music-drawing

Roads - Portishead

2011-03-24T07:36:00.000-07:00

pencil on paper, 23.1cm x 21.7cm

Gentiment je t'immole - Mai Lan

2011-03-24T07:24:00.000-07:00

correction fluid and water on paper of printed grey, 20.2cm x 14.1cm

Northern Star - Hole

2011-01-12T01:43:00.000-08:00

cutter on torn found image, 25.5cm x 29cm

detail

Out of Quicksand

2010-12-24T08:58:00.000-08:00

When I received a YouTube notification on music-drawing the other day, I thought it was the old "crap" "it's shit" "what the fuck is this" comments, but it was in fact a video response to my music-drawing of La Roux' Quicksand. I'm really thrilled someone would make this from/for me at all. Thank you again, Jean-Marc Pollen who made this video. The rocks and Dalí made me smile.

The difference between music-drawing and abstract drawing, is that music-drawing is not abstract.

2010-10-01T10:04:00.000-07:00

You just don't see yet.

Set Sail to Nowhere - The Soul's Release

2010-09-09T01:56:00.000-07:00

pencil drawing on paper of printed grey, 20.1cm x 12.1cm

The Funeral - Band of Horses

2010-09-07T08:15:00.000-07:00

watercolour drawing on paper, 21cm x 21cm

Little Cripple - Lux

2010-08-31T11:55:00.000-07:00

pencil on dirtied paper, 14.8cm x 10.5cm

Alejandro - Lady Gaga

2010-08-14T10:50:00.000-07:00

charcoal on paper, A4, #alejandroimage

There is a war - Leonard Cohen

2010-06-27T12:16:00.000-07:00

pen on dirtied paper, 14.8cm x 21.1cm

In the End - Charlotte Gainsbourg

2010-03-11T04:44:00.000-08:00

charcoal on dirtied paper, 21.6cm x 14cm

Drop the World - Lil Wayne & Eminem

2010-03-07T02:35:00.000-08:00

pen on dictionary clipping, 16cm x 10cm

Where Did You Sleep Last Night /Nirvana/

2010-03-04T11:14:00.000-08:00

charcoal on paper, 32.9cm x 21.5cm

Starsailor-A

2010-02-04T04:26:00.000-08:00

2010 Music-drawings of Starsailor's album Silence is Easy, pen on album print.

Silence is Easy

Shark Food

Restless Heart / Music Was Saved

White Dove

Four To The Floor / Bring My Love

Telling Them / Some Of Us

Fidelity / Born Again

US$125 if you seriously want it

Losing My Religion - R.E.M.

2009-12-20T04:04:00.000-08:00

pencil and pen on card, 19.4cm x 11.6cm

The Man Who Sold the World /Nirvana/

2009-12-15T07:06:00.000-08:00

watercolour, pen and pencil on found image, 18.1cm x 29.2cm

First of the Gang to Die - Morrissey

2009-12-07T08:11:00.000-08:00

pen on found image, 13.1cm x 17.5cm

The Childcatcher - Patrick Wolf

2009-11-29T03:24:00.000-08:00

ink and pen on intentionally dirtied paper, A5

There Is a Light That Never Goes Out - The Smiths

2009-11-27T21:27:00.000-08:00

pastel on paper, A5, commissioned

Quicksand - La Roux

2009-11-18T09:55:00.000-08:00

charcoal on paper

Crystalised - The xx

2009-10-29T05:28:00.000-07:00

pen on paper

Be Be Your Love - Rachael Yamagata

2009-10-27T10:39:00.000-07:00

Photoshop manipulation of found image

蝴蝶 - 幸福大街

2009-10-20T11:29:00.000-07:00

pencil, graphite, charcoal and correction fluid on paper

Paper Gangsta - Lady Gaga

2009-10-16T09:24:00.000-07:00

pen and correction fluid on found image

Musician, Please Take Heed - God Help The Girl

2009-10-14T10:19:00.000-07:00

pencil, graphite and charcoal on paper, A4, for sale

In a Manner of Speaking /Nouvelle Vague/

2009-09-20T02:33:00.000-07:00

pen on paper, 9.5cm x 9.5cm

Dog on Wheels - Belle & Sebastian

2009-09-19T04:50:00.000-07:00

Photoshop manipulation of photograph

A Little Death Around the Eyes - Peter Doherty

2009-09-07T04:28:00.000-07:00

pen and ink on paper, 21.2cm x 14.9cm

Quoi - Jane Birkin

2009-09-05T12:48:00.000-07:00

pencil on paper, 20.1cm x 12.6cm

Wind in the Wires - Patrick Wolf

2009-09-01T11:31:00.000-07:00

pen on intentionally dirtied paper, 21.2cm x 14.9cm

Last of the English Roses - Peter Doherty

2009-08-31T01:58:00.000-07:00

pen on paper, 15cm x 21.2cm

42 - Coldplay

2009-08-13T11:38:00.000-07:00

pen on paper, A5, 2008, sold

Lily - Pink Martini

2009-08-06T04:11:00.000-07:00

Photoshop drawing on found image

這分鐘更愛你 - 容祖兒

2009-08-03T05:21:00.000-07:00

pen on paper, 8.5cm x 7.8cm

Cherry Blossom Girl - Air

2009-07-29T11:12:00.000-07:00

pencil and pen on found image, 21.9cm x 16cm, for sale

Siempre Me Quedará - Bebe

2009-07-08T02:19:00.000-07:00

marker and correction fluid on found image, 20.7cm x 24.4cm

Happy Together - The Turtles

2009-06-30T07:23:00.000-07:00

pencil on paper, 8.5cm x 7.8cm

夜曲 - 周杰倫

2009-06-25T08:59:00.000-07:00

pen on paper, 8.5cm x 7.8cm

Buffalo Jump - Friends of Lonely London Lad

2009-06-25T01:09:00.000-07:00

pencil on found image, 13cm x 11.5cm

El Antifaz /Liberación/

2009-06-18T03:07:00.000-07:00

pen on found image, 11.4cm x 9cm

23 - Blonde Redhead

2009-06-12T09:45:00.000-07:00

Photoshop drawing on found image

Trouble is a Friend - Lenka

2009-06-01T21:18:00.000-07:00

marker on paper, 17cm x 13.2cm

Em-m-draw

2009-05-25T09:07:00.000-07:00

2009 Music-drawings of Eminem's 6 songs from 6 albums, pen on found image, 12cm x 12cm

Beautiful from Relapse

No Apologies from The Re-Up

Mockingbird from Encore

Sing for the Moment from The Eminem Show

Marshall Mathers from The Marshall Mathers LP

If I Had from The Slim Shady LP

Pass This On - The Knife

2009-05-24T23:24:00.001-07:00

marker on found image, 20cm x 24.2cm

Concrete Walls - Fever Ray

2009-05-20T00:39:00.000-07:00

ink and correction fluid on card, 10.1cm x 13.7cm

Gila - Beach House

2009-05-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

Photoshop manipulation of found images

L'Autrichienne - Jucifer

2009-05-01T22:14:00.000-07:00

pencil and rubbing on found image, 12.5cm x 20.9cm

Don't Smoke in Bed /Patti Smith/

2009-04-25T23:34:00.000-07:00

pencil and charcoal on paper, 18cm x 13cm

She's Lost Control - Joy Division

2009-04-08T05:44:00.000-07:00

scratching on card, 20.3cm x 11cm

Weekend Wars - MGMT

2009-04-02T09:07:00.000-07:00

pen and marker on found image, 21.4cm x 14.4cm

John 2/14 - Shivaree

2009-04-02T02:51:00.000-07:00

pen and marker on found image, 28.9cm x 21.3cm

Bar Italia - Pulp

2009-03-29T03:54:00.000-07:00

marker and scratching on card, 27.1cm x 20.7cm

Live Bed Show - Pulp

2009-03-28T11:18:00.000-07:00

crayon, correction fluid, acrylic and poster colour on shopping bag

A Rush of Blood to the Head - Coldplay

2009-03-26T03:02:00.000-07:00

pen on paper, A4, circa 2004

Coldplay

2009-03-25T22:57:00.000-07:00

pen on ticket, 11.1cm x 6.4cm

Politik

The Scientist

Related entries

2009-03-20T23:49:00.000-07:00

Links related to music-drawings

From Sin:
Schrödinger’s cat — Reaction to comments and association with the thought experiment
Dalí — Salvador Dalí's drawing to music / his influence on Sin's other works (not music-drawing)

Interview:
Q&A: Sin — Interview by Johnathan Kochis / explanation of music-drawings and more

Down Down Down - Beastheart

2009-03-20T01:31:00.000-07:00

Photoshop manipulation of found image

Grow Grow Grow - PJ Harvey

2009-03-18T23:59:00.000-07:00

colour pencil, ink, correction fluid and watercolour on paper, A4

Three Wishes - The Pierces

2009-03-14T10:35:00.000-07:00

pen on cut box, 16.5cm x 8.9cm

Sean-m-draw

2009-01-31T20:44:00.000-08:00

2009 Music-drawings of Sean Lennon's album Friendly Fire, pen on paper, A4

Dead Meat

Wait For Me

Parachute

Friendly Fire

Spectacle

Crimewave - Crystal Castles

2009-01-26T05:33:00.000-08:00

Photoshop manipulation of found image

Sing for Absolution - Muse

2009-01-25T05:35:00.000-08:00

pen on found image, 16.3cm x 13.5cm

Friendly Fire [the whole album] - Sean Lennon

2009-01-24T09:05:00.000-08:00

pencil on paper, A4

Hideaway - Mystery Jets

2009-01-22T23:35:00.000-08:00

marker and scratching on card, 21.9cm x 8.3cm

Say Aha - Santogold

2009-01-12T08:12:00.000-08:00

marker, ink, correction fluid and powder on found image

Womanizer - Britney Spears

2008-12-30T07:41:00.000-08:00

Photoshop drawing on found image

Happy Birthday - Röyksopp

2008-12-17T22:55:00.000-08:00

pen on cut box

Radioactivity - Kraftwerk

2008-12-07T05:02:00.000-08:00

pen on ticket

Precious - Depeche Mode

2008-11-09T20:45:00.000-08:00

pen, ink and correction fluid on paper, A5, for sale

A note on music-drawing

2008-11-01T05:13:00.000-07:00

Music-drawings by Sin are made with her own technique of drawing music. Sin does not claim to be the one who coined the term nor the one who started such artistic exercise, as there are similar practices named similarly. Her body of works and corresponding technique named "music-drawing", however, represents her mentality and philosophy of expressing music.

-

After putting up this website of music-drawings, I've received some messages from people who work on similar drawings. These, including other related works that I came across, embody a range of different methods for representing music. I could see some are more concerned with planning and representing music with specific graphic elements and visual compositions. Some are repetitive line patterns like loops of music. Some are more pictorial, like album art. This variety of presenting/expressing music is interesting, also allowing me to understand how I can describe my family of music drawings.

As mentioned previously, music-drawings (by me..."music-drawings" mentioned in this website means music-drawings by Sin) are automatic drawings of music. I would not say the original intention was surrealistic, since I was not acquainted with Surrealism then. But the nature of automatic drawings would be quite an accurate description of music-drawings, only that music acts as an added (and main) factor in influencing the outcome. Music-drawings are therefore personal expressions rather than analytic depictions of music, though I do not exclude cognitive projections resulting from any understanding of each piece of music.

Sin
Nov, 08

Bang Bang /Nancy Sinatra/

2008-10-26T13:25:00.000-07:00

charcoal and graphite on paper, A4

About

2008-09-29T05:21:00.001-07:00

"Music-drawings" are automatic drawings of music. Strokes are put on paper while a piece of music is playing, lines following the music's movement. Sometimes I develop recognisable figures from the mishmash of lines. I was more stubborn on that in earlier periods, playing the music over and over again until concrete forms emerge. Recent pieces are more abstract or, remaining the form first driven by music.

Music-drawings are not translation but simply personal feeling and instant expression of music in drawing, a result of how I react to the music and generated lines, aural and visual combined. It may be, but does not mean, visualisation of music. Music-drawing is a form of dance when the hand and pen become the body. It is when the pen becomes the instrument, and the drawing becomes music.

demonstration of music-drawing:

Lam Hoi Sin, aka Sin
edited in Nov, 08

Abstract

2007-02-17T04:23:00.000-08:00

2006

the wire tapper 13

2007

orpheus in the underworld, jacques offenbach

william tell, giacchino rossini

your love means everything, coldplay

hot butter, kraftwerk

i wouldnt normally do this kind of thing, pet shop boys

some crap about the future, electric president

secret, emilie simon

no apologies, eminem

Figures

2007-02-17T03:58:00.000-08:00

2004-?

like toy soldiers, eminem

concerto for violin and orchestra no.3 in e major, paganini

smells like teen spirit, nirvana

libertango, yo-yo ma

躲也躲不了

Björk-m-draw

2007-02-17T02:36:00.000-08:00

2004 Music-drawings of Björk's album Greatest Hits, pen on paper, A4. Exhibited in a group show of art teachers Erik Cheung and Sheung Chiang, and fellow schoolmates.

All is Full of Love

Hyperballad

Human Behviour

Joga

Bachelorette

Army of Me

Pagan Poetry

Big Time Sensuality

Venus as a Boy

Hunter

Hidden Place

Isobel

Possibly Maybe

Play Dead

It's in Our Hands

the Music-Playbook in the Sketch-Notebook

2007-02-17T01:11:00.000-08:00

2003 the start of music-drawings

book with music-drawings, free-drawings and sketches mixed

left: three preludes, g. gershwin

left: paganini's caprices
right: the way i am, eminem

left: sonata in b minor, franz liszt
right: the real slim shady, eminem

left: 3rd prelude, g. gershwin

left: sarah brightman classics
right: figlio perduto

classics 2002, from una furtiva lagrima to the end

left: korobushka
right: classics 2002, 8-11

top left: the 4th of april, the pancakes
right: paixoes diagonais, 10-2, misia

top right: classics 2002, 11-13

left: say goodbye hollywood, eminem

top right: dreaming, schumann
middle black: la wally

left: sonata for piano and arpeggione in a minor, franz schubert
right: 1. schindler's list, 2. where dreams are born, 3. tennessee

left: sakura sakura
right: the unknown soldier

left: 1. dead already, 2. rachel's song
middle: any other name
top right: cosmic dancer

from left to right: 1. la precieuse in the style of louis couperin for violin and piano, fritz kreisler, 2. liebesleid love's sorrow for violin and piano, 3. canon, 4. patronage, the pancakes, 5. bus bus, the pancakes, 6. end credits medley

soul of the tango 1-5, yo-yo ma

left: love profusion, madonna
right: hollywood, madonna

yo-yo ma solo album

left: the eminem show

right: easy ride, madonna

left: 1. angkor wat, michael galasso 2. eminem show, 12, 3. yumeiji's theme, 4. quizas, quizas, quizas
right: 1. intervention, madonna, 2. x-static process

left: je crois entendre encore
right: herdboy, norwegian march, march of the throlls, grieg

left: blue as the turquoise night of neyshabur
right: sing for the moment, eminem

left: hailie's song
right: my dad's gone crazy

left: kill you
right: stan

left: kim
right: marshall mathers

left: the flight of the bumblebee

right: the green groves of erin, the flowers of red hill