This is why I love to sketch
Published by on May 5th, 2009 1 Comment »
We sat grabbing a café solo (espresso) at our favourite restaurant last week in Dénia: Manduka. An ideal opportunity to grab a pen and sketchbook.
There I was, scribbling away nothing more interesting (to most) than the view directly ahead of me, over the nearby tables and along the street towards Dénia’s port and town. About the same time, someone in the apartment block directly above decided to wash their balcony.
Several waves of tingling-cool water mist drifted down from above, much to our amusement. Some of it collected on my drawing, causing a few ink blobs and smudges. Did I care? Of course I did! But in a very positive way.
I can look at this quick sketch and remember that moment – it is captured, right there in the ink on that paper. The sketch is more than what I saw when looking along the street. It has captured something that would be almost impossible to record in any other visual way.
Not every sketch captures something quite as unique as this, of course. But each one contains more than merely some lines on a piece of paper. My mood, my thoughts at the time, for example, affect the speed of pen across paper, which changes the style of the lines and the textures of the tones.
Each sketch captures a brief period of time, broader than the fleeting moment of a photograph. The act of drawing imprints a stronger impression within my memory; it connects me with that unique experience.
Such subtle impressions may only ever be revealed to me, but I really sketch only for myself. If anyone else enjoys them, that’s a bonus!
One Response to “This is why I love to sketch”
amazing…!!nice view.
i love to sketch too…