Nocturne I
Digital Drawing in Procreate
Drawn in Procreate on the iPad Pro using primarily the sfumato technique, with airbrush, gouache, and the "gloaming" drawing brush. For the earring, I created shapes with the Inspiral app, which mimicks the classic Spirograph drawing tool.
This is the first of a series of moon- and third eye-themed drawings called "Nocturne", but also represents the last of the Daily Drawings project — at least for now. I'm a bit humbled to admit that I simply couldn't last beyond a week of creating a drawing every day. At the same time, I learned so much and (I believe) broke myself out of a creative rut which simply would. not. let. go. for several years.
What I've Learned this Week:
1. I love the sfumato technique. This technique goes all the way back to Leonardo da Vinci. Although I love having access to the technology of the iPad with Procreate, Sketchbook Pro, etc., I still find myself reverting to a classical approach, no matter the tool. I'm excited to develop this process further, eventually incorporating more color into my work again.
2. At my core I'm an artist, but sharing the wisdom and techniques of Neville Goddard is crucial to my soul's growth. It's what I'm here to do, as they say. I'm not really into sketching*, other than to loosen up in preparation for more cohesive work. So what ended up happening was I broke my rule of "three hours or less" for these drawings. The drawings took the better part of a work day, leaving me no time to create meditations, courses, or even writings on manifestation and spirituality in my blog.
3. I love mindfully, carefully composing a work while allowing it to become what it wants to be gradually, each pencil stroke taking my hand and gently guiding me to the next one. If I limit myself on time or require sharing before the piece feels right, that process can't unfold.
*November 24, 2024: Since writing this post, I’ve found that I actually do like sketching — with one caveat: I’m not often going to like what I sketched enough to share it. So the plan now is to no longer feel required to complete a fully rendered drawing every day. If I only have time for a light sketch, I’ll do that. If I’m really getting into the work and want to develop it to completion, I’ll do that. And I’ll share only what I love from here on out.