Playbook reflection - Grassington Field Trip

On Monday 2nd October we took a trip to Grassington to do some observational drawing. The weather was pretty awful, which definitely impacted the work and amount of work I managed to create. The day was really interesting, it challenged me to be selective, choosing from the busy landscape which elements I wanted to focus on to create my image. We had to work quickly for a number of reasons: to keep up with the pack, to prevent frostbite, and to capture what we were documenting before it moved or changed.

Drawing people drawing

We came across a herd of cows - had to be quick and simplified

Sketch first, colour later once the subjects move

As well as my playbook I brought some coloured sheets to do illustrations on, I'm really into coloured pencil on coloured papers at the minute. This proved quite tricky in the wind however, I nearly lost one of my loose sheets into the river I was drawing. The traces of the day such as bent paper and raindrops smudging pencil add something to the illustrations I think, they give them an element of authenticity, proof almost that they were created in the environment they are trying to capture. 

Saved from the river

For a few of the pages in my playbook, especially towards the end when my fingers were like icecubes, I drew some rough sketches of what I was studying and then documented the subject with a photo. Once I got back home I used acrylic paint, (a medium I wouldn't have been able to bring walking) and embellished my initial drawings. Although this does take away the charm of a fully observational drawing, I think the paintings still carry meaning as I can remember the moment and what I was trying to capture, rather than if I was fully drawing from reference.

Jas mid-shiver

Cold people clutching sketchbooks

Once we got to the pub at the end of the walk, I thawed out and did some more sketches. Inside the pub I did some quick illustrations in the little people-watching sketchbook I carry with me everywhere. I think the practice of frequently observing people and quickly sketching them before they move has really helped my process and the speed at which I draw and select my subjects.

drawing and eating chips in the people-watching book