If we look at these together, we can see a common tradition
from the days when drawing and painting were a craft, so that by
following a few simple steps you can always produce a delightful
result, without depending on previous skill, or 'inspiration' -
these can come in later once you've got started...
In this approach you start by drawing an outline, and then
fill in spaces with color in various ways: I remember that at
school it was dismissed as childish - even though no help was
given in doing anything more 'adult' - but it's been used for
great effect and subtlety, and can be still. It's also a great way
to get started at all, and can open the way to going in freer
directions later on.
Previously I've used it on paper, wood, sheepskin,
white-washed walls... the principles are the same, the materials
themselves tell you how to adapt them...
Now I've tried it using a Macintosh computer, a variety of
graphics programs including Macromedia's xRes, Adobe's PhotoDeluxe
and Photoshop, and a digitising 'drawing slate': and here are the
results step-by-step, together with three small galleries of
examples - from historical sources, of the work people have done
on courses, and my own work.
