Scales, scales and more scales

When we like to create, we should not do without it. It should especially be done as often as possible.
We can do it soberly,I mean with great savings of means. And it can be done quickly, spending limited time but often. As with a musical instrument, the important thing is to rehearse our scales. The more the hand is agile, the more we free from the technique, and the more we get into inspiration. Even though it sounds a cliché, let us not forget it.

To be available at any time, our talents must be maintained.

During the month of December, having no time to tackle big creative pieces, I decided to devote myself to rehearse my scales, just for fun. Like some warm-up exercises.
I undertook a strange challenge.
The idea came up to me by putting away my workshop.
I had loads of bottoms of gouache with basic and rough colors (I usually use this affordable painting with kids). I was encumbered by all these remains, but I could’t throw out anything (that is still impossible). Then I found an old sketchbook format A3 with a low-cost quality paper. So, no risk of waste, all the ingredients were modest and waited patiently to be recycled.

In this context, no hesitation to start! So I got all the set described in my free guide offered for any subscription to the newsletter of this site:

“Thirty artistic writings”

and my remains of painting

Step by step, I was caught up in a furious desire of spreading those non-shaded raw colors, almost vulgar, straight away from the pot with a full freedom in my blends. Without challenge, I set the stage of 28 pages with a single constraint: for each page, I had to use a different way to put my gouache so as to draw a new writing using techniques described in this guide.

A renewed and different action on each page, believe me, that needs inventiveness! In addition, 28 backgrounds as base!

Spreading, spraying, dripping, weaving, mixing twisting, juxtaposing, diffusing … what else? Try, do not be afraid, give way to, you should be amazed!

With the 28 backgrounds, I went on a trip with this notebook, a small box of oil pastels, ball-point pen, a fine felt pen and a thicker one. I could not load more.
My aim was to use a part of my spare time, so no more than half an hour per board, to value these raw backgrounds by working colors and adding pure drawing.

Each board told me a new story.

Here are these works got spontaneously. (Slideshow by clicking on a picture.)

Enregistrer

Here is a warm-up exercise that I invite you to practice. If you have not got in action for a while, be sure that it will refresh you. Firstly, it is important to do a firm set of backgrounds and secondly to jump into action without hesitation about the relevance of your drawings. Be indulgent to yourself!