Tuesday, April 02, 2013

there's a cat in the kitchen

I spent Easter Sunday drawing my kitchen shelves. But then didn't we all? Didn't we? Oh. OH, right.

I'm really happy with this drawing. Really very happy. There's a couple of reasons for that. Firstly, because this page in my sketchbook had been annoying, frustrating, depressing me for probably six months. I'd committed to drawing the shelves by putting an outline of them, and their contents, down on the page in back ink. You probably can't even see it now but it is there. And, that's as far as I got. But it was a horrible drawing; bland and contrived. I didn't know where to go with it.

So, I'd just let it sit on the back burner ever since. Sometimes that's all you can do with a drawing. There are times, actually, when this approach, of just leaving a drawing brew and going back to it some time later, has produced some of my favourite sketchbook spreads. That's what happened here.

Sunday I decided to tackle the shelves. I used blind contour technique to put the details in with coloured fine liners. Then I added some colour pencil  for the background and chilli lights. Then I put in some shadows with a green brush pen. Then I put in some other thicker lines with other pens (which it really didn't need, but then I never know when to stop). Finally, and for no apparent reason, I blind contoured the cat and added the phrase 'le chat est dans la cuisine'.

So, there we go. The story of a drawing.

Oh, and the other reason I really like it is, well, just 'cos I find it aesthetically pleasing. That's okay, isn't it?

8 comments:

ale prendes said...

i really like the colors and the different kinds of lines . . and it's true, sometimes you just have to draw, even if you don't know where you're heading . .

Polly Birchall said...

You can tell this is a fun drawing, lots of lively lines. Who would have thought a shelf could be so interesting

dinahmow said...

And ding! you've got a winner.

Sarita said...

Just lovely...:). I especially like the flask...;). Oh, and I also spent Easter drawing, ha!

La tortue légère said...

I'm a fan
And I appreciate ++ the story

La tortue légère said...

i'm a fan
and I do appreciate "the story"

andrea joseph's sketchblog said...

Thank you, guys and gals. I think I like this one so much cos it's not what i usually do? Do you know what I mean? A change is as good as a rest.

Cheers.

HayleySarah said...

very pleasing to the eye indeed,i just love it and the whole style. The cat and the phrase are my favourite bit x