Loosening Up

Jesse settles down for a nap in these three drawings.  The first is so tight and head-driven.   I wasn't warmed up and Jesse was actually holding still.  As he started moving into sleep I had to speed up and let my mind go a little bit and my hand move more on its own.

I often think of Shiko Munakata, the great 20th century Japanese woodcut printmaker, who said, regarding his process, "The mind goes and the tool walks alone."  Munakata was very old and nearly blind when he said that.  He would sit on the floor with a large board on his lap and bend over until his nose almost touched the board while he carved with fierce speed.  He didn't pre-draw his designs, just drew with his knives and gouges.

These next few drawings I did while sitting in an almost-dark room watching a movie.  I could hardly see my lines so I didn't bother to be careful, just followed what I could see of Jesse's contours and gestures.

It always feels like a risk to me, starting a drawing, even one that doesn't matter a bit.  By the time I did these last two, though, I was just letting my hand move on its own.