Day three, drawing three of thirty days of pen drawings depicting my surroundings. Today I’ve drawn one of my 5 Istanbul cats, Bro. They’re all looking for good homes too if anyone is based in Istanbul, Turkey and would like to adopt a furry friend.
I took in a sick street cat that had to visit the vet several times and she was pregnant with 4 babies. So I’m now looking after five cats. I used to tell my mother she had too many cats with three in the house and now I have five in the house hehe. Life is like that.
Bro is the only male cat so he has three sisters: Mousey, Mocuk and Frida Kahlo. They all have such different personalities. Bro is, let’s say special. He looks a little weird and does some weird things sometimes, but he’s lovable. He’s also a momma’s boy as they’re always together.
Ink Pen Drawing 3 – Day 3 of 30
Usually I avoid drawing cats and crosshatching, but today I decided to do both. I’m using this drawing exercise to learn to look again, but also to revisit the art of drawing.
I rarely ever draw with a drawing being the end goal. It’s usually only ever a sketch or an exploration used to create a painting. So I’m figuring out a composition or working out the best angle or whatever. But they’re always working drawings and not meant to be finished pieces. They usually sit around my studio until they’re ruined and eventually thrown out.
So although I’m not concerning myself with how these ballpoint pen drawings work as finished pieces, they are the end of the line works. They’re not going to become paintings or prints or whatever, they’re drawings.
I’m using it as a looking exercise and an awakening exercise. Looking intently at things rather than glancing and assuming what is or isn’t. And an awakening of the bones of art which is drawing and where it all starts.
Art schools will tell you art is about ideas and the finished work is less important than the concept but I don’t agree. Conceptual art is a wank, it might feel good doing it but the end result is usually flushed down the toilet. Sure there are shrines made for masturbaters but they’re propped up by voyeurs with a love of meaninglessness.
Back to Bro the Istanbul cat though, I don’t care if this is a good drawing or not. It is what it is. The important thing is that I’m looking and responding to what is in front of me.
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