Paikea Early, High School Intern
This week in the FWMoA studio we’re thinking about photography. Nowadays, most people are lucky enough to have one of the most advanced cameras in all of history in their pocket! Phones have made documenting life easier than ever – but that doesn’t mean we can’t also appreciate older methods. On view through January 26th is America’s Everglades: Through the Lens of Clyde Butcher, an exhibit that features Butcher’s large format black-and-white film photographs (see him with his camera, above) of the natural and lively wetlands in Florida. For Butcher, these beautiful landscapes, specifically the Everglades, are close to home; sometimes, in fact, even in the parking lot of his studio!
While the everglades may not be in our backyards, we can still capture snapshots of our daily lives through sketches and drawings. This activity aims to help you observe your surroundings by drawing what’s available to you without leaving the house! Here’s what you’ll need to make your own personal polaroid-sized drawings.
Materials used:
- A pen or marker, of any color, preferably with a thin tip.
- Multiple pieces of 4×3 in. paper. (You can make these larger or smaller depending on your preference! P.S. If you don’t want to cut paper, sticky notes work great!)
- A hard surface to write on, like cardboard or a clipboard.
- Optional: A binder clip, to secure your paper to your hard surface.
Here’s what my setup looked like:
To create your border, draw a rectangle or square smaller than your paper. Make this border about 1.5 inches from a short edge of your rectangle or any edge of your square.
Now it’s time for the fun part – finding your focus! You can sketch anything you’d like. Try not to worry about how accurate or detailed your piece might turn out – you never know how you may surprise yourself with your skills!
I drew multiple places around the FWMOA office because they were interesting, people offered me fun subjects to draw, or I just wanted to push my abilities.
Remember – not every piece has to have a fancy background or color. My favorite sketch out of my 8 studies is this simple drawing of my ring:
When you’re done, label what you drew or where you drew it in the space below the border. You can even date your piece if you want to see your progress over multiple attempts on different days! Happy sketching and have fun finding your focus!
To see more drawings and sketches, visit the FWMoA Print & Drawing Study Center Tuesday-Friday, 11am-3pm.