• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
AbbeyK

AbbeyK

Love Where You Live!

  • Projects
  • About
  • Services
  • Press & Television
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Show Search
Hide Search

September 17, 2010 abbey

Is Drawing a Phantom Skill?

In Getting Back to a Phantom Skill, the first in a series from the New York Times by James McCullen, the author talks about one of my great loves, drawing. I remember drawing sneakers like he did below for some assignment in high school. (I was one of those art geeks.)

17linebylineimg-custom1 
In art school, we learned all about the different techniques of drawing. We studied the masters, studied form, light and dark and had one whole year of (near torture) figure drawing using the skeleton. We used no shading, only line to show where a plane curved. It turned my drawing world upside down and I did not draw for years after that class. But it taught me to see differently and I am proud of the drawings I made of vertebrae, shin bones and pelvises. The full-sized skeletons as final projects got moldy about 10 years ago, so I let them go. My neighbor flooded the basement recently so a few more got lost, and I was surprisingly very sad about it, but the rest of the bone drawings from that class, I still have having schlepped them from apartment to apartment for over 20 years. (Thank-you Barry Schactman.)

The only one drawing class I took which was a waste of time was some conceptual class (hello 80s!) where we used charoal and rubbed obscure shapes into really expensive hand-pressed paper. I liked neither that class nor that teacher.

I am delighted to have all this formal training in drawing. I use it in my work as an interior designer. It is a skill and it taught me to see. I do quick sketches all the time for clients. But my formal skills are a bit rusty though. I figure it's like riding a bike: it's always in there. Just need a little practice.

Hmmm….I think this article inspired me to get out a 2B pencil, a pink pearl eraser, some nice paper out of storage and set up my sun room as a little studio. The light is good in there.

 

 

 

Categories: Art, Random ThoughtsTags: Abbey Koplovitz, AbbeyK, Boston interior decorating, Boston Interior Designer, drawing

Primary Sidebar

Search our site

best-of-houzz-badge_design-2016
best-of-houzz-badge_service-2016
best-of-houzz-badge_service-2017
best-of-houzz-badge_design-2018
best-of-houzz-badge_service-2018
best-of-houzz-badge_service-2020

Categories

Archives

About AbbeyK


Boston-based interior designer Abbey Koplovitz showcases ongoing projects, shares insider tips, and talks about what it’s really like to be an interior designer.

Contact

We love what we do.
We think you will too.

Please check out our projects here.

Phone (617) 905-4185

Email info@AbbeyK.com

AbbeyK on TV

  • THIS OLD HOUSE®
    WEST NEWTON SHINGLE-STYLE
    EPISODE 11
  • THIS OLD HOUSE®
    WEST NEWTON SHINGLE-STYLE
    EPISODE 16
  • NEW ENGLAND DREAM HOUSE
     
     

Decorating Tips

5 Components of Green Design

9 Easy Ways to Be Green at Home

7 Ideas for a Fabulous Kid’s Room

10 Tips For Choosing Paint Colors

Keep in Touch

Connect

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Houzz icon

Footer

AbbeyK, Inc. | 14 Stoneleigh Road, Watertown, MA | (617) 905-4185 | info@AbbeyK.com | © 2022 AbbeyK, Inc. | All Rights Reserved
Website customization and maintenance by ASK Design