2/18/22 Maple Leaf neighborhood
A couple of days after I discovered the charming houses on a street we rarely walk, I went back for another sketch. The mid-40s is
still too cold for me to stand around for much longer than a few minutes, so I
knew it would be another quick one. I found a cute Tudor, an architectural style that I have a penchant for (and have many to choose from in Maple
Leaf). Although the siding was dark grayish-blue, its bright yellow door surprised
me.
Here’s an addendum to the insight I had when I wrote about the first house: The reason I used to need the better part of an hour to draw a house like this was that I had to measure everything carefully to get it “right.” In addition to the realization that there’s nothing special about houses as subject matter, something else happened during my 10-year drawing life. It’s not that my experience has enabled me to get it “right” in only seven minutes; I don’t know if it did. But the difference now is that I don’t care.
Caring that it’s “right”: For many, it’s the biggest barrier to drawing. Not caring: I wish I knew how to give it out to others. I could make a million bucks as an instructor if I did. Unfortunately, I don’t know how.
I enjoy your posts about sketching everyday objects and scenes.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever been challenged by homeowners as to why you are sketching their house? People tend to be quite alarmed when their property is being photographed.
It helps that I'm a fast sketcher! ;-) I have only been confronted once by a homeowner. I was standing on the sidewalk sketching a potted plant in the driveway. She shouted from the door to ask what I was doing. I told her what I was doing with a smile, but she watched me from a window until I left (I didn't leave before finishing my sketch ;-) ).
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