Penny Otto

Having been a painter for 78 years or so here are some of my go-to ideas for creating pictures.

We all need to practise drawing whether it be trees, houses or people – the more we do the better our brushstrokes will be.

An old school friend surprised me with this remark “You were always drawing!” I had not been aware of that, but I do recall as a student being determined to get passable likenesses of my school mates!

Sometimes when a piece of work does not resolve put it aside for weeks, maybe months, before you take another look at it. It may take time to figure out exactly what you want a painting to say – then – and not always, you might be able to finish it!

Carry a sketch pad everywhere. Even to the local shops! Around the house. Doing dishes? Keep your mind open about subject matter.

When travelling it pays off to have a small sketch book handy for roadside stops. I bet you find these sketches are more satisfying, informative and personal than mobile phone photos which you may not look at again (even if they are on social media!). Point is not to get hung up on creating photographic likenesses.

On a public holiday a friend and I took a picnic lunch and a sketch pad to the local memorial. There were plenty of people dotted over the hillside watching a yacht race so I had lots to practice on….people, boats, the harbour itself.

Try “drawing blind”. Put your pen on paper, keep your eyes on your subject while drawing. Don’t look down at the page. This works well if you have limited time to capture the scene.