Blind self portrait life drawing
Elena suggested I should try the blind drawing technique to draw my body. I had to warm my hands up first.
First off, it’s difficult and I have to concede the technique requires some practice. So this here is a first attempt.
Spatially there are are issues; hands explore the surface, but in 3D. This alters the mark making process to the extent that whatever is drawn is logical but only to a certain point. Normally an arm is drawn to look 3D but feeling it and then translating this experience radically distorts the original form.
In theory it could produce Cubist images since every surface is felt and translated.
At some point the brain needs to work out a personal system of marks to describe what is felt. This drawing here reflects contours only, so I think I would work on this aspect next time.
How to tackle the issue of losing place? Once the pencil loses contact with the paper all that remains is guesswork to reconnect. The answer must be to draw a continuous line – no good for gestural texture I might add – or employ a logical and systematic approach whereby the object is explored in the round.
