On Saturday, A (not her real initial) and I went walking at the Minute Man National Historical Park in Lincoln, MA, sketchbooks in hand. Although both A and I were looking at the same pastoral landscape, our views are slightly different: A drew in pen and captured the architectural nuances of the Captain William Smith house, and I used a mechanical pencil to capture the larger landscape with its stone wall, fringe of forest, and scrubby burdock.
Neither sketch captures the afternoon’s brisk temperature, the smattering of raindrops that pelted the page as we began to draw, the red-tailed hawk that zoomed past as we stood motionless, or the steady parade of families with toddlers, baby strollers, and inquisitive dogs that passed us. Regardless of which drawing you prefer, either one offers more warmth and personality than a pixel-perfect photograph of the same scene.
Oct 25, 2011 at 9:45 am
The process (the zen) of drawing can’t be beat for the drawer. But honestly, I like the photo.
Oct 25, 2011 at 10:19 am
Yes, that’s it exactly. When you draw something, you are focused on the process, so the drawing itself reminds you of the scene: where you were and what was happening. To a viewer, though, all you have are the lines. Even the photo doesn’t do justice to a day that was far lovelier in person.
Oct 25, 2011 at 11:39 am
Good God, Lorianne! When did you grow that extra hand?? If that’s a side effect of marriage, then I’ll stay single, thanks.
On a more serious note: nice drawings. Is that a Moleskine on the left?
Oct 25, 2011 at 12:13 pm
Oh wonderful! Glad to hear you’re breaking out the pencils!!!
Oct 25, 2011 at 12:34 pm
It’s great how two people can look at the same scene and render it so differently.
Oct 25, 2011 at 5:47 pm
Yes, photographs are good for viewers like me. In this photo I can almost feel the damp stones and smell the field.