I enjoy playing with the unpredictability of the Elegant Writer Pen. Rather than using the pen for calligraphy, I like to sketch with it and then add water.
This action causes the ink to activate and produce lovely washes of color, such as the blue shading you see above. To better control the wash, keep a paper towel handy to mop up any excess water.
Via Smashing Magazine, I came across this post on: Fifty Clever Tutorials and Techniques on Traditional Drawing written by Aquil Akhter. (The link is older but I tested a few links and they did work).
The introduction to the post states: "This article contains a mixture of traditional drawing tutorials, drawing techniques and some methods for transforming and preparing your creations for screen design."
"Some are intermediate level and some are advanced tutorials that include general theory, useful tips, comic inspired art, pencil drawing, color processing, character sketching, doodles, shapes, proportional, perspective and more)."
You may want to check it out and get some sketching time in this weekend.
Via CreativeBloq, I discovered this informative post on Ten Tips to Improve Your Sketching Skills written by
Here's a quick scribble sketch that I did using a Stabilo All pencil in my small Moleskine art journal.
I continue to sketch on daily basis so I was interested in this article on Ten Ways Drawing Can Relieve Stress & Inspire Wonder written by artist, Danny Gregory. I discovered the post on the mindbodygreen site. Here are a few of the points that caught my interest. Daily sketching can help you:
Check out the complete article for more ideas.
Via Empty Easel, I came upon this article on How to Draw What You See. The author Dan offers twelve helpful tips to improve your drawing skills. Two tips that I especially found useful include:
Take a few minutes to read his other useful sketching tips.
Via the CreativeLive blog, I came across this post on How to Make Money Drawing For Fun compiled by Creative Market.
Here's what they say about doodles: "Certain types of doodles are in higher demand than others, like map icons, hipster coffee-ware, and hand-drawn fonts. Think about what you could create and sell on your own, just by taking your everyday doodles one step further. You don’t have to go after every single corner of the market, but chances are there’s someone who needs illustrations of something you really love to draw."
Check out the complete post for more inspiration and start putting those doodles to work. And don't forget to explore the other interesting articles on their blog.
Lynne Butt – Sketchbooks Image
Joe and Sam Pitcher, founders of Textile Artist, have put together a wonderful, free e-book entitled Sketchbook Stories.
The twenty-two page PDF "explores how nine influential contemporary textile artists use their sketchbooks and why this is a cherished part of their process." The PDF also includes lovely photographs. To learn more, visit their site and sign up for their newsletter.
Via the Painting About site, I came upon this updated post on Tips for Keeping a Sketchbook or Visual Journal written by Lisa Marder. She lists the benefits of sketchbooking and also offers tips. Here are a few that caught my interest:
Check out the complete article for more ideas.
I continue to sketch every evening on a daily basis. I like to use a variety of reference books to make the process both interesting and challenging.
I recently purchased the book, Character Mentor: Learn by Example to Use Expressions, Poses, and Staging to Bring Your Characters to Life written and illustrated by Tom Bancroft. Here's a partial description of the book from Amazon:
"Character Mentor shows you how to pose your character, create emotion through facial expressions, and stage your character to create drama."
There's a lot of good solid information in the book. (Full Disclosure: I have no association with Tom Bancroft). Check the book out online or in a book store.
Today I came across this inspiring blog called Creative Live. Lots of good information here.
Here's a post that caught my attention: Five Drawing Exercises that will Turn Anyone into an Artist written by Emily Potts. One of the exercises suggests trying:
One Day, One Theme.
"Choose one theme or one kind of object, and only draw that thing during the course of a day. You can vary your approach to this by choosing an animate or inanimate object, a color, a size of something, things that are scary or make you laugh, or things that start with a specific letter."
"You can also use synonyms, such as things that move you emotionally versus things that literally move you, like modes of transportation. The more thoughtful you can be, the more you exercise your concept-building abilities as well as you hand skills."
Read the complete post for more ideas. Then take some time to check out the archived articles for more inspiration.
Image from the Empty Easel site
A few months back, I purchased a few brush pens but I haven't experimented with them yet. Today I came across this Empty Easel post on Brush Illustration & Calligraphy: An Introductory Lesson for Beginners written by Phawnda Moore.
She offers some very helpful tips such as:
"Start with some simple freehand drawings. This is a case of getting to know your brush! Play with it; see what it will do. Begin with a few simple lines: try light pressure at first, then slowly increase the weight of your hand holding the brush to make thicker, more substantial lines." (See example above)
"Move on to some curved strokes, as well as horizontal strokes. Then, when you feel comfortable, experiment with a few simple shapes—like an apple, or a leaf. As you vary your pressure, you’ll notice them start to come to life!"
Check out the complete article and then break out your brush pen.
As you may know, I'm a big fan of daily sketching. I just saw this post on my Facebook feed: Nine Things That Happen When You Carry A Sketchbook With You Nonstop.
The Huffington Post article is written by Priscilla Frank. Lots of good points in this article. Here's one of my favorite:
"You’ll physically observe your own personal style develop."
"It’s hard to know your style or aesthetic from a single image, especially one that feels unnatural or new. But over time, you’ll begin to see the quirks that define your work reveal themselves. The way you cross-hatch to make shadows, or need to fill up an entire page to feel finished, or love to draw every individual strand of hair."
"You’ll watch your style adapt and react.....You’ll begin to notice which parts of your work are malleable and which are a part of your artistic DNA. The little habits and peculiarities will start to operate as a second signature."
I still sketch on a nightly basis. To make it interesting, I usually choose a few art books to use as references.
When Ralph Thomas put his leather Sketch Wallet on KickStarter, I immediately put in a pledge. Later, I ordered a Sketch Wallet for myself. The latter just arrived in the mail and I love it.
Here's a description of the wallet from Ralph's site:
"Always have your sketchbook with you! This high quality, American made wallet removes the excuses. Carry your cash, credit cards AND your sketchbook in this beautiful black leather wallet. The wallet measures 4x6 inches and comes with a replaceable, standard sized, 3.5 x 5.5 inch sketchbook. Perfect for sketching on the go!"
You can order refill notebooks from Ralph or use the Field Notes books instead.
Here's a photo of the Sketch Wallet when it is closed. Ralph also sent along a large sticker of his logo. I like the clean eye-catching look of his inkwell logo.
I see many hours of sketching in my future.
Image from Artists Network site
Via Artists Network, I discovered this post on The Art of Scribbling written by Greg Albert. The post is a few years old but it still is a good resource. As Albert says, "Scribbling is one of the best ways to improve your drawing skills."
Here are a few of the tips he suggests:
For more tips, be sure to read the complete article. I think I'll try some scribbling exercises this weekend.
Via the Sketch Book Skool Blog, I discovered this inspiring list, 50 Themes to Brighten Up Your Sketchbook.
Here are a few of the themes that caught my interest:
Be sure to check out the complete list
Over at Kickstarter, Ralph Thomas is shepherding a project called the Sketch Wallet. The latter makes it easier for artists to keep up their sketching habit. Check out the site to learn more about the project. Watch the video too.
I love the concept of a Sketch Wallet. I have no association with Ralph but I pledged my support. I do hope his project gets off the ground.
I created some whimsical sketches using Shipping Tags and Letraset Pastel ProMarkers. The manila tint of the tags slightly affected the final marker colors. Maybe, I'll use white tags next time.
Oddly, the spot that you see on the top, left-hand side of the birthday cake tag does not show up on the actual tag. Hmmm.....
Here's another recent sketch that I did using pencil, blending stump and pen. I recently began drawing - and hand lettering - with the Uni-ball Vision Elite Roller Ball Pens.
Now I know why they are such a popular pen. The ink flow is so smooth. Plus, they are archival quality and acid-free ink.
What's your favorite pen?
Via the Empty Easel, I came across this helpful post on Seven Advanced Drawing Tips for Creating Photo-Realistic Drawings in Pencil and Graphite written by H. Edward Brooks.
Lots of good information here. Here are a couple of tips that I am going to try:
Check out the complete post for more drawing details.
Here's a sketch that I recently completed. I used pencil, pen and a paper stump.
It's so true that the more that you practice sketching, the better you become at it. I will have to keep working on my portraits.
I may make a copy of this sketch and paint it.
What have you recently drawn in your sketchbook?
I'm back to my nightly sketching routine. I had gotten off track due to other projects but now I both sketch and practice my hand lettering on a daily basis. I enjoy filling up notebooks with this work.
The best part is looking at my past endeavors to see how I have progressed, changed and grown in my art.
I completed the above sketch last night using a pencil, pen and a paper stump for shading.
Do you have a daily art practice?
I purchased Jane Davenport's new book, Beautiful Faces (Drawing & Painting).
In one exercise, Jane suggest painting some ovals on a page and adding two curved guidelines (horizontal and vertical) on the ovals. Next, place facial features on the guidelines.
Since my watercolor paints were not nearby, I colored my ovals with a yellow highlighter - and then added the details. Jane's book is very comprehensive and jam-packed with great techniques. You may want to check it out.
My goal is to paint a stylized female portrait with her head covered in abstract flowers. I did this sketch as a quick study for my final piece.
I used a rose rubber stamp to create the flowers. In my final art piece, I think I'll use abstract paper flowers instead of the stamp to cover the female's head.
Do you ever do quick studies before you begin your final art work?
Image from Smashing Magazine site
Via Smashing Magazine, I discovered this interesting article on, Things You Didn't Know Your Doodles Could Accomplish written by Laura Busche . Although the post is targeted to designers, I believe it is also useful to mixed-media artists. Here are just some of the ideas that caught my interest:
"Consider your initial idea for a project. At this point, it exists only in your mind. All of a sudden, you start giving it (physical) shape.......with external representations. You’re basically pulling the idea from your mind and recording it somehow. As long as the idea is in your mind, the number of changes and improvements you can mentally process is limited. Your idea won’t get anywhere unless you manipulate and enhance it."
"Cognitive psychologists have been studying the impact of sketching on brain functioning for years, and with good reason: Putting ideas to paper is a powerful way to extend one’s memory......They argued that representations such as diagrams and sketches serve our external memory and reduce the burden that we experience when recalling ideas and problem-solving."
"Sketching stimulates us to a comfortable level — enough to keep us awake, concentrated and engaged. As if this weren’t enough, other studies have found that subjects who consume information on paper were significantly less stressed and tired than those who use screens."
Take some time to read the complete post on the eight benefits of sketching. And then pull out your sketchbook - and Sketch!
Image from the John Ruskin Teaching Collection
Via Open Culture, I learned about this free course: The Elements of Drawing: John Ruskin's Teaching Collection at Oxford.
Here's some Background on the Drawing School: "John Ruskin established his Drawing School at Oxford in 1871. He intended it not for the training of artists, but of ordinary men and women, who, by following his course, might see greater beauties than they had hitherto seen in nature and in art, and thereby gain more pleasure in life."
"His method required the student to master the rudiments of technique – outline, shading, colour – through a carefully directed course of lessons in copying both works of art and natural specimens."
On the site, Stephen Farthing R.A. presents Eight Practical Drawing Classes using John Ruskin’s teaching collections to explain the basic principles of drawing.
You may also want to view the collection of images. I especially liked the architectural drawings. I'm just amazed that this drawing school was established in 1871.
Image from the Art History Archive
Via Art Marketing Resources, I discovered free Drawing & Painting Lessons with Edward A Burke.
I was especially interested in his Lecture Notes on Contemporary & Cubism Art and his Experimental Drawing Lesson: Cubist Portrait Drawing. I have always admired the art that was created during the Cubist Movement. In fact, one of my favorite paintings is Picasso's Portrait of Ambroise Vollard as shown above. Many years ago, I painted my version of this portrait using oil paints.
You can support Burke's site by entering your artwork in their ongoing international artist competitions - or you can make a direct donation.
Images from my sketchbook
As I mentioned in previous posts, I continue to sketch on a daily basis. However, I decided that I needed to shake up my sketch book habit and try some new ideas.
Via Lori McNee's blog, Fine Art Tips, I happened upon this post 6 Tips for a Stress Free Sketchbook written by Miranda Aschenbrenner. Here are a few of the tips that caught my interest.
Check out the rest of the article - and then start making your sketchbook your daily companion.
While trolling around the Internet, I discovered the idsketching site. Although the site is targeted toward industrial designers, I found some useful information that may be of interest to mixed-media artists. Here are two informative articles to check out:
Although the articles are a few years old, they still provide relevant information for artists. Check out these posts and more on the idsketching site.
I was doing some quick research on nature drawing when I came across John Muir Laws site. He wrote an excellent post on Quantity, Not Quality as related to improving one's sketching skills.
When I sketch, I often fall into the habit of attempting to create a perfect image - or as John calls it, a pretty picture. However, he encourages sketchers to go for quantity instead of quality. John says:
"Enabling yourself to make as many pictures as possible opens doors. Each drawing becomes less important to the ego and one drawing invites you to the next. Sketches without judgement help you maintain your focus and embed you in the moment. This is where journalers experience flow, a state of utter concentration, fascination, and connection. The sketcher often loses all sense of time. The experience motivates you to continue and do it again."
Take a few minutes to read the complete post. Then pick up that pencil and Go for Quantity. Later, check out the rest of John's site for some great tutorials.
Portrait #18
Surprisingly, I was able to fit in four quick sketches for the 40 Portraits Challenge during this busy Holiday week.
Portrait # 19
Portrait #20
Portrait # 21
I hope that you can also squeeze in some private art making time for yourself. I'm now at the half way mark. Only 19 more portraits to go!
Yesterday, we were in Virginia Beach for most of the day holiday shopping. We hit all of our favorite stores, including Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. So I was only able to fit in a few sketches for the 40 Portraits Challenge.
. The above sketch is Portrait #15.
And this is Portrait #16. To be honest, I also completed Portrait # 17 but I was not satisfied enough with the sketch to post it. I guess that means I have to do a make-up Portrait, right?
I'd also like to rework Portrait #15 and #16 into more of a final art piece instead of a quick sketch. Take a few minutes to check out what the other artists are posting on the 40 Portraits Challenge.
I'm now up to Portrait #14 for the 40 Portraits Challenge on Facebook. Recently, I've only had time to do quick sketches. Hopefully, I'll do some paintings during the next couple of weeks.
Take some time to see what the other artists are creating on Facebook. New members are still joining the group so you can still participate. Come on - Give it a try!
Yesterday, I worked on my Art Journal. But I did manage to do a quick sketch last night. This is Portrait #8 for Gritty Jane's 40 Portraits Challenge and also the entry for the Art Every Day Month Challenge.
I continue to sketch on a daily basis so I'm always interested in learning about techniques to help me improve my drawing skills.
Today, I found this informative post written by Dan, founder of Empty Easel - How to Draw what you See: Techniques and Tips to Improve your Drawing Skills.
I liked Dan's tip about anchoring. "Always begin drawings along the edges (of the paper) first, before you do anything else. This will 'anchor' your drawing in place and keep you from running out of space later on."
Dan's post covers 12 specific points about drawing. Check out the complete article and then try out his drawing tips and techniques at your next sketching session.
As I mentioned in earlier posts, I have a daily sketching habit. Lately, I've been working with colored pencils.
I was looking for some good reference material and visited artist Katherine Tyrrell's blog, Making a Mark. Katherine regularly provides quality information for artists.
Here are two sources, from Katherine, that you may find helpful:
Make sure that you make some time for sketching this weekend.
I'm always interested in reading articles on the subject of sketching. Via Design Sojourn (a Singapore-based company), I discovered this post, How to Improve Your Drawing Ability.
There are many good tips in this post. Here's one of the ideas that I plan to try: "Draw with a pen. Sketching with a pen, instead of a pencil, is really about losing the ability to erase your lines, or erase your mistakes." Check out the rest of the article for more tips.
I'm leaving for Virginia Beach today. The Art & Soul Retreat is happening this week, April 24-28, at the Virginia Beach Resort & Hotel. On Wednesday, I'm taking a workshop led by Misty Mawn entitled Paper Bag Expressions. The course will cover: drawing, painting, coloring and collaging the portrait expressively.
Via the online New York Times Opinion Page, I came across a series of columns focusing on the Basics of Drawing. The series is written by artist and author James McMullan.
As described on the site, "The series begins with installments on line, perspective, proportion and structure, and continues from there, using examples from art history to illuminate specific issues. Pencil and paper recommended."
Check it out!
If you regularly read my blog, you know that I keep a daily sketchbook as well as an art journal. In fact, I keep many sketchbooks and art journals. I believe there are numerous benefits to sketching daily including:
What benefits do you gain from sketching?
Image from How to Make Drawing a Part Of Your Life Lens
If you read my blog regularly, you know that I'm always working on my drawing skills. I came across this great Squidoo lens on How to Make Drawing a Part Of Your Life (Daily Creativity by Keeping a Sketchbook). The lens was created by Studentz (Fern).
There's lots to look at on this lens. Make sure that you scroll down to the end of the page to see it all.
Then make sure that you follow Fern's advice: "Keep your sketchbook - and pencils/pens - nearby with the blank page ready for your next drawing. If you spend a lot of time at the computer, keep the sketchbook within reach."
Fern also has a blog called Crafter-Holic. Check it out. And then don't forget to Draw Today!
Many times when I make Art, I do a lot of planning, sketching and reworking. Today, I decided to create a character without concern for perfection. This is the cartoon-like image that I came up with. I'm thinking of exploring a new artistic path that allows for more spontaneous and quicker art work. How do you produce your Art?
For the image, I used colored pencils and the Letraset Promarkers Pastel Blending Set. The set comes in twelve colours - Vanilla, Satin, Meadow Green, Apple, Pastel Blue, Powder Blue, Lavender, Lilac, Pastel Pink, Baby Pink, Putty and Tan. I heart pastels.
I actually heard about these markers by taking one of SUZI Blu's online workshops. SUZI raves about the markers. And I agree with her. I love the colors and the markers blend so beautifully. I would love to get more of these markers. No paid endorsement here - I'm just a satisfied customer.
My goal with today's sketch was to experiment with value drawing. I used a No. 2 pencil for the majority of the drawing - and added some highlights, at the end, with a white pencil.
What did you create today?
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