I hope you will see the following drawing posted this week for those of you who follow me on Instagram. This sketch features my two-year-old son in what appears to be a Jurassic jungle but is actually my uncle-in-laws back garden. 

 

My drawing has so much going on in the detail, different plant species and depth of field, which adds complexity. Unless you haven't guessed already, I love complicated structures and finding the edges within. I tend to see the world in high definition, which is starting to evolve in my drawing style. 

Pen and ink jurassic garden drawing

When depicting nature in high resolution, you notice the details, subtle patterns and often recurring forms. I'm always trying to capture movement in my work, and my aim and hope are my artwork creates the illusion of motion and captures the passing of time.

Pen and ink jurassic garden plant detail

If you have followed my work over the past year or just discovered my drawings, you will notice when I place figures within the composition, mainly my children, in the picture, they are from behind; why is this? This art technique is called Rückenfigur and dates back to antiquity but was popular in German romantic paintings. 

Rückenfigur art technique

Why do I use this? It's to transport the observer closer to the image and hopefully trigger an emotional experience of being in the moment and connecting with the high definition environment. I usually place my focus figures (My children) deeper into the perspective to pull the viewer in further. I believe the emotional sensation of nostalgia often reported back to me comes from this technique.

 

Pen and ink drawing detail

 

The final composition construct is to enhance the angles and marks to follow the contours of the objects I'm sketching to create a sense of movement and or energy... I'm still developing this technique, which is still an evolving style, but I hope you can identify with the aim and hopefully experience a sense of movement.