The watercolor class is long over, and I am struggling to keep drawing and painting.
It's harder for me to draw now than when I was in my 20s. I do okay, but it has been a LONG time since drawing was a regular part of my routine! I'm less spontaneous, and feel like a draftswoman as I measure and erase. I assume I'll relax and regain confidence over time. I'll learn to interpret shapes rather than render them exact. That's when the real art will begin. For now, I'm simply developing skills. I've been here before, although it seems like that was in a different life. Getting back on a bicycle after 40 odd years was a whole lot easier.
I was looking at a FB group page featuring photos of cars from the 1940's and 1950's. I can't stop looking at these cars. I'm in love with Chevy Bel Airs. I am definitely going to draw a certain 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk. And I have a picture of a 1957 DeSoto Adventurer Convertible that knocks my socks off. For me, that decade was the aesthetic heyday of car design.
I'm going to draw a couple of these beauties and maybe learn a few things in the process. I've already learned the difference between 1955, 1956, and 1957 Chevy Bel Air's. I really never saw this new interest coming. I'm NOT a car person.
Here's the photo of the DeSoto. Ain't she a beaut?
The fact that you can say you can draw these is awesome. I can not draw stick people. Can't wait to see what you do with the car!
ReplyDeleteDrawing them is a little harder than I thought. But I will keep it up for a while, at least until I get a drawing I feel good enough about to try and paint.
DeleteOh what a great idea!! Drawing cool old cars- Fabulous! I can not wait to see what you come up with. I think I could draw a VW bug, just a half circle really but the cars of high school days would be tricky! I might be able to draw the backseat...
ReplyDeleteNow you have me wondering what it would be like to draw the back seat of a VW bug. lol
DeleteI hope you'll post your drawings here. I would love to see drawings of the old and very beautiful cars. Yes, the cars of that era were lovely.
ReplyDeleteIf I can do something I'm happy with, I'll be sure to post it.
DeleteWho knows what will catch The Muse's eye?
ReplyDeleteNot me.
DeleteO my goodness! My R had a chartreuse 1956 Chevy Bel Air that he left with a friend while he was in Vietnam for most of 1970. His friend didn't take good care of it. Not sure what happened to it. It was a beauty. Solid. Heavy.
ReplyDeleteGood to know you are continuing to draw. Inspired by you and by another blog friend, I've done a few drawings of random indoor views of contents of table tops and walls in the past month. I switched from my usual 6B pencil to a black Faber-Castell Polychromos pencil. The 6B tends to smear. The Faber-Castell pencil does everything that the 6B does, except smear, and allows for everything from grey to really really black (-:
I think you might enjoy this video of Beth's sketchbook:
https://www.cassandrapages.com/the_cassandra_pages/2021/04/learning-from-a-sketchbook.html
Many thanks! I'm intrigued by the Faber-Castell Polychromos pencil. AND, I'm excited about the link to Beth's sketchbook.
DeleteCan't wait to see your next work of art. Still love those shoes.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteOh, those fins!
ReplyDeleteFins are fun.
DeleteIf it has an engine and four wheels I'm happy. Oblivious as to whether it's a VW or a Rolls Royce! Good luck with drawing them - that'll be a challenge.
ReplyDeleteI actually feel pretty much the same way when it comes to owning a car.
DeleteThey are amazing designs, aren't they? Too bad they got like 8 miles to the gallon!
ReplyDeleteYou said it! In the 50's and early 60's all you had to do was look at a car. You instantly knew what it was. Now they all look alike.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid I never knew what a car was. This is all new to me.
DeleteThose cars are really beautiful. I want to see your sketches of them!
ReplyDeleteI'll try to share some.
DeleteSince most of the cars you refer to wouldn't fit down the narrow, winding, high-hedged roads near where I live I tend to write them off as cars. More like metal structures to be set on top of concrete plinths in shopping malls.
ReplyDeleteTypical Euro-snob stuff, you say. But for me the most handsome car (can't say pretty - that's for dimity baskets) is nevertheless American, though you won't have seen it competing with alligators in Florida. It's called the Ford GT40 and it won at the Le Mans endurance race in France (It lasts 24 hours; Boreeeng, you'd say). Swoony to look at. The result of Henry Ford Jnr deciding to take off time from simply making money and design/make a car that could beat the Ferraris at Le Mans. Ferraris are Italian, BTW.
The GT40 was super-dooper aerodynamic, passing through the air like a hot knife through butter. That meant it was low, yay low. If you're over 5 ft 4 in. forget it. Also the price; one sold at Sotheby's auction house for $7.6m.
Just googled it - that really is a nice car. Thanks fo the tip. I love it.
DeleteLove old cars. That is a fantastic idea to focus on a particular subject matter.
ReplyDeleteGood luck.
I couldn't draw a car to save my life. But the older ones that really appeal to me are the vintage rounded sports cars - Karmen Ghias, Austin Healeys, etc.
ReplyDelete