Last month I concentrated on shape and size. Every attempt to capture some aspect of the visual world on paper begins with these two elements. But shape and size are just that, a beginning. Unlike Flatland, our world has depth as well as outline. This makes life difficult for folks who want to make a permanent record of what they see, and it doesn’t matter if their chosen tool is a camera rather than a pencil. The problem is the same. Our world is three‑dimensional; paper and computer displays are not.

OK. I’ve addressed the challenges of photography elsewhere. This time around, I’m talking to paddlers who are interested in mastering the art of field sketching. If that’s you — and I hope it is — then you’ve come to the right place. But our problem remains. How is it possible to give depth to a sketch drawn on a flat sheet of paper? The answer, oddly enough, lies in the realm of light and shadow… Read more…

 
Send a Comment