I wanted to say here a little bit about the value of drawing in my practice, something I constantly return to and find invaluable for many reasons. It is right up there for maintaining a sense of creativity – we all know every day life can sometimes feel like a routine, or a never ending to do list, whereas taking some time to look and take a blank piece of paper and pencil to explore or illustrate an idea, whether it works or not, is rewarding and I usually learn something in the process either about my drawing skills or the subject matter! Often it inspires me to see something differently or return with a camera or find something related to capture in a new location.
This process is therapeutic and in a similar way to a walk, or taking part in a sport is satisfying and nearly always clears my head and is invigorating, so I am becoming more aware of a sense this should be done regularly. Like anything practice, and more practice is required to see the improvements. However the simplicity and practical technique of drawing is a refreshing change from screen and lens time!
Equally important for me is the way drawing helps train the eye, as we get older our eyes risk getting weaker, so the need as a photographer to keep them healthy is important. Drawing however I am convinced helps with understanding composition, how light and tone works and figuring out perspectives and view points.
So I will continue to take a sketch book around – and try to bring it into play more often… here are a few recent excerpts from the Kibble Palace in Glasgow’s Botanic Gardens, a challenging place to draw, but enjoyed these which were all drawn on location in approx 45 min – hour sessions. If you find yourself surrounded by too much noise – take yourself out somewhere for an hour and give it a try.
