This is part one of the School of Magic series, stay tuned for part two.
Article written by
Radha Gomaty
Artist(Curator-Coordinator with EkaRasa)
When you choose to draw directly from Nature, From Life ,you are actually taking the first steps to turning into a kind of Magician!
Do you know why I say that?
Try this if you want to know!️
Must- haves in this session of the School of Magic:
1 Drawing pencils & sharpener/paper knife
Got one ?
(A good 4B will do nicely. Always wise to have a standby as well because softer lead points tend to wear out or break faster. Make sure it's sharpened well and you always have a knife handy so that your pencil point is in good shape)
2. Drawing Paper
Big is always better.
Is the drawing paper ready before you, well supported by a hard board and clipped securely on to it?
If yes, proceed.
3. Good Seating
Are you seated comfortably in such a way that your eyes movements from what's in front of you to your paper surface and back again is minimal?
Yes?
Okay! We are set!
Now look at that big potted plant in your balcony from where you are sitting...
I mean, just choose something to look at ... ANYTHING you like in your FIELD OF VISION.
Now what's that?
Your Field of Vision is all that you can clearly see even when you have your gaze rested on some object of your choice .
That is, Your Field of Vision is the extent you can see all around in all directions WITHOUT moving your eyes from that object.
Try it!
You will be surprised at how much you can actually see without shifting your eyes from the focus object or let's just say "a visual shape" of your choice.
It's also called 'Peripheral Vision'. But actually it's much more!
It's the power of your awareness, your eyes' relationship with Space.
Make sure what your eyes are primarily resting on is something you actually like…
Choosing something which is:
*a little big is good because you can see it well
* interesting because of its shape and larger details like folds,twists etc.
* at a comfortable distance away by which you are able to see the whole of it without letting your eyes run all over the place.
Done?
OK.
Now choose your FOCUS- a small little area within that object upon which you have chosen to comfortably rest your eyes.
You should be able to see the whole thing all at once and whatever else you can see comfortably without strain around it WITHOUT moving your eyes from it.
Do not including what i call just "blurred blobs" because your brain & memory can give it a name that you know from before even if your eyes by themselves simply cannot recognise it.
Your past "knowledge" is just "remembered information".It does not help you actually see anything afresh.
So include ONLY those whose shape you can actually physically see clearly enough with your eyes.
And remember that Magicians are only interested in the HERE and the NOW!
Trying this new way of looking?
Does it feel good?
Now stay with the shape of your choice .
Feel it deeply and well...
Appreciate it's feel.
Stop calling it by any name you are used to calling it by.
For eg: If it's a sofa, forget it's called 'sofa'!
IT'S JUST A SHAPE NOW that you like to look at...
See it's softness, feel it's bigness, it's sunken stitches, maybe the folds of a shawl thrown on it that someone forgot ... Or the cat sleeping there...A round cushion...A thick book lying face down that someone left half read...I mean whatever is there... Right there before you!!!
LOOK!
Feel the space in which it is situated
Feel the air around it...
Feel it's distance from you...
NOW, LOOK AT YOUR PAPER...
Appreciate it's whiteness... Make friends with it.
The space with the sofa etc etc before your Eyes that you were looking at all this while?
Understand now that that physical space before your eyes is now the space of your drawing paper in front of you.
Yes!It is...! That's it!
Period.️
Magic is simply getting what's out there in 'Real' Space in here on 'Paper' space.
Now keep looking at whatever it is that you were looking at .
And with just an occasional glance at the paper , START DRAWING!!!
Part Two >