Timothy J. Pruitt's Blog, page 109
April 14, 2022
April 13, 2022
Take Notes
When someone says take a note, what image comes to mind? For me, it’s of either a physical or digital means of writing down words. Artists make notes too, but not always with words. At times they’ll make visual notes. They’ll draw a sketch, make a study, or do a quick painting in preparation for another.
Musicians make notes, but not always lyrically. It may be an audio note of a melody, or the chords and notes used for the melody. Some songwriters and musicians will record audibly the entire song before every writing down a word.
Sculptors and architects both may make a physical model of a larger piece. This is true of almost every field of study. How do you make notes? Do you make them? If not, may I ask why? I said to someone recently, if you are going to pursue a life of writing, as opposed to writing one book, don’t discard any idea.
I would suggest this, not only for writers, but for everyone. Obviously you can’t take notes on everything, but I suspect you can make note of more than you might think. Perhaps you make notes and don’t even realize it.
Some can make mental notes, and remember them. While I do this when I don’t have another option, I prefer to make some tangible note that I can return to later. Even if it’s only a handful of words, I prefer to have something to trigger my memory.
A builder will tell you, blocks are never scattered. They are stored together in some type of order. Ordered blocks allow builders to access quickly, and build efficiently. If ideas are building blocks, I believe notes are the storage area for them . If you are a given a thousand blocks, and lose them, you’ve built nothing.
If you have time to create anything, and have to spend part of that time organizing your thoughts, you have less time. It’s not that organizing your thoughts isn’t time well spent, but if you keep your thoughts in some order, then it’s time earned. I make the time to take notes to save my time.
This is true whether textually, visually, or audibly. As long as there is some order to it, a system of notes is beneficial. My system may not work for you, but if we both have a system that works, this is all that matters.
I do believe there are methods we can take to improve our systems, but it’s easier to improve what is already in place. I will be the first to admit that I’m sure my system could be improved upon. As an example, for all the notes and books that I’ve written, I have never been a successful journal taker.
I have friends who were able to do this, and who have been able to write because of their journaling system. It’s an area I need work in, but that’s only the more reason for me to have a notes system. So whether you journal, jot, or hit record I would suggest you take notes, you’ll be glad you did.
April 12, 2022
Sketch Happy Bird
This is a sketch from my dear friend Lucian’s photo in his backyard. so thankful for him, and his friendship.
April 11, 2022
April 9, 2022
April 8, 2022
Grateful
I am a blessed man, I’m having dinner with my beautiful wife and our precious son. It hits me all over again throughout each day how blessed that I’ve been. I’m sure every husband and father feels this way, but it still amazes me.
I know where I was, and where God has brought me from. I know who He’s placed in our lives, and how God has kept us through so many trials. There’s nothing more special on a Friday evening than to see what The Lord has made possible! I am a living proof that with God All Things Are Possible!
Art Unboxed Shapes?
I didn’t understand when I first heard it. In today’s art unboxed, I’d like to talk about shapes. I have always enjoyed painting that is at least somewhat realistic. While I can appreciate the talent that many abstract artists have, I prefer realism myself.
This is why I was initially confused when painters who made barns look like barns, talked about painting shapes. While some who say this may be referring to an abstract painting, the ones I enjoy weren’t saying not to paint objects really. They were saying something that I’d like to unbox on a level where I could understand if I were reading this ten years ago.
First, if you want to draw or paint realistically, the best way to achieve this is to start out with big shapes. Take the rabbit in the drawing above, rabbits used to be so hard for me. They’ve become easier, partially because of practice, but also because I can draw the larger shapes first. Once I get the larger shapes, I can add details to make it look like a rabbit.
For example, the bottom half of a barn is basically either a square or rectangle. The top is a crooked open triangle. Once I get the basic shape, I can add the loft and the doors, the boards of the barn, and even a bale of hay inside. It’s far quicker to draw this way.
That’s the second important point. While drawing or painting is not a race, the sooner you get the project underway, it will be both more enjoyable, and easier to complete. The same is true of most objects you’ll sketch, paint, or whatever medium you choose to use.
Third, it will allow you to draw or paint things that you haven’t had a lot of experience with. It will allow you to be more versatile in your art. The wonderful thing about drawing shapes is, they are found in every object.
For example, a pig and a beagle both have circles in them. Some will take this to a level more detailed than me. They’ll literally draw a circle for the head of the animal, etc, then refine it. That works for them very well. For me, I don’t want to go to that level.
I do want though, when I look at either a landscape or a person to mentally unbox the general shape. That has allowed me to draw everything quicker and more effective, from a rabbit to a desert.
