Letting Go of Perfectionism
Doodling has always interested me as a quick, easy and no judgement start to art. I used YouTube as a resource and doodling led into loose urban sketching. A broad definition of loose urban sketching is the ability to observe surroundings and simplify the bustling streets, architecture and people into basic shapes and lines.
Specifically, it means to target capturing the essence of the scene rather than being caught up in intricate details. One significant leap for me was to let go of perfectionism. An example of this was to move on from the tentative drawing technique of using pencil and eraser – where if a mistake is made, then the eraser removes the line and so on. Now my confidence enables me to use an ink pen and use the continuous line method.
This method has convinced me that lines do not need to be straight. Wonky lines add some flavour and interest to sketching. These ‘loose’ sketching techniques have convinced me to avoid perfectionism and have brought me stress free and mindful art. Loose urban sketching often uses line and watercolour washes. Again, the YouTube resource has been superb.
Embracing creativity otherwise known in my life as ‘just doing it’ has given me the simple joy of learning new things. I love the mantra of ‘Can’t do art —— practice —— can do art.’
Making my own art has been fun and reminded me that I can actually learn a new skill and give my interpretation of an image. Also the ‘loose urban art style’ suits me as it is quick, simple and uncomplicated.
I am really interested in old NZ architecture, especially old NZ pubs. Another art style I am keen to explore is caricature, where specific facial features are emphasised.
This simple image of Salisbury Cathedral is a typical example of loose urban sketching. With minimal cathedral detail and hopefully foreground and middle ground depth.
This simple but effective image is one I really enjoyed completing. This is an example of continuous line drawing and conveys a happy feeling. Simple colours make it simple to grasp.
These 3 caricatures of my brother are part of my continuing art adventure. I am developing my caricature skills and like to bring out specific face features. Each of these images show an exaggeration of a facial feature to emphasise the portrait. Though my brother thinks the images are gremlin like!
This image of a pub in Thames captures the Art Deco like style with minimal details. I like the depth with shadows and darker sections.
Words by Donald Mackay
