The sketchbook I’m working on for the Brooklyn Art Library’s Sketchbook Project now has a name, a working title: “Time Tavern”. As you can see from previous posts I’m thinking about time – and uses of time in cooking, food service, music and in telling wordless visual stories.
When I began this project I’d thought “Time Tavern” would be the title but I held off declaring it until I’d drawn a few pages. Things sometimes change as a drawing progresses – particularly when I’m working on a wordless visual story.
In my earlier posts (see below for links) I’d shown close-ups of musicians and a chef at work. I’d also shown a birthday party in progress. These 3 story strands are main ones – but they also need context in order to become a story. The association or juxtaposition of images – and the sequence of them – is how I’m crafting my tale visually rather than by written words in a row.
The issue is how to do the same things writers who use written words do – plot movement, foreshadowing and character development – but in my case how to do those using only visual imagery.
As part of my original planning for this story I created a “layout” of the “Time Tavern” the pub setting where my story takes place. This layout is part of my story strand weaving strategy. Here you see my architectural layout:
This architectural drawing won’t be included in my sketchbook – that’s just to help me organize my story. The book to the side in the above photo is included as it shows me referring to my architectural drawing during work on that sketchbook page.
Below is one of the first setting drawings within my “Time Tavern” sketchbook – it shows the chef looking at his recipe cards. In the background you see the bartender looking at her recipe cards. You also see a bit of the stage area the musicians will use. Perhaps you can see how I’ll be using my setting drawings as story context – and foreshadowing?
I’m sure you’ll also note the large clocks in my settings – I’m using those as a story device to show the progression of time…
Lots more to work to do…
My past posts regarding this project (so you can follow my progress) are here: https://sueclancy.wordpress.com/2017/08/10/sketchbook-project-progress/ https://sueclancy.wordpress.com/2017/08/14/story-strands-in-my-sketchbook-project/ https://sueclancy.wordpress.com/2017/08/16/sketchbook-progress-time/
General info about the Sketchbook Project is here: https://www.sketchbookproject.com/
sue clancy - artist 
7 responses to “time tavern sketchbook progress”
I love the insight into the visual artist’s creative process and am fascinated that there are parallels with writing. For instance, this comment “…Things sometimes change as a drawing progresses…” is also true of writing. I start out with a plan but as I write and the characters develop the story takes a different turn.
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I think that there are so many parallels between visual art and writing that as far as I know I’ve the largest collection of books about writing – and I read them in order to mine them for visual art purposes – not with intentions of writing words-in-a-row! Lol! Thanks for your comment! Glad I’m not the only one that starts out with a plan and then it takes a different turn!
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Sometimes I don’t have a plan. I just start with a phrase or a description and see where it goes. Sometimes the plan comes afterwards. How nuts is that?!
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I share the same “nuts” with you! I do the same thing with my visual stories – I start with a phrase, a feeling a thought and “follow my nose” to see where it goes. After a bit of “following my nose” there’s a point where I think “Aha! So THAT’s what I’m doing!” – and then I “plan” i.e. tweak the trail I’m following more purposefully.
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I love, love, love the title. It works so well to combine what I understand to be your themes and ideas. I’m operating under a working title. I need to make it more pithy I think. I’m going to complete the sketchbook before I decide, however. As you say, things change as things progress.
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Thanks Laura! I hear you re the need for pithiness … and I like my title too but even so I’m reserving the option to tweak the title in case things change. 😉 But I am very glad to hear that you think that my working title fits with my themes… Thanks!
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[…] Sharp readers of my blog will probably notice that I’ve used one of the book-stitching techniques I mentioned in “Making Stuff…” on my current project “Time Tavern” (here’s a link to some Time Tavern posts; stitching the book here and more progress here.) […]
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