Recall:

Part 1 JUST WRITE

Part 2 DRAW OUT THE WORDS

Part 3 HEART

Part 4 SPILL OUT COLLAGE

Part 5 NAKED SCREAM

Part 6 INVITE ALTER STRETCH EXTEND

Part 7 ARISE AROSE IN 3’S

Part 8 SELF-PORTRAIT. HUMAN

Part 9 WORD CRAZY QUILT

OK, let’s change things up a bit.  Today we will utilize the power of the vintage photography to boost our creative expression.  Vintage photos are a huge source for me in my graphic novel work and other art.  I have two favorite shops on ETSY for vintage photos:

I love ordering the actual photos, opening the envelope that just arrived in the post and holding them in my hand.  There  is something so powerful in looking at the original, wondering who that person might have been, and what journey the photo itself took.  It’s people watching, essentially.

I’ll use the following photo series, ordered from Classic Clancy’s, in today’s exercise:

If you have access to a photocopier, or scanner and printer, enlarge the photo.  This gives you more access to details and that way you can cut out the image and glue it in without hurting the original.

Start drawing from the original.  I can hear some of you scream, “I can’t draw!”  Yes, you can, my darling.  Recall part 8 and the encouragement and tips.

The master, Robert Crumb encourages you to exaggerate it a little bit.  Cheat it a little bit.  The tilt of the head.  The sneer.

Robert Crumb discussing using vintage photos with his son:

Tomorrow we will really be exaggerating.  For now, keep your eye more on the original than on your journal initially.  Let your eye wander over the photograph, and converse with it.  I’m using a 2B pencil.  Remember- there is no right or wrong way to draw!  ALL IS OK.  Be as simple or as complex as you want to be.  As crude or as detailed as you like.  The journal is your private place and space to play.

Now give the image a thick outline.

Write around the image, again stream of consciousness, reflecting on the exercise and the person in the photo.

After you have written around the image, draw lines between the lines of words for a visual effect.

And yes- pick out some words.  Let’s go diagonally this time.

Write them out.  Works quite well.  With a few tweaks, it could be a poem.  We’ll use the words in tomorrow’s “gesture drawing” exercise.

Homework.  Check out these recommended artists:

Daniel Clowes

Seth

Joe Sacco