I wanted to start this NATO alphabet series with something simple. I was also testing some new paper. Smooth is nice, but it highlights fingerprints. Once they are used up, I’ll focus on the sulfite paper, because it’s cheaper and can be used on both sides.
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Thanks to Hazel Burgess for suggesting that I try blind contour drawing. It’s a great exercise!
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And thanks to Jozsef Abranko for the nudge to use my gouache to paint (duh!)
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I had been constipated with drawing for two decades before generative AI became a thing in 2022. When computers can create perfection in seconds, imperfection is now proof of humanity.
Nothing like a digital existential challenge to get moving. I picked up the pen again, meditating on my right hand shaping the letters of the alphabet, morning after morning. That cycle was replaced in 2024 by calligraphy, but I always wanted to properly close out this practice that awoke my spirit after such a long hiatus.
I hope you enjoy these old sketches paired with new graphs and my new explorations in gouache.
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