The Drawing Spirit
A recent review of the CD
There are very few forms of art that do not depend to some extent on drawing skills for their impact and success, and this is particularly true of figurative work. Indeed, most paintings rely on sound drawing to underpin their composition and sense of design, so drawing ability is always important. Additionally of course, drawing encourages us to be observant and selective, which in turn enable us to focus on those qualities in a subject that make it individual and interesting. Drawing is the most effective way to record reference material for subjects and ideas that we would like to paint in a more considered matter in the studio, while the ability to draw shapes competently is often a key contributing factor to the success of any painting.
Neil Watson's 'The Drawing Spirit' is one of the most comprehensive and informative guides on the theory and practice of drawing that I have come across. Devised from his immense experience as an art teacher and the wealth of drawings that he has made over the past 50 years, almost all of them from life, his 680-page CD-ROM covers every aspect of drawing in a well-planned and (given the limitations of working on a computer) very accessible way.
The format allows you to access any page at a magnification of your choosing, within Acrobat Reader, which is included on the CD. Once the the CD is installed it is very easy to find particular chapters by clicking on the appropriate bookmark on the left of the screen; red bookmarks relate to images. Similarly, individual pages and illustrations can be quickly identified and accessed.
Neil Watson believes that a good drawing is a spirited drawing and, as he rightly points out, there are no shortcuts to the mastery of drawing. "The road to such mastery involves discipline, concentration, patience and practice" he says. From the opening section on Recognising the Drawing Spirit in which he discusses some aspects of creativity in the visual arts and getting into the right frame of mind, he moves on to analyse the way we see (visual perception) and the tools we use. Then we get into the real nitty-gritty of drawing, with sections on scale, space and perspective; pictorial elements such as line, tone , texture, shape, volume and colour; composition; and working practices.
The information is extensive though not daunting; it is easy to follow, with some helpful illustrations. Additonally, there is a furtrher large section devoted to more than 400 illustrations, each with a commentary in which the author discusses aspects such as the medium used, the composition or the particular subject matter.
These images cover the human figure, sketchbook pages, buildings, boats, landscapes and mixed media and experiemental work. Consequently whether you are a beginner or a more experienced artist, you will find plenty that is enlightening and inspiring in this excellent CD-ROM.
Review by Robin Capon
Published in the magazine Leisure Painter (UK), January 2005
Design, Images and Text © Neil Watson 2006