From time and time again, I make linocuts. I started keeping some of the leftovers, the bits with shapes that don’t seem to make any sense. But that’s the cool thing: Use those shapes and you can create random images, that might fuel your imagination! I personally think it easier to do with undefined linocut shapes, so I don’t immediately have an idea in mind. Sometimes, I like the randomness of art.

Here’s two images that were the product of leftovers:

I didn’t plan on creating a specific scene, but the forms ended up reminding me of a mushroom and a waterfall, so I thought of a little poetic text and added some handwriting. I like the results- they look surreal, a bit dreamy and are a good way to create new ideas simply by experimenting.

• Try to keep the focus of the viewer inside the image, so avoid lines that lead the eye outside of the frame.

• Start your drawing with thumbnails, using only few values (3-4) to work out the general composition and how you want to lead the eye to the focal point, the point where you want the viewer to focus on! Only then move on to putting more details into these bigger shapes.

• Learn what types of contrast exist and how you can use them to your advantage- remember, contrast creates focus, and different contrasts do this in varying intensity.

(This Youtube video by Sam Nielson provides good info)

But it’s one thing to know the rules and another to be able to use them. Especially if there’s so many ways to do so cleverly! So one way to get a feeling for that seems to be analyzing famous paintings, detect how shapes are arranged, how colors are used, is there a clear fore- and background, etc. Look out for everything that the artist used as a tool to lead the eye of the viewer. You’ll find more than you think!

Here’s some notes of mine with their respective paintings:

“The Blinding of Samson” by Rembrandt (1636)

“Judas Repentant, Returning the Pieces of Silver” by Rembrandt (1629)

“The Dogano, San Giorgio, Citella, from the Steps of the Europa” by J. M. W. Turner (1842)

I recently watched a video from the Youtube channel of John Pomeroy (Pomeroy Art Academy), where he talks about some exercises he liked doing. John Pomeroy is a great animator who’s worked on some good old classics like „The Rescuers“ and „The Secret of NIMH“, so he’s got a great feel for shapes and movement. But he’s also an amazing artist in general, with colors just as much as with the pencil. In the video he talks about a sketching exercise, quick and easy to do every day, which hones your eye to find forms and good compositions in the seemingly mundane things around us.

Admittedly, I haven’t managed to do this every day since watching, but I did some first sketches, and I definitely want to try out more.

If this sounds like something for you, watch the master explain for himself here!