Day 0063

I realise when I do these drawings that I suffer from unit bias. I tend to want to complete a drawing each day, rather than setting a longer-term goal for a larger work that will require multiple sittings. I tend to unconsciously match the size of the drawing to the size of the paper I'm working with, unless I very deliberately control myself to decouple the composition from the paper size. It's very insidious how the materials you work with influence you. Bigger sketchbooks make me draw bigger drawings, smaller sketchbooks make me focus down on what I'm doing and be more careful.

I bought some silver wire and holder to have a go at metalpoint drawing, without realising that you have to have specially prepared paper. Attempting to draw with silver on untreated paper results in no marks being made except scratches. You have to coat the paper with a surface that will abrade the silver to leave the mark. Apparently you can do this with a couple of coats of gouache mixed with chalk, so I'll give it a go when I'm around my paints next. Frustrating though, as I wanted to do start a careful copy of one of Leonardo's exquisite silverpoint portraits. These would be the kind of multi-day, controlled, thoughtful drawings that I've been lacking recently. I need the discipline back!

Without the silverpoint I resorted to charcoal for today's sketch -- another Leonardo lady with the characteristic tilt of the head and straight-line shading. Lovely to work from.