It All Begins with a Drawing

The original drawing is a significant part of any new piece.

Since the late ’70s, I’ve created commissioned artwork for individuals, businesses, and public places, which has resulted in an extensive library of proposal drawings.

Some I’ve made into finished metal or metal and wood wall art, while others sit on my hard drive or in my Procreate app, waiting for use or modification for another proposal. Many have evolved over multiple iterations to suit new themes or because I had time to refine them further.

Working in Procreate on my iPad has changed the way I design. It allows me to alter a drawing or try various approaches quickly.

I used to resort to tracing paper to iterate as I drew. It worked, but it was a lengthy process that often discouraged me from experimentation.

Working on the iPad, I can employ drawing layers to isolate elements for rapid editing.

I can approach drawing like sculpting, putting a little on here, taking a little off there, resizing, stretching, morphing,recoloring, and rearranging elements on the fly,

all with the reassurance that I can tap with two fingers to discard recent changes.

I can shrink and expand the view to get a better perspective and even compose the drawing over a photo of the setting to help me integrate each design into its surroundings.

I can copy layers, hide the original, and play around with the copy until it all comes together.

If I’m at a critical design juncture, I’ll often save a version of the file as is, then begin fresh with a new duplicate. You can see this evolution in some of the included screenshots.

There’s nothing like sketching with pencil in hand on a fresh sheet of paper, but digital drawing is my medium of choice when designing for my metal or metal and wood wall art.

Another interesting Procreate feature is the video it creates, giving me a time-lapse progression of each drawing’s evolution.

It’s always fun to rewatch these to see when the initial poking around in the dark begins to take form into a workable concept, transitioning from a process of exploration into one of refinement.

Although some drawings are spot on from the beginning, it’s not uncommon for me to make further edits or refinements with feedback from each client. As a design becomes tangible, it makes it easier for them to visualize the finished piece and offer suggestions to bring it closer to their vision for the space.

If you don’t see the perfect piece in my online gallery or here in Homer at The Dean Gallery, it may just be lurking in my concept drawing library or waiting to emerge from the aether.