I was going to go into a long winded and heavy handed attempt at analyzing why I think the way I do.

But this quote works better;




It is better to solve one problem five different ways, than to solve five different problems one way.—George Pólya

I don't know why; but for some reason I seem to be really sensitive to each individual sketchbook. I don't know how to describe it any other way, but... every sketchbook I have seems to have it's own personality. And draws from me different drawings.

Maybe it is the weight and the tooth of the paper, maybe it is the shape of the book... but every sketchbook is a teacher in it's own right. On a technical level, because the weight and tooth of the paper changes: certain mediums can be made more or less effective. Portrait or landscape owe themselves very naturally to different types of page layouts and compositions. And hell, whether the book is portrait or landscape makes me look for different types of people. It's hard to make someone reeaaaaallly tall in a landscape book without flipping the book so you're drawing portrait. It's simple mechanics, really.

Some books tell me they want me to draw in ballpoint. Some want me to draw in Col-Erase. Some want brushpens. Some want me to clean up drawings. Some even want me to treat every page as a finished drawing. Hell, even two books of the exact same manufacture end up asking for completely different things from me. It's odd; I'm odd, I guess.

I don't know what it is, but when I try and dictate my growth in one direction... sometimes a book will tell me that it won't have it and send me in a completely different direction, or simply send me packing. Sometimes a sketchbook is like a really nice riddle and it will only nudge you in different directions until by the final page you know how the book wants you to draw in it.

Having a sketchbook like that is like having a fantastic, meandering conversation. My previous sketchbook was like that. There was no real unifying mode of drawing. The closest I got to unity in there was the few pages of hand drawings interspersed throughout. It was a fun, if tiring sketchbook. It really put me through my paces, taught me a fine bit of humility. And I came out the other side feeling as if I've made a friend; and this is with an inanimate object.

My new sketchbook is a sketchbook I had from the beginning of my second year at Seneca, if I recall correctly. I was obsessed with two things at that time: Brushpens with real bristles, and beautiful sketchbooks that were works of art by their own right. Funny thing was, I had just finished a sketchbook with a brushpen and given it to my friend Dee. So I could use a brushpen effectively. I knew how I wanted my new book to look. I had every bit of the book planned out in my head... and barely 16 pages in; the sketchbook told me to sit down, shut up and that I should just stop right there. So I tried again... approaching with humility but still with a purpose of how I wanted the book to look. And still, the book wouldn't let me draw with it. "I won't have any of that nonsense," is really what it said to me. I mean, externally the book is beautiful. It flaunts a kind of quality. It feels like a thing of refinement and luxury. But it was looking down at me all this time; telling me to stop being vain. Stop being so selfish about us. Stop treating the book like an object; a means to an end. And, simply, treat it like a friend.

So... after a few hiccoughs to begin with I am beginning a new adventure. A new series of conversations with what I hope to be a very good friend. And so far, we've only had a few disagreements here or there about politics or sports teams, or whatever. But we are finally getting along.


So, I guess the lot of you now know how weird I truly am. But, if I can give advice to anyone about drawing in a sketchbook... it would be to start listening to it. Just a little bit, for me. You may be surprised about the conversations you can have with it.



Or maybe I'm just a little nutso.



Love,



Ed.

Be forewarned: this is a text heavy post.

I believe that music and poetry and literature and dance and visual art and acting and science and everything that require creative and critical leaps of logic are extremely closely related. And, I find it almost funny how they also share the same terminology sometimes. And, in my head; and, in my sketchbook, I write notes to myself. Oftentimes this refers to music because I find that the closest association to the creation of visual art.


And the funny thing is they share so much wonderful terminology:

• Rhythm
• Structure
• Tone
• Harmony
• Repetition
  
• et cetera

And the funny thing is is the vocabulary that describes music is wonderfully expressive:

• Crescendo
• Drone
• Dissonance
• Melody
• Staccato
• et cetera

Isn't it just lovely how they correlate?

So when I draw... I try and draw the music, if that makes any sense whatsoever to anyone aside from myself.

And I love to dissect terms and apply them abstractly to other parts of my understanding of the world; especially if I have no other sympathetic words at my disposal, or if that application creates an interesting thought relationship that I can attempt to explore.

So;

phrase: Everyone knows what a phrase is, but it also applies to music (Music. a division of a composition, commonly a passage of four or eight measures, forming part of a period. (dictionary.com)) and dance (Dance. a sequence of motions making up part of a choreographic pattern.(dictionary.com). So... can't it apply to the description of visual art? The phrase in dance is essentially a division with time, or step count acting as the bounding markers. The phrase in music is again bounded by time, but due to the formal method of musical notation it can be divided into measures (of time). So, to me this means that in visual art this can apply to a fragment of a larger composition. However I believe that, just as in music and dance not every random selection of notes or motions will make sense, not every random fragment of an image is a phrase. Therefore a phrase in terms of visual art, to me, applies to a composition within a larger composition...

Everything applies across all mediums.



Draw music.


The second thing that I try and draw. Is I try and draw movement. This is slightly less abstract because movement is seen, and so it can be visually analyzed. You can describe it in vectors, in left, right, up or down. But... it is a little more complex than that. Because you need to give the viewer a starting point and a finish line... sort of.

I mean... movement is distance over time. How do you get time in a still image? Well... simple really. Give the eye places to stop. You will create a visual beat. So the speed of the movement is the amount of space you cover over a visual beat. Yeah. I try and draw movement.

I'll try and describe this more later, but I think I covered the gist of it.

Today I will think about balance;
In Color. In Shape. In Line.



Balance and Contrast are beauty.
Maybe if something good comes of it; I will post a drawing.

I hate Valentine's day. Seriously.


Now don't get me wrong here. I'm not trying to sound like a desperate, hopelessly depressed, single male who really just wants to be loved. Hell, If I were in a relationship I'd celebrate valentines day too. I have been, I did. And I did my best; chocolates, hallmark cards and flowers, a homemade meal and making love to candlelight. I did it because everyone else was doing it. And golly gee, didn't that make her feel special. I hate Valentines day because you are obligated to demonstrate your love, admiration and appreciation for those you love.

But why can't I just tell you I love you because it's Tuesday? Why can't I buy you flowers just to see your eyes light up? Why can't I tell the people I hold dear that I care about them without resorting to a capitalized version of kindergarten arts and crafts. And I love to know that you appreciate me. I am one of the billions of people out there that have an invisible sign above my head that says, "Pay attention to me, I'm important; I matter." But don't wait until Valentine's day to tell me. Tell me today. It's not going to hurt. Isn't it more romantic to say, "Hey, I bought you flowers. I was thinking about you, and I just wanted to make you smile, because I love you." rather than "Hey, I bought you flowers so... when are we going to have sex?" Not that that is what Valentine's day is about at all, oh no. Of course not.

I love chocolate. So if it's Valentine's day I would love if you gave me some. But hell, wouldn't it be even better if you got all that chocolate on sale? You could get like 3 times the chocolate for that and show 3 people that you care and appreciate their company for the same price! Take that Capitalism, Hah!

I don't actually mind public displays of affection, most of the time. So long as you aren't very nearly humping in front of me, I am okay. I may be slightly uncomfortable, but it isn't that big of a deal. If I were truly in love I'd want to shout it from the rooftops; I'd want everyone to know that you are special to me. So I empathize. It may still make me uncomfortable to watch you get a tongue shoved down your throat, but hey I can deal. But honestly, it isn't a competition; you don't need to invest in a midget wearing a toga and a pair of tacky white wings. Unless of course you're keeping that in the bedroom, then by all means go wild. Midgets, donkeys, burning Saints, oh my!

The single worst part of Valentines day, in my opinion, is that single people feel like dirt for simply being single. So what ends up happening? The love starved go to tacky Valentine's day themed hook-up nights at the local meat market, get stupid drunk and make horrible decisions they may regret the morning after. I'm all about casual sex, but... I definitely wouldn't call that the best way to start a meaningful relationship. And it is depressing to know how oppressed, ostracized and altogether worthless some singles feel if they don't have a warm body next to them.

And if it isn't the love starved, there are the bitter desperate people who pine for love and seek attention by spreading hate. Bad way to tell someone that you care about them, if I can be so bold.

My solution to all this is actually pretty simple. Don't wait. Don't try and make one day of your year full of love. Tell your special someone exactly what you think; there is nothing better in my book than a completely candid, honest compliment, or gesture to catch someone off-guard and make them feel good. And hell, valentine's day isn't just about your special someone, so go out there and make someone happy every day of your life. I don't know about you, but I feel great when I make someone else feel appreciated. And that is all the reward I ever need.

By the way, happy Day to you.
Thanks, and sorry for the inconvenience, and the messy thoughts.




Edward Lillywhite