yourself to others. Drawing practice is not a competition; no one is ranked at The Big Draw. Some members have tremendous experience, others are brand new. Comparison can be discouraging for some, and uncomfortable for others - so just don't do it - it's just not helpful. 

Sure, be constructively critical of your own work, but also be proud of what worked too. We're all seeing and drawing - no one else can see through your eyes, and no one can interpret a scene quite like you.

The real requirements of The Big Draw - apart from showing up with something to draw with and something to draw on - is to observe, draw, be supportive, and enjoy yourself.

Associated links

Drawing the gate with the pah homestead in the background

Rose; thorn; banana.

Today a woman at work asked me how I was.

Not in a "Man you look tired/sick/strange; how *are* you??" concerned kind of way but in a greeting/social-situation kind of way. Trouble was, I had my bad attitude on - not because of her and not because of the meeting we'd just arrived at - but because of a conversation that had happened before I'd got there. It was a pretty typical conversation in my work-life that never failed to put me in a poor frame-of-mind.

I kind of sighed and grunted and slouched as an answer to this perfectly friendly question.

She chuckled and said, "You know, if you had a Rose; a Thorn; and a Banana you could've answered that question."

I showed her my "please explain" eyebrows and she proceeded to tell me that in her team they had this habit of thinking about:

  1. One good thing (the rose)
  2. One challenging thing (the thorn)
  3. One thing they're looking forward to (the banana)

Had I been forearmed with this technique I might have answered her question with "I'm excited that Project X has finally kicked off although I'm hearing some resistance due to lack of resources, I'm really looking forward to getting the stocktake underway." Or something except who the hell ever looks forward to a stocktake?

"I'm so happy it's Winter - it's my favourite time of the year even though it's getting colder I really am looking forward to our first proper frosty morning!"

Rose; thorn; banana - a little social lubrication that potentially camouflages the truth of the situation you might not want to share because all you really want to do is sag and sigh and no one really wants to know how you really are anyway.

Tomorrow: pack away one good thing; one challenging thing; and a banana into a sentence so you're ready to be the social lubricator not the party pooper.