Shelving the people project

I'm putting an end to the people project.  It has been feeling not quite right but I couldn't tell why.  Then a friend sent me a link to Alison Bechdel talking about how she drew her wonderful (tragi)comic memoir, Fun Home, which is one of my favourite books.  Watching the clip I realised what's wrong with my people drawings.  They are too flat and lifeless.  It's more or less copying and not terribly exciting.  If all I want to do is copy photos, I think I've proven I can do that to a certain extent, so the project already feels defunct.

What I really want to do is start putting together drawings for my own graphic memoir.  I didn't think I was ready or had enough experience, but I just have to start.  And doing that is a lot more meaningful to me than copying faces from photos for the next three months.  I'm not going to put a time limit on this - it's going to be a huge effort.  I'm just going to work on it as and when and I may or may not share what I'm doing here.  But I will continue to draw whatever I like, whenever I like and post drawings here when I fancy it.  No artificial deadlines or undue pressure. 

I do have other project ideas though, projects that are not related to drawing, things I've been wanting to do for ages.  Now I can finally start!  I won't put a time limit on it either, unless it makes sense to do so.  I think I was trying to recreate some of the atmosphere of the original 100 days project with the whole 50 faces in a 100 days thing, but it didn't fit, and not only because I was the only person doing the project.  So...here's to doing things that fit.

No. 3

No. 2

Dad and me.  There aren't many photos of my Dad, let alone smiling and without his sunglasses.  He's usually the one holding the camera.  Here he was trying to lean out of shot.  It didn't work!  It's weird knowing that in the photo, he's probably the same age I am now, maybe even younger. 

Making these drawings from photos I realise how even "candid" shots look posed, and how this may not necessarily help with my comic strip drawings, as so many of the moments that I might want to draw are the ones that nobody sees with the camera.  Still, doing all this drawing practice might give me more confidence to draw from imagination.  I just keep repeating to myself that the object is not necessarily to make the drawing look exactly like the photo.  I drew, erased and redrew the lines so many times in pencil, I didn't want to go even further and outline it in all in ink. 

(And yes, the numbering is totally plagiarised from the yellow lamp!)

No. 1

Which version do you prefer?

People Project

I'm starting my next project tomorrow.  1st April - 9th July.  100 days of at least 50 drawings of people.  I'm saying 50 because I'm juggling other projects at the moment and these drawings are going to take more time than my 100 Day drawings did.  I'll be posting drawings both here and on my projects blog. 

I haven't drawn for a few days and I'm already losing my confidence.  I almost decided not to do this project, but the fact that it's scary is the best reason for doing it.  To help me keep my focus, I've outlined why I'm doing it and what I hope to achieve.

Why: to learn, to improve my drawing skills, to improve my daily moments comic strips, to eventually be able to create a graphic memoir.

Fears: That I'll find out I'm crap.

Remember: The struggle and why it's worth it - to improve, not to start out perfect and not to get lots of praise.  Also remember the best thing about a journey are the things you discover along the way, the things you weren't expecting to find.

If you're coming along for the ride, thank you, and I hope you enjoy it.