So I finally got around to scanning in some of my drawings and here is the first.
This my representation of what I hear when I listen to the song 'Handlebars' by the Flobots. If you haven't heard the song yet you can listen to it here.
There is a specific process that I go through to create these drawings.
- The first thing I do is pull out the patterns I hear and sketch them out. When I do this I have to listen to the song over and over again and pick out each individual element. This step usually takes around 20 minutes.
- Since my sound-color synesthesia is musical sounds, each specific voice and instrument will have a certain pattern or color, so to recreate what I see means I have to pull the image in my head apart, then put it back to together on paper.
- The next step is deciding what colors to use. I do this on a separate sheet of paper since I have to experiment to recreate the colors I want. Many times I also have to mix the colors to create the shade that is closest to the colors I want.
- In my drawing of 'Handelbars' the only colors I didn't mix were the black and the jade green line.
- After I know the pattern I want to use and the colors, I have to decide where each color goes. Again it is like putting together a puzzle.
- Most of the time I do have an idea of what colors I am going to use and where they will go but it's never certain until I start coloring them in.
- Once everything is decided on I color in the patterns. I usually listen to the song throughout this entire process.
Since my synesthetic perceptions are very general the drawings tend to be a little more elaborate then what I actually hear. But I'm also trying to show all of the elements that are combined into what I hear/see.
All my drawings are done with colored pencils and I'll put a couple more up soon.
This is awesome... absolutely blows my mind. Have you ever considered playing an instrument--maybe guitar? Because for us boring people that can't hear sounds, it's really hard to distinguish between the instruments playing. Or at least, it is for me. I'd imagine knowing which "instrument will have a certain pattern or color" would be a really useful talent in learning how to play an instrument.
ReplyDeleteIt is really useful as a musician. I've been classically trained in piano, and I've been a part of music programs at my school since the 3rd grade. I'm one of those people that can pick up any instrument and be able to play it almost immediately. My two favorite instruments are the piano, which is mostly blue and kind of crystalline, and the clarinet, which is a deep deep purple.
ReplyDeleteVery cool drawing, when did you draw it? What song inspired this?
ReplyDeleteIt's Handlebars by the Flobots. I finished it a couple weeks ago, but I hadn't had time to scan it so I could post it. Overall it probably took around 15 to 20ish hours of complete.
ReplyDeleteWould there be more of your interesting drawings to come? I would really be interested what you draw listening to different genre. I also agree with Laurie. But do you see it like a talent or a distraction?
ReplyDeleteI get the question about my synesthesia being a distraction a lot. It's actually not. Many of you can't image being about to see color when you hear music, but I can't image NOT seeing color when I listen to music. I don't see it as a distraction because I don't know what it's like to hear music and JUST hear music.
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