Saturday, November 29, 2008

Negative Space

Class this week with Danny Gregory was another adventure for me. My favorite part, as always, was when he shared photographs of his pages. This time, pages from several travel journals he made while on vacation. Right up my alley. Having been to some of the places he journaled about (Italy and Mexico), it was quite interesting for me to see how his journals were completely different from mine.

Our "lesson" for the day was to focus on negative space..."the space that isn't anything." You can use the negative space as an element to draw. In doing so, you erase any preconceived notion of what you are drawing, making the process much more about observation. N'est-ce pas? We completed several exercises to better understand this concept.

As always, Danny provided a lot of inspiration and many random thoughts that struck a chord. When asked about writing in one's journal, he said that you can write the way you draw...just let it flow and don't over think it. When asked about dealing with self-judgment and being too focused on the outcome, he highlighted the importance of the process of drawing and said you need "a willingness to step off the cliff." And when asked about the importance of training and technique, he said the best way to learn to draw is just to draw a lot!


Homework

10 comments:

Kelly Kilmer said...

Lucky duck!!!!! Glad you had a good class! Wish I could have been there!!
Just got his new book and it is WONDERFULLY AMAZING.

Anonymous said...

*nod nod nod* I feel like I am gleaning gems here too. Stepping off the cliff is a phrase heard a lot, like the fool in the tarot. it means you are on the right path for your destiny.

Jen Crossley said...

I must say Seth this looks very interesting,I have never heard of him but I will check it out Thanks for sharing
Jen

Maj said...

Hi Seth. I love to see samples of your classes withDanny Gregory!
Drawing the negative spaces was one of my favorite exercises back in artschool. Maybe it is time to try it again...
You talk about "stepping off the cliff", I have another credo: "Kill your darlings" i.e. don't be afraid you may destroy a drawing you can see is turning out really good. Even if it is destroyed, you have learned something, and you can always do another, and another!

Gillian McMurray said...

I think of negative space and a cold chill runs up my spine. Never got to grips with it. You did a great job though.

Diane said...

Just ducked across from Viv Bonder's Art Journal Workshop.
I'm a fan of Danny Gregory too!
Great work!

rivergardenstudio said...

I love the combination of drawing, painting a words on a page of beautiful watercolor paper. Great Job! It is so much fun to see how this class is making you evolve... Roxanne

Karen Cole said...

You have so many opportunities in New York. Thanks for turning us on to Danny Gregory, Seth.

Chris said...

Seth, thanks so much for sharing your class with us. Thanks for telling us what Danny is sharing. Thanks for these pictures. I am putting one up as my desktop background today. It is so wise, innocent, textural, bright and clear, I must look at it today while I'm working.

Fran Meneley said...

Oh Seth....loving your drawings. So immediate and clear. Pen to paper. Really look. Fantastic. I think you are so lucky to take his class. Sigh! I have been a fan for a long time. Keep posting so I can live vicariously. HOpe you are enjoying your wonderful city this great time of year. Have you been window looking? Or have you seen Billy Elliott? Two things I'm jonsing to do in The City That Never Sleeps! Take care. Fran