365 DRAWING PROJECT

A 365 daily drawing project begun in good faith, but thwarted by life, death, progress and other forces. I have since scaled it back to “regular” but I still aim to fulfil the 365 target.

The process has thrown up so many unexpected things, ideas, personal development, a noticing of what I notice, discovery of stories, and connection with other people,none of which would have happened otherwise. So I would recommend trying it, as long as you don’t mind loosing time and don’t value your sanity much.

Very Undaily 365 Sketch Project Update: 69-73

| Paul Greer

..and to add insult to injury two of these I have already posted here. But in the spirit of complete-ism and putting everything down this blog pipe, here we are.

Notebooks Zebulon (9 x 14 pocket Moleskine) and Leonidas (8 x 11 homemade pocket book) are now retired (so you can see I do continue to use them, it’s just most of the content is not suitable for posting in the internet (and I mean that in a nice way)). Ethel (13 x 21 Moleskine) is still going strong, and is what I am mainly using for writing, mapping, drawing, general ranting and work. I also have a new shiny currently un-named homemade pocket book. I’m sticking with just the two for now, as I’m currently liking seeing the consistency and flow in build up in Ethel, and I obviously need a smaller pocket book that I can be a Everyday Carry type object for emergencies.

(above from a week or so ago) Notebook Zebulon is close to the end. But there are a few corners not filled with indecipherable tiny writing.

A few items are coming to a head, at BDH one large project at work is being broadcast at the moment and the Very Large Animation job we did earlier in the year is on the brink. Also a small personal piece to be published in a new and very exiting way with other stuff that’s much better than mine. The “things planned” part are art things (as opposed to wok things) that I hope to post about here as I progress through them. That involves removing a few shackles of hesitancy on my part. Not to mention my bionically slow progress. But one can only try.

What? Oh, yes sketches, they get pushed to the back of the queue on a daily basis, then I feel bad. But I have to keep reminding myself, NOBODY CARES, so it’s ok. Might also start playing with posting them straight here and pinging them out then putting them on Instagram, instead of the other way around.

69
69/365. Elaboration on guitar under the desk started in 61/365. It does get played, btw. Multi-coloured biro. Notebook: Ethel 

 

70/365 Various horizon lines drawn from the window of the 11:30 to London Paddington. Going through Bath Spa, Chippenham, Swindon, Didcot Parkway. V-ball. Notebook: Ethel. https://instagram.com/p/tC5i5kHy-A/
70/365
Various horizon lines drawn from the window of the 11:30 to London Paddington.
Going through Bath Spa, Chippenham, Swindon, Didcot Parkway.
V-ball.
Notebook: Ethel.

71/365 Back-ends of various vehicles drawn during mildly epic road trip (when stationary and when it was safe to do so, obv) from Hunstanton through Peterborough, A47, M6, M5 etc. 7 hours journey time in total. See images of both #east and #west seas (taken on same day) earlier in this feed. V-ball. Notebook: Ethel. https://instagram.com/p/tGGy09Hy_9/
71/365
Back-ends of various vehicles drawn during mildly epic road trip (when stationary and when it was safe to do so, obv) from Hunstanton through Peterborough, A47, M6, M5 etc. 7 hours journey time in total.
See images of both #east and #west seas (taken on same day) earlier in this feed.
V-ball.
Notebook: Ethel.

72/365 Hot air balloon that just flew low over our town at speed. They take off from Ashton Court which is about 9 miles away so they seem to have got the pace without the altitude. We could see the shape of the flames from the burners very cleary. I have friends who have seen balloons so low over Bristol they have had conversations with the occupants. Pencil. Without looking. Notebook: Ethel https://instagram.com/p/tezzeJHyxy/
72/365
Hot air balloon that just flew low over our town at speed. They take off from Ashton Court which is about 9 miles away so they seem to have got the pace without the altitude. We could see the shape of the flames from the burners very cleary.
I have friends who have seen balloons so low over Bristol they have had conversations with the occupants.
Pencil.
Without looking.
Notebook: Ethel

73/364 Heads of moving horses, drawn without looking. Straight to V-ball. Notebook: Ethel https://instagram.com/p/tuokIGnyw9/
73/364
Heads of moving horses, drawn without looking.
Straight to V-ball.
Notebook: Ethel

 

 

365 Day Sketch Project Update: 55-68

| Paul Greer

I suppose I’ve lost the “everyday” part of this project, but, you know life’s too short to get stressed about these things. The point is I am having a lovely time drawing stuff from (mostly) life, my sense of perception and observation has developed and sharpened, my skill with the various implements I am using has improved.

So I am going to keep going with it, even though I am breaking the rules somewhat (there are no rules).

Something that seems to be happening also is sometimes I will finish a drawing and think it’s not great but it gets just as much feedback across the networks as the others.

At the moment I have them automatically cross posting to Twitter and Tumblr. Still haven’t quite got the guts to fire them off to Facebook as well. Not sure why that is, I have always struggled with Facebook, and hate the idea of oversharing on there. But for Tumblr and Twitter I’ll overshare with no worries, which is odd because people who I am connected to on Facebook are more likely to be people I know “Away From Keyboard” as it were.

Anyway, as ever these are embeds from Instagram, you can follow me there if you want them straight off the page, if you catch my drift. I have posted the accompanying comment I posted it with, but you’ll have to click through if you want to read what other people have said. (Don’t bother if there’s only one though that’s usually me adding hashtags after the fact).

 

 

365 Day Sketch Project Update: 38-54

| Paul Greer

I’ve given myself a few weeks off, with the Big Clearout taking over pretty much every spare moment I have. It’s a shame because I would’ve like to have drawn many of the items we’ve been passing on as a record of past times. But the speed and quantity of things going meant that I just didn’t find the time to do it. Also tiredness.

365 Day Sketch Project Update: Days 23 – 37

| Paul Greer

Well over a month in. Quite chuffed. I had a few medical incidents during the course of this (see below) so there are a few rushed, but done.

 

 

365 Sketch Project 11-22

| Paul Greer

Still going after over three weeks. It’s interesting to see what you notice.

(Text culled from the Instagram posts.)

(If you can’t see the embeds you might need to go here to see them.)

(Oh yes, and about half way through this sequence I start  recording which notebook each sketch is in, more on that later.)

 

 

 

365 Sketch Project: 1-10

| Paul Greer

I’m not sure what happened. I was waiting to go out and so sat and drew a chair, then watch myself in slow motion as I added “1/365” and then posted it on the internet.

Drawing everyday is obviously an aspiration that gets pushed aside with everyday business, work and (here’s the rub) mechanical distractions. I never draw as much as I want to. So launching the spectre of mild internet shame upon failure may well encourage me to do more.

I have always felt the activity was 90% looking, and judging by what what below one could say that is all that I was doing.

I am not one of those that drawing has some magic potential over photography, both encourage a paying attention to the everyday, and then a potential to pull something extraordinary out of it.

Hopefully I can keep this rolling. Once again it is largely for my benefit, but perhaps there might be some enjoyment to be gained as I stumble, question myself, draw badly with no signs of improvement, hate everything, hurredly scribble something at the end of the day etc etc, so follow me on Instagram for immediate and possible calamitous updates, if you so wish.

Anyone else on a 365 project?

(Below I have added the comment I posted on Instagram and the link to the original post. All but two are drawn from life. Day 3 is a copy of a Chris Ware sketch and Day 9 a study of feet found on the tumblr hashtag. I will probably just draw things from life from now on as I seem to get most from that. Also avoids infringing on someone’s copyright which is extremely uncool.)

http://instagram.com/p/o8R9xIny6M/
1/365…..
Oh dear, did I just type that?
Yes, yes I did.
http://instagram.com/p/o8R9xIny6M/
2/365. Drawn straight to ink in homemade pocket book (message me for instructions) whilst waiting in car park for delivery of supplies for twin 10 year birthday Sunday afternoon pizza blow out. Two panel doodle comic comes free of charge. http://instagram.com/p/o_GhFTnyzM/
2/365.
Drawn straight to ink in homemade pocket book (message me for instructions) whilst waiting in car park for delivery of supplies for twin 10 year birthday Sunday afternoon pizza blow out.
Two panel doodle comic comes free of charge.

3/365 After C Ware, ANLDB 1, pg 141. http://instagram.com/p/pD1b2qHy_T/
3/365
After C Ware, ANLDB 1, pg 141.

http://instagram.com/p/pEl1JUHy9u/
4/365.
Terrible attempt at clothing.
Yes, that is a Test Your Pet pencil.

5/#365. Random dude eating chop suey(?) on the wall outside. Coloured ballpoint whilst waiting for fluid cache and landsat download. http://instagram.com/p/pGqoMmHy9m/
5/#365.
Random dude eating chop suey(?) on the wall outside.
Coloured ballpoint whilst waiting for fluid cache and landsat download.

6/365. Varoius clientele sitting outside coffee shop on Whiteladies Road. Drawn during lunch break. Pencil. http://instagram.com/p/pJbZs9ny4H/
6/365.
Varoius clientele sitting outside coffee shop on Whiteladies Road.
Drawn during lunch break.
Pencil.

7/365. Windows and soil pipes. Pilot Vball on paper. Looking out window whilst upgrading PC render node and listening to Mex v Cam. http://instagram.com/p/pMXhDVny8r/
7/365.
Windows and soil pipes.
Pilot Vball on paper.
Looking out window whilst upgrading PC render node and listening to Mex v Cam.

8/365. Page of horse heads. Drawn during Second Eldests riding lesson. http://instagram.com/p/pOYdMiny5n/
8/365.
Page of horse heads.
Drawn during Second Eldests riding lesson.

9/365 Foot studies from various sources off of t'internet. http://instagram.com/p/pRYNOUHyxa/
9/365
Foot studies from various sources off of t’internet.

10/365. Attempt at the northern side of the Tynedale Baptist Church, Whiteladies Road. Pencil. 20 mins. http://instagram.com/p/pTb4JNny7r/
10/365.
Attempt at the northern side of the Tynedale Baptist Church, Whiteladies Road.
Pencil.
20 mins.