On Your Mark........Get Set.....DRAW!

Could you draw a building in 1 minute?

Could you draw that same building in 30 minutes?

Could you draw well if you could take your time?

Could you draw as well if you were rushed?

Today, I experienced all of those situations during my first day in Florence.

At lunch today, I didn’t eat that much allowing me to draw from my seat.

What to draw? The room was so small, pretty crammed, until I noticed the window in our room that led to the kitchen. 

I spent roughly 20 minutes on this drawing. I wasn’t rushed. I left the restaurant satisfied with my sketch.  There wasn’t much to capture, yet, my marker was constantly moving.

I find myself drawing every chance I get on this trip. It’s interesting how many different situations there are that affect one’s drawing.

Drawing passes the time. It comforts me. Sometimes a sketch is more meaningful than a photograph because there's personality and feeling with each mark you draw.

I had been anxiously been waiting to see the Florence Cathedral in person.

I had my sketchbook out and ready to go when we walked up to it.

It was HUGE. I went into panic mode:

“Where do I start drawing?”

“What do I draw?”

“Where should I be looking first?”

Without realizing it, I had started to draw.

The tour guide let us stand there for 2 minutes and then we walked on.

Below is my sketch. 

It doesn’t capture much, but it is my favorite sketch of the day.

Being rushed by the tour guide frustrated me at first, but I soon realized that it made me pick what I wanted to capture in just a few lines.

Earlier, we were in the square in front of Basilica Santa Croce.

I was standing alone sketching and all of a sudden a boy comes running in front of me with a piece of bread. The boy tossed it in the air landing next to my feet! Hundreds of pigeons soon followed.

They were flying around me, scaring me, making me stop sketching, looking at the birds, losing my focus, but I refused to move out of my spot. I had to finish the sketch.

I was so distracted by those pigeons it made me dislike my sketch.

I need to work on not letting things in my surrounding environment bother me as I sketch. 

I saw Michelangelo’s David sculpture today.

Sadly, no photographs were allowed, but how I wish I could have sketched!

Maybe tomorrow instead of pigeons, a bunch of cute puppies will come up to me as I draw. Who knows?!

Happy drawing everyone!