The Art of Mindful Drawing

Create calm and inspiring images

Barrington Barber

• Publisher: Arcturus
• Year: 2016
• eBook ISBN: 9781784285197
• Topic: Art
• Subtopic: Art Techniques

In this groundbreaking book, Barrington Barber teaches two connected skills: drawing techniques and relaxation. He demonstrates, through a series of specially crafted exercises, how drawing is a calm, focused activity that can improve concentration and reduce stress, while teaching people to observe and enjoy their surroundings.

INSPIRATION FROM NATURE

In this chapter we shall explore how nature gives us a whole world of pattern and shape that we can turn to for our decorative drawing of meditational patterns and pictures. The variety and complexity of natural forms is astounding, and they can easily provide a lifetime of inspiration for an artist. I look to nature again and again for both figurative and abstract images, redrawing and stylizing objects to make an attractive patterned picture.

Water is one of the ideal natural forms that can be manipulated like this to make interesting formal patterns. Flowers are always decorative, with patterns of growth that range from a simple five-petalled open cup to the complexity of a chrysanthemum. They are also easily available, of course, for if you do not have a garden of your own you can take a sketching pad to a park or head for your local florist.

Birds and fish too are a good basis for many detailed formal patterns, since they are inherently attractive and require little alteration to produce attractive flat shapes.

SIMPLIFYING FLOWER FORMS

Here are a series of designs, mostly based on a circle shape, that you can adapt into effective flower-like forms. All blossoms have a relatively simple basic shape, with small differences that identify the particular type of flower. In these examples, start with a diagrammatic version and then make a drawing with more precision and flower-like textures.

1. Draw a circle. From the central point draw five large loops that touch the edge of the circle and finish back at the centre. The loops should overlap slightly. Draw a small circle around the central point.

2. Now draw the outline of the overlapping petals with some simple marks to suggest texture. Draw some stamens radiating outwards from the centre and little points of leaf where the petals overlap.

1. Now draw a similar pattern with six overlapping heart-shaped petals.

2. Firm up the outline, showing the overlap on one side only and put in some small circle-like shapes to denote the centre of the flower.

1. For this next pattern, draw two circles, one inside the other, as I have done. From the inner circle draw a number of narrow petals with curved ends, their tips touching the outer circle. Draw lots of small circles in the centre of your flower design.

2. Now firm up your shapes, making the petal shapes more natural-looking and the flower centre quite dense with lots of small scribbly circles. The pattern resembles a sunflower.

1. Draw a set of four concentric circles. Around the central point and the three inner circles draw five curves to denote petals: the petals will be smaller towards the centre. Draw small pointed leaf shapes between the outermost petals.

2. When you formalize the pattern, add extra edges to the petal shapes to suggest a curved edge. This pattern has the look of a Tudor rose.

1. From the centre of a circle draw seven overlapping petal shapes, this time tapering to a point where they touch the circle’s edge. Draw another set of petals behind and in between them.

2. Firm up the lines and add some detail in the centre to resemble stamens...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Introduction
• Making Mindful Marks
• Inspiration from Nature
• Mandalas: a Cosmic View
• The Creative Mind