In a quiet moment, take time to recall some memory that you find interesting or enjoyable. Perhaps this was a story told by your family, or some moment that formed an idea of yourself or someone around you. Maybe a photograph, smell or object will help bring back your recollection. As you sit, pull out the details and events from the narrative before and after that moment. Jot down everything you can remember. How old are you? Where are you? Who is there? What is around you? What is happening in the story?
For this memory, you can draw from any viewpoint, with elements out of realistic proportion. Perhaps forms are simplified and important elements are larger. Most people don’t remember every piece of a scene, so allow some elements to float without context, or layer pieces that shift and overlap in your mind. You have the option to draw what was before and after your moment, to tell the story. Once you have drawn elements of the narrative or scene, let the drawing be unfinished. There is no need to fill in pieces that you don’t remember.
“One of those family photos that always prompts a narrative, you are the subject of it but have no recollection of the events that everyone else recalls. In this case it was my first birthday and always accompanied by the story of how I ate the fruit from the cake while the adults were not looking. What i find curious about memory drawings is how childlike they are. The child in this drawing is not a one year old as in the narrative but seems to be more at the age I would have understood the story. Drawn purely from imagination no visual reference to the actual photo though i had seen it in the past. The lady with the huge hands is my grandmother, she had as I remember, huge hard-working hands with long nails as thick as hooves.” – Laura Hudson
If you have time, watch the first 12 minutes of this Art 21 video featuring Susan Rothenberg in “Memory.” Watch how she paints!
[image_with_animation image_url=”8071″ alignment=”center” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] Drawings by Ruthie V. I received a very nice letter today. It’s about line, and how one League artist improved her quality of line – not by thinking about improving the quality of her line directly – but by checking in on her level of engagement with the drawing. …
I have a new little studio to fix up. It’s a mess of a space; low ceilings, filthy and rough, but full of potential. I thought I’d let you know how I make decisions about fixing up a studio space. Today, I’ll talk about the paint. Painting an empty room is such a simple thing, and …
Creative Challenge: Think of a person. They can be someone from any time in history – someone you know, someone famous, or a character in a story. Then, based on their personality, design a hat for them. Go all out on this! They don’t actually need to wear it. Materials for this creative challenge are …
The highest creativity is in the sketch, when the mind is still free to explore and let things happen. British Contemporary Watercolors Tuesday, August 27th, 2013 at 7:58 pm Source: http://watercolor.net/british-contemporary/ Looking At Watercolor Directions By 5 British Artists Stephanie Tuckwell, watercolor and charcoal In a recent ‘Resource Centre’ article, British art supplier and manufacturer, …
30SAL Challenge: Memory Narrative
In a quiet moment, take time to recall some memory that you find interesting or enjoyable. Perhaps this was a story told by your family, or some moment that formed an idea of yourself or someone around you. Maybe a photograph, smell or object will help bring back your recollection. As you sit, pull out the details and events from the narrative before and after that moment. Jot down everything you can remember. How old are you? Where are you? Who is there? What is around you? What is happening in the story?
For this memory, you can draw from any viewpoint, with elements out of realistic proportion. Perhaps forms are simplified and important elements are larger. Most people don’t remember every piece of a scene, so allow some elements to float without context, or layer pieces that shift and overlap in your mind. You have the option to draw what was before and after your moment, to tell the story. Once you have drawn elements of the narrative or scene, let the drawing be unfinished. There is no need to fill in pieces that you don’t remember.
Below is a memory narrative by Laura Hudson:
“One of those family photos that always prompts a narrative, you are the subject of it but have no recollection of the events that everyone else recalls. In this case it was my first birthday and always accompanied by the story of how I ate the fruit from the cake while the adults were not looking. What i find curious about memory drawings is how childlike they are. The child in this drawing is not a one year old as in the narrative but seems to be more at the age I would have understood the story. Drawn purely from imagination no visual reference to the actual photo though i had seen it in the past. The lady with the huge hands is my grandmother, she had as I remember, huge hard-working hands with long nails as thick as hooves.” – Laura Hudson
If you have time, watch the first 12 minutes of this Art 21 video featuring Susan Rothenberg in “Memory.” Watch how she paints!
https://art21.org/watch/art-in-the-twenty-first-century/s3/susan-rothenberg-in-memory-segment/
Please share your work on Instagram and tag us: #30sal #seattleartistleague #memory #memorychallenge #memorydrawing #drawingchallenge #drawing #art #illustration #sketch #artchallenge #drawings #artist #draw #artistsoninstagram #sketchbook #instaart #drawthisinyourstyle #artwork #drawingoftheday #dailydrawing #inkdrawing #drawingsketch #artoftheday #pencildrawing #drawthisinyourstylechallenge #creativity #creativechallenge
Related Posts
A Drawing is a Record of Your Engagement
[image_with_animation image_url=”8071″ alignment=”center” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] Drawings by Ruthie V. I received a very nice letter today. It’s about line, and how one League artist improved her quality of line – not by thinking about improving the quality of her line directly – but by checking in on her level of engagement with the drawing. …
Painting a studio
I have a new little studio to fix up. It’s a mess of a space; low ceilings, filthy and rough, but full of potential. I thought I’d let you know how I make decisions about fixing up a studio space. Today, I’ll talk about the paint. Painting an empty room is such a simple thing, and …
30SAL Challenge: Milliner
Creative Challenge: Think of a person. They can be someone from any time in history – someone you know, someone famous, or a character in a story. Then, based on their personality, design a hat for them. Go all out on this! They don’t actually need to wear it. Materials for this creative challenge are …
5 Contemporary British Watercolorists
The highest creativity is in the sketch, when the mind is still free to explore and let things happen. British Contemporary Watercolors Tuesday, August 27th, 2013 at 7:58 pm Source: http://watercolor.net/british-contemporary/ Looking At Watercolor Directions By 5 British Artists Stephanie Tuckwell, watercolor and charcoal In a recent ‘Resource Centre’ article, British art supplier and manufacturer, …