Drawing Angles, My Version

While travelling through South Dakota this past December, we came upon what to me was the perfect grain elevator.  My favorite of all the delicious old grain elevators I've ever seen.  It was far too complicated to sit and draw out on the spot in the few minutes we had to spend there, so I took several photos of it and we hit the road again.  It's such a bummer to travel on a schedule.  

My photo, printed in black and white, trimmed and ready to refer to.

Since then I have gone back to look at those pictures often, wishing I could spend a few days in that lonely, abandoned place. Since that's not possible, I finally decided to work from a photo and see if I could reproduce the feelings I had there.  Not ideal, but better than nothing.  Besides, the little painting I did last week helped me work out a plan and it's time to get after it.   

These are my building drawing tools- different types of rulers give me options when finding the right angles to draw.

Because I like my paintings to begin with original drawings, I had a problem. This old building has been added on to so many times that there were about a billion planes and angles to sketch out. So, I began by printing out a picture and tracing the outside lines with black pen so I could clearly see them.  Then I cut out a section to easier measure the angles with my rulers.  If I keep the print on the lines I put on the paper, I can hold a ruler to the angle I'm trying to understand and slide it to the place I want to draw. 

The t-squared ruler is my favorite for getting everything lined up the way I want it.

  

What I get is an approximation of the building in the photo, but not a picture perfect version, which is what I'm after.  If I get too picky then I find myself tied to the photo and get all uptight about copying it exactly.  Printing it in black and white frees me from worrying about getting the color "right" as well.  The drawing is my own and I'm free to choose whatever colors I want.  The picture is only a reference point.

Now that the basic shapes are in place, I can erase all of the lines I don't need, and free-hand the rest of the composition.  Too bad I'm out of sick leave at work!  I'd much rather be in the studio today.  

Of course, now I have an eraser job to do because I drew it all out on the watercolor paper.  Like a genius.  However, I am getting excited to start dropping in the colors, so I will think about that while I erase.  To me, part of the fun of this process is thinking about what the next steps will be- the anticipation of it all.  So, here I go, anticipating!

Thanks for stopping by- Alice