The great sketching project continues, and I am glad to say that it has not become a burden, but an interesting set of challenges. Each day brings a new task to be addressed. If yesterday’s task was the problem of depicting convincing ellipses in perspective, today’s has to do with “when is a line not a line?”
There are two kinds of fuzzy lines …. those you intend to be fuzzy and those which are not supposed to be. It is normal, I suppose, in drawing for there to be a certain degree of tentativeness in establishing the correct line. These tentative marks are known technically as pentimenti, or “thinking lines”. Ideally these can be eliminated once the intended line is located. At the same time, differences of tone or texture are communicated through shading. It is important not to confuse the two, because otherwise your tentative approximations to what is intended to be a definite line can end up fuzzy, and places in which you hope to indicate a shadow (for example) can look as if you can’t make up your mind what it us that you meant to draw.
Today’s venture has been a bit of a challenge in that respect. I decided to draw the memorial clock presented to my father when he left his first church. It is no surprise to discover that clocks have lots of curved surfaces: what is more, a clock the body of which is made of walnut needs to be represented by complex tones. If I don’t get the curved lines correct it looks as if I intend to convey texture, which is quite wrong if what I am drawing is the steel rim of there clock-face.
Pentimenti are an unavoidable element of the drawing process (unless you are a genius who can just put a line on paper with complete accuracy and with no hesitation). It is a great help, however, if these can be reduced, as there is less ambiguity to be cleared up afterwards. One thing is becoming very clear. There is no substitute for a great deal of practice.