The Sketching Project

 An excellent way to learn to sketch is by following the sketching project prompts available here. It is actually a list of ideas which when sketched upon in a systematic way claims to make a person learn sketching for 6 months. (By sketching they mean rough drawings here). 

It might be a good idea to formulate one's own prompts in the same way if one wants to learn more precise drawing. But then again, it might interfere with the creative process; the urge that moves anyone to draw anything is really not something that can be determined months in advance. Since that urge is what lends honesty and integrity to the artwork, this pre-determined syllabus-based approach is probably not best suited for "proper" drawings. Its utility is limited to practice sketches.

Judging art

Art can be broadly defined as a visual expression of ideas, and its quality can be assessed on two parameters: (1) In what manner it stimulates the viewer (i.e. the message that it passes), (2) In what manner it stimulates the artist (i.e. the effect that its creative process had on the artist). 

To pass a  reasonably sound judgement on art it is therefore necessary to have standards of what manner qualifies to be good or bad. Traditional art was rooted in spirituality and the standard was therefore quite clear. The modern world has started making standards irrelevant and judgments on art are therefore ceasing to hold meaning. When taken to extremes, this will therefore render art itself as meaningless. This will be a state of affairs that is inherently in contradiction to the fact that human endeavours are never aimless and will spell the end of art. It is imperative that the direction of art espoused by post-modernism be therefore changed.

Things to sketch when nothing comes to mind

1. Mount Everest
2. Falcon's view of a landscape
3. A solitary cyclist/farmer/labourer (or any person doing any physical task all alone).
4. Sahara Desert
5. Shaheen (Peregrine Falcon)
6. Antarctica
7. Calligraphy
8. Car rally
9. Self-Portrait
10. A leaf/feather blowing in the wind.
11. A lion hunting
12. A tornado/hurricane/storm
13. Wild buffalo charging
14. A scene from a movie or a passage from a book.
15. Ant's view of a street

The Carpet Merchant

This beautiful oil on canvas painting was painted by Jean Leon Gerome approximately in 1887. It depicts an everyday scene in the life of a carpet merchant in a rug market in Cairo during this period. He may be the central figure with the white beard explaining the merits of his painting to interested parties. The people in the background are probably servants/assistants. Some of the carpets are strewn on the floor while two hang from the balcony. The intricate design of one carpet is clearly visible. Multiculturalism is on view here, as the clothing patterns of all the men seem to point towards different nationalities. Jerome visited such a market during his travels in the Middle East in 1885.

Paintings such as these (called genre art) appeal to the sentiment because they carry within them hints of beauty in everyday life, something which is often overlooked but is very much there.

The painting is currently on display at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minnesota USA. 

Mathematics and Art

That mathematics is a creative endeavour and has an aesthetic associated with it has long been the refrain of the purists, contrary to the popularly held opinion that mathematics is about skill in dealing with numbers. P. R. Halmos, an esteemed mathematician of the twentieth century justifies the very need for mathematics on two grounds: practical utility and since it is an art.[1] Since art itself may be justified as a means to an end: learning about oneself and carrying out positive social change, it remains to be seen how mathematics as a discipline can be used for understanding the self and for carrying out social change. While some arguments have been posed for the former, such as that given by J W N Sullivan who says[2]:

Mathematics, as much as music or any other art, is one of the means by which we rise to a complete self-consciousness. The significance of mathematics resides precisely in the fact that it is an art; by informing us of the nature of our own minds it informs us of much that depends on our minds.

but it still remains to see how mathematics can be implicitly used to carry out positive social change. Maybe the current direction of the subject itself is required to be changed for this to be achieved.

References:

1. Halmos, P. R. “Mathematics as a Creative Art” American Scientist, vol. 56, no. 4, 1968, pp. 375–89. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/27828328. Accessed 23 July 2023.

2. Hickman, Richard, and Peter Huckstep. “Art and Mathematics in Education.” Journal of Aesthetic Education, vol. 37, no. 1, 2003, pp. 1–12. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/3527417. Accessed 23 July 2023.

A sketch by Rembrandt

The Amstel River near Amsterdam is depicted in Rembrandt's drawing The bend in the River Amstel near Kostverloren House. While the artist is known more for his paintings, this little sketch has a beauty of its own. It is on brown paper which conveys a sense of nostalgia and nicely captures the surrounding landscape. One feels like being there!

The drawing is currently in the archives of Chatsworth House, Derbyshire, UK.

Some famous paintings

(Using ChatGPT)

In colors bold, let's embark on a poetic flight,

Where famous paintings come alive, shining bright.

Mona Lisa's enigmatic, knowing smile,

Da Vinci's masterpiece that captivates, defying style.

Van Gogh's Starry Night, a celestial dance,

Swirling brushstrokes, emotions enhance.

Guernica, Picasso's lament for a war-torn land,

Chaos and pain depicted by his masterful hand.

In colors bold, let's embark on a poetic flight,

Where famous artworks shine with radiant light.

Mona Lisa's enigmatic, knowing smile,

Da Vinci's masterpiece, captivating in style.

Dalí's Persistence of Memory, surreal and strange,

Melting clocks on a dreamlike range.

Mahmoud Said's Whirling Dervishes, mystical grace,

Sufi dancers spinning, seeking divine embrace.

Monet's Water Lilies, serene and serene,

Nature's reflection, a tranquil scene.

From Leonardo's Mona Lisa to others untold,

Art's rich tapestry, a story to be unfold.

In galleries and museums, they find their place,

Celebrating art's beauty, connecting time and space.

Through varied forms, they provoke and inspire,

Immersing us in creativity's everlasting fire.

So let us celebrate these masterpieces renowned,

Each with its own story, meaning profound.

From paintings to drawings, art's abundant worth,

Enriching our lives, on this creative Earth.