This is a phenomenon you often hear about when it comes to drawing in sketchbooks. Sketchbooks are not only a tool these days. They often are a piece of art themselves. People want them to look good. And they especially don't want to start a new sketchbook with a bad page.
So there is advice out there about how to overcome this fear of ruining a new sketchbook with a bad first page. One tip is to start somewhere in the middle. If you then ruin your drawing it's at least not on the first page. For me this doesn't work, because I date my drawings and want them to be in chronological order. And then, sooner or later you have to tackle that first page and still don't know if it will turn out good or not. Another tip suggests to use the first page to paint your colour palette or the tools you are going to use or something like this. Well, if this is useful to you, why not.
I would simply say, chose a subject that is familiar to you, something you know you are good at.
But in the end, I see it like this: The first page is just one of many to follow. They won't all be great, they won't all be bad. You'll end up with a collection of good and not so good pages anyway. Don't single out the first one as the one that must be great.
PITT artist pens
Yesterday I went shopping for some christmas presents. So I decided to buy myself one, too. I got myself a basic set of Faber-Castell PITT artist pens brush. I had circled around them for a while, whereas I already had a grey brush one. And recently I got a silver and a gold one with a 1.5 nib to be able to add some sparkle to drawings.
I still love using coloured pencils, but I thought some kind of markers would be convenient for some instances. Though, I wasn't sure if I would like the brush nibs that those water-based brush pens have, as opposed to normal broad nibs. Still, those brush nibs give you the possibility to make different kinds of strokes. After playing around with my grey PITT pen I was sure I would learn how to handle them best.
Water-based markers were a must, because they don't bleed through paper easily. After all, I want to use them in my 125 gsm Sketch & Note sketchbooks. Of course I immediately tried them out and they work well. I like the colours. Now I need to put them into use in a drawing soon.
I still love using coloured pencils, but I thought some kind of markers would be convenient for some instances. Though, I wasn't sure if I would like the brush nibs that those water-based brush pens have, as opposed to normal broad nibs. Still, those brush nibs give you the possibility to make different kinds of strokes. After playing around with my grey PITT pen I was sure I would learn how to handle them best.
Water-based markers were a must, because they don't bleed through paper easily. After all, I want to use them in my 125 gsm Sketch & Note sketchbooks. Of course I immediately tried them out and they work well. I like the colours. Now I need to put them into use in a drawing soon.
Greeting cards
So my Sketchbook Skool course officially ends this weekend. Though, I can still access the course material whenever I want. There is one assignment left for me to do, a general birthday card. Maybe I will get it done today. I've already done a card from an older drawing in one of my sketchbooks, a thank you card, did a funny snowman drawing, a Valentine's Day card and a card with a peace dove theme.
During the course we got a lot of information about what goes into creating greeting cards and were shown lots of examples. There were demos, but I would have loved to see a bit more of those. In the second week we got realistic design briefs that we were supposed to follow with our greeting card illustrations. There was also given some interesting info in two live streams, that are now available as videos, where Salli answered questions from the participants. And we got some nice gifts. What wasn't provided much is individual feedback.
The biggest take-away for me was being given the license and inspiration to illustrate something and realizing that I may not be so bad at it. It's something I haven't done so far, except for a simple flower card for Mother's Day. I am not totally new to the design process, e. g. having designed my own website. Still, this topic was something new and I am happy about how I managed.
Here's the thank you card I designed:
During the course we got a lot of information about what goes into creating greeting cards and were shown lots of examples. There were demos, but I would have loved to see a bit more of those. In the second week we got realistic design briefs that we were supposed to follow with our greeting card illustrations. There was also given some interesting info in two live streams, that are now available as videos, where Salli answered questions from the participants. And we got some nice gifts. What wasn't provided much is individual feedback.
The biggest take-away for me was being given the license and inspiration to illustrate something and realizing that I may not be so bad at it. It's something I haven't done so far, except for a simple flower card for Mother's Day. I am not totally new to the design process, e. g. having designed my own website. Still, this topic was something new and I am happy about how I managed.
Here's the thank you card I designed:
Sketchbook Skool
Sketchbook Skool (SBS) is an online art school that specializes in courses about drawing and painting in sketchbooks. It's based in New York and Amsterdam and the teachers are from all over the world. Often you have more than one teacher in one course. Most courses (or kourses as they say) take five to six weeks, but there are shorter ones, too.
I got aware of them quite some time ago and registered there not so long ago, but haven't taken a course with them so far. The courses are not really cheap - compared to say Craftsy. Still they have enthusiastic participants who have taken several courses. I have watched videos on their Youtube channel, followed their blog and seen what their students do at Facebook groups and I like their over-all approach of sketching in sketchbooks and being loose while still teaching about techniques that help you improve. One important reason I haven't taken part so far is that often watercolour is used, which I don't use, and with prices being quite high I don't want to lose a week's worth of course material because they teach something I don't want to use.
Finally, I have enrolled in a klass. It's shorter and cheaper than most of them and you can use whatever tools you prefer. I thought it may be ideal to try SBS out. It's about making greeting cards and taught by Salli Swindell who has designed greeting cards for major greeting card manufacturers. I'm not necessarily planning to design greeting cards later, but I hope to learn a good deal about designing and illustration, about the process that is behind it.
Klass starts tomorrow and I am really curious what it will be like.
I got aware of them quite some time ago and registered there not so long ago, but haven't taken a course with them so far. The courses are not really cheap - compared to say Craftsy. Still they have enthusiastic participants who have taken several courses. I have watched videos on their Youtube channel, followed their blog and seen what their students do at Facebook groups and I like their over-all approach of sketching in sketchbooks and being loose while still teaching about techniques that help you improve. One important reason I haven't taken part so far is that often watercolour is used, which I don't use, and with prices being quite high I don't want to lose a week's worth of course material because they teach something I don't want to use.
Finally, I have enrolled in a klass. It's shorter and cheaper than most of them and you can use whatever tools you prefer. I thought it may be ideal to try SBS out. It's about making greeting cards and taught by Salli Swindell who has designed greeting cards for major greeting card manufacturers. I'm not necessarily planning to design greeting cards later, but I hope to learn a good deal about designing and illustration, about the process that is behind it.
Klass starts tomorrow and I am really curious what it will be like.
Sketch & Note
It's always great when you have finished a sketchbook and a new sketchbook is in front of you waiting to be started. It's especially exciting when the new one is a type you haven't used before.
I've just started one of my new Sketch & Note sketchbooks - or rather sketch booklets - by Hahnemühle. They come in bundles of two with colourful covers and 40 pages each. The paper is rather smooth with a fine texture and weighs 125 gsm.
The tools I prefer to work with are pencils, coloured pencils and ink. I do a preliminary drawing with pencil, then go over it with ink, adding also a bit of hatching where necessary, and then colour with coloured pencils. This paper seems to suit all these tools very well. It's smooth enough for good ink lines, but also has enough texture for the coloured pencils. I like to colour rather lightly, not minding some paper white showing through. Though, I'm sure if you want to get rid of it, that won't be a problem with this paper.
Today I felt like drawing a bird. I used a reference photo from pixabay. The little birdie now lives on page 3 of my orange Sketch & Note.
I've just started one of my new Sketch & Note sketchbooks - or rather sketch booklets - by Hahnemühle. They come in bundles of two with colourful covers and 40 pages each. The paper is rather smooth with a fine texture and weighs 125 gsm.
The tools I prefer to work with are pencils, coloured pencils and ink. I do a preliminary drawing with pencil, then go over it with ink, adding also a bit of hatching where necessary, and then colour with coloured pencils. This paper seems to suit all these tools very well. It's smooth enough for good ink lines, but also has enough texture for the coloured pencils. I like to colour rather lightly, not minding some paper white showing through. Though, I'm sure if you want to get rid of it, that won't be a problem with this paper.
Today I felt like drawing a bird. I used a reference photo from pixabay. The little birdie now lives on page 3 of my orange Sketch & Note.
Framed
Normally I draw in sketchbooks. And normally I draw for myself. But with my mother's 80th birthday coming up I thought I'd use my drawing skills to produce a unique present for her. She loves orchids and drawing flowers is fun. So I searched for good pictures of orchids and did one or the other drawing in my sketchbook to practise a bit. Then it was time to do the real thing. I had a nice sheet of Hahnemühle paper left that I used. Today I bought a frame for the drawing and here is my first framed drawing. I hope she'll appreciate it when I present it to her at the end of the month.
Inktober
Inktober is a challenge where you are supposed to do a drawing in ink every day in October. You can find everything about it on inktober.com. There you'll also find a list of prompts for every day. Some people make their own lists for the month.
I've been using ink a lot lately, so this challenge has caught my interest. Though, I don't like the very vague list of prompts and I am not up to the task of doing a drawing every day. But if I don't follow the official rules, I think it's not Inktober, so the challenge has to do without me.
There are more challenges like this over the year, like Every Day in May or World Watercolour Month in summer. What is nice about them is that lots of people draw or paint about the same topic and share what they produce online. It's interesting to see what everyone has done and compare it to what you've come up with - just for fun.
I've been using ink a lot lately, so this challenge has caught my interest. Though, I don't like the very vague list of prompts and I am not up to the task of doing a drawing every day. But if I don't follow the official rules, I think it's not Inktober, so the challenge has to do without me.
There are more challenges like this over the year, like Every Day in May or World Watercolour Month in summer. What is nice about them is that lots of people draw or paint about the same topic and share what they produce online. It's interesting to see what everyone has done and compare it to what you've come up with - just for fun.
Architecture
Drawing architecture can be intimidating. A simple house or part of it is no problem. But something more complicated with lots of details tends to leave you overwhelmed. Where to start and how much detail to include?
I'm not experienced in drawing more complicated buildings. So when I came across this photo of a church in Arles I liked the perspective, but at first wasn't sure if I could draw this.
I'm not experienced in drawing more complicated buildings. So when I came across this photo of a church in Arles I liked the perspective, but at first wasn't sure if I could draw this.
But I must have felt adventurous and went ahead. I grabbed a pencil and started with the basic shapes of the tower. Then proceeded with the basic shapes of the rest of the building - as much of it as fit on my page. Then the windows and some other, more detailed parts of the church. I didn't think much about perspective, just drew what I saw. With pencil you can always correct things if they don't work out. I would not have dared to draw this with pen from the start.
When the pencil sketch looked good, I went over it with a fineliner. I added some more details and a bit of shading. The result left me very satisfied. In fact, I am proud that I tackled this and succeeded.
When tackling something that is a bit intimidating to you, it's always good to remember that you decide how much detail you include. You can start with the basic shapes and then add to them. And pencil first gives you the security that you can correct your sketch when something goes totally wrong. Finally, your sketch doesn't have to be perfect to be lovely.
Gaudi
Our Virtual Sketchwalk guide has taken us to Barcelona this month. There we explore buildings designed by Gaudi. One of our members presumes he must have been on acid or something. At any rate, this guy had lots of fantasy.
When I first browsed the album with all the photos Kate had collected I thought: how interesting. Then I was looking for the first photo to sketch from, looking at the photos with a different view, with the view of an artist, trying to anticipate how I could draw this or that. And I realised that this would be a real challenge. I decided to focus on details rather than whole buildings. So I started with a stained glass window and a door with stained glass elements. So far, so good.
Then there are these quite bizzare chimneys that somehow look like faces. When I first tried to draw them, I tried to get every angle correct and soon gave up. Maybe it was just not the right time to tackle it. Maybe I was too impatient. Anyway, yesterday I chose to go for it again. This time I worked much more loosely and focused on getting the overall look right. And I got the sketch done.
It's far from perfect, but it sure shows the essence of these funny guys.
When I first browsed the album with all the photos Kate had collected I thought: how interesting. Then I was looking for the first photo to sketch from, looking at the photos with a different view, with the view of an artist, trying to anticipate how I could draw this or that. And I realised that this would be a real challenge. I decided to focus on details rather than whole buildings. So I started with a stained glass window and a door with stained glass elements. So far, so good.
Then there are these quite bizzare chimneys that somehow look like faces. When I first tried to draw them, I tried to get every angle correct and soon gave up. Maybe it was just not the right time to tackle it. Maybe I was too impatient. Anyway, yesterday I chose to go for it again. This time I worked much more loosely and focused on getting the overall look right. And I got the sketch done.
It's far from perfect, but it sure shows the essence of these funny guys.
Quotes 2
These are two quotes that I encounter every now and then. I think they are worth remembering.
To really be creative you have to follow your own route, do what you are interested in, and not do what others think you should do. You should do things the way you prefer to do them, not how everyone does them. And you should try out new things when they inspire you. All this takes courage.
No one has ever fallen from the sky being a full-blown professional, not even the most genius artists. They also had to learn their trade, gather experience and practise. And they also created bad stuff along with the great stuff. They also had doubts about what they were doing. So you are in good company 'just being an amateur'.
"Creativity takes courage." - Henri Matisse
To really be creative you have to follow your own route, do what you are interested in, and not do what others think you should do. You should do things the way you prefer to do them, not how everyone does them. And you should try out new things when they inspire you. All this takes courage.
"Every artist was first an amateur." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
No one has ever fallen from the sky being a full-blown professional, not even the most genius artists. They also had to learn their trade, gather experience and practise. And they also created bad stuff along with the great stuff. They also had doubts about what they were doing. So you are in good company 'just being an amateur'.
Finding the right subjects
They say, when you start drawing you start to see the world differently. And you feel the urge to draw everything. The first part of this claim is true for me to a certain degree. I do sometimes look at things with the eyes of an artist, wondering how I would draw this. The second part not so much. I am still quite selective when it comes to choosing subjects to draw.
They also say that everything is interesting when you draw it. And when I see other people's drawings of supposedly banal stuff, I like them. But I can't get myself to drawing just anything. It has to be something special or something that spontaneously attracts me or has some other motivation behind it, except that it's in front of me and I want to draw.
So one could think that the moment I do find something visually interesting somehow, I would want to draw it. And there is sometimes the thought in my mind that I would have to want to draw at least everything I do find interesting. As if I was not allowed anymore to find something interesting without wanting to draw it. But there is a difference between me finding something visually interesting and me wanting to draw it.
Why is that? Am I just not daring to draw something interesting, because I believe it's too difficult? Or do I think it's not interesting enough to draw it? Or is it that my brain - the part that is in charge of drawing - says: I can't do anything with this right now? I often find myself browsing a photo site and getting attracted to a photo, but then I imagine drawing it and finally decide against it, because I don't see how I could approach a drawing of it.
You somehow have to broaden your artistic 'vocabulary' in a useful way. On the one hand, you have to challenge yourself in order to make progress. On the other hand, if the challenge is too big you get frustrated. And you certainly don't want drawing to frustrate you. Probably, all you can do is trust your intuition. If a subject totally scares you, allow yourself to reject it. If you think, it won't be easy to draw, but you have an idea, how to approach it, give it a try.
Virtual Sketchwalk
During a sketchwalk you walk around a certain place and stop here and there to make a sketch on location. Often people meet somewhere to do this together. But drawing on location is not for everyone. You often don't have a convenient place to sit down. Not everyone can stand for longer periods of time. Or you just are not comfortable drawing in public.
With a virtual sketchwalk you use photos or Google Street View and do your 'walk' from the comfort of your home or studio. You choose a certain place or topic to explore and draw from (copyright-free) photos you find online or make some from Street View. Of course, you can also include your own photos.
Like the 'real thing', this is even more fun when you do it in a group. You can provide your own photos to the group and draw from the photos other members provide. There is a Facebook group I have joined not long ago. We work on a different topic every month. Last month it was Ireland. This month it's flowers. The group is organised by Kate Powell. If you feel like this is something for you, come and join us.
With a virtual sketchwalk you use photos or Google Street View and do your 'walk' from the comfort of your home or studio. You choose a certain place or topic to explore and draw from (copyright-free) photos you find online or make some from Street View. Of course, you can also include your own photos.
Like the 'real thing', this is even more fun when you do it in a group. You can provide your own photos to the group and draw from the photos other members provide. There is a Facebook group I have joined not long ago. We work on a different topic every month. Last month it was Ireland. This month it's flowers. The group is organised by Kate Powell. If you feel like this is something for you, come and join us.
Talent
People who can draw or paint well often get to hear the words, "you are so talented". It's meant as a compliment, though I guess there is also a bit of envy in these words of admiration. Those receiving the compliment are often not very happy with it, because it implies that they are just lucky to have this nature-given talent and it dismisses the fact that they have put a lot of work into becoming this good. And have overcome frustrations along the way.
I used to think that in order to be able to draw well you either have to have a special talent for it or have to practise hard for years. But I have found out that talent is not that big a factor and regular practice will get you far - in much less than a year.
Still I don't think that talent doesn't exist. Not everyone can become a Michelangelo, no matter how early he starts and how much he practises and studies. Talent shows in how quickly you improve and how far you get with your art. But you can't tell someone's talent merely by looking at his drawing or painting. You don't know how long he's been working on his skills.
And after all, you don't have to be perfect at something in order to enjoy doing it. So, however your talent is, make the most of it and have fun.
I used to think that in order to be able to draw well you either have to have a special talent for it or have to practise hard for years. But I have found out that talent is not that big a factor and regular practice will get you far - in much less than a year.
Still I don't think that talent doesn't exist. Not everyone can become a Michelangelo, no matter how early he starts and how much he practises and studies. Talent shows in how quickly you improve and how far you get with your art. But you can't tell someone's talent merely by looking at his drawing or painting. You don't know how long he's been working on his skills.
And after all, you don't have to be perfect at something in order to enjoy doing it. So, however your talent is, make the most of it and have fun.
Towel Day
Why have a visual journal when you don't commemorate important holidays? May 25 is Towel Day in memory of author Douglas Adams, who brought to us the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The Guide talks about how important it is to always know where your towel is. To always have it handy, because there are so many things you can do with it.
In order to show that I know where my towel is, I drew it. Look.
In order to show that I know where my towel is, I drew it. Look.
Photorealism
Many people feel honoured when their drawing or painting is mistaken for a photo. Well, sometimes it happens unintentionally. But there are artists who strive for photorealism. They think it's the greatest achievement to be able to make a drawing or painting look like it is a photo, even to be able to literally copy a photo by drawing or painting it.
I don't think so. Nowadays, if your goal is to depict something as true to reality as possible, you can take a photo and that's it. Easy. So why would you learn to draw or paint, just to make your drawing (or painting) look like a photo? That doesn't make sense to me. I want my drawings to be something different, something more than photos are.
The most important thing about drawing is the fun you have while doing it. But as far as the result is concerned, I want my drawings to have a character of their own, a different character than a photo has. At least, I want them to look like drawings.
With this in mind, drawing from a photo is not such a bad thing, apart from the fact that you can't always draw from life. You already have a photo of your subject, great, but you don't have a drawing of it, yet. What a pity. The interesting task is to make your drawing stand out against the photo. Sounds fun.
I don't think so. Nowadays, if your goal is to depict something as true to reality as possible, you can take a photo and that's it. Easy. So why would you learn to draw or paint, just to make your drawing (or painting) look like a photo? That doesn't make sense to me. I want my drawings to be something different, something more than photos are.
The most important thing about drawing is the fun you have while doing it. But as far as the result is concerned, I want my drawings to have a character of their own, a different character than a photo has. At least, I want them to look like drawings.
With this in mind, drawing from a photo is not such a bad thing, apart from the fact that you can't always draw from life. You already have a photo of your subject, great, but you don't have a drawing of it, yet. What a pity. The interesting task is to make your drawing stand out against the photo. Sounds fun.
Poppy
Here, finally, is a drawing I did with my Lamy and the blue-black ink. I really like this ink for drawing. It looks softer than the black ink from my fineliners. And I think it goes well with a little colouring with a coloured pencil. I decided to use it very lightly, only, just to give a hint of the flower's colour.
And then I decided to add a frame. A frame like this, not surrounding the whole picture, makes a simple drawing stand out and at the same time gives it some hold.
And then I decided to add a frame. A frame like this, not surrounding the whole picture, makes a simple drawing stand out and at the same time gives it some hold.
This even looks more natural than the photo above.
Sketching with coloured pencils
When you look at the works of sketchers - the community of urban sketchers and others - you will find that the prevalent medium that is used for colour is watercolour. They even use it in their sketchbooks on the go. The advantage is that you can take a small palette and mix lots of colours with it. And there are waterbrushes now, so you don't have to carry a separate container with water.
Those sketches, often with outlines in pen and ink, look great and I've always loved watercolour paintings. Though, I can't imagine using them myself, let alone in my sketchbook. When I started out, my aim was to draw, not to paint. And to mess around with water in my sketchbook doesn't sound appealing to me.
A medium for colour, that is dry and easy to carry around and goes well with graphite pencils, is coloured pencils. You can use them like your graphite pencils, doing outlines and shading and hatching - quickly bringing some colour to your sketch. It might take a bit longer to colour your sketch with them than with watercolour, but you don't have to wait for anything to dry before you can move on. They even look great with pen and ink.
An artist who likes to sketch with coloured pencils and has done so for more than 20 years is Katherine Tyrrell. She offers a free pdf with "10 reasons to sketch with coloured pencils". It also shows a few of her beautiful sketches. If you feel like seeing more of them got to http://travelsketch.blogspot.com.
Those sketches, often with outlines in pen and ink, look great and I've always loved watercolour paintings. Though, I can't imagine using them myself, let alone in my sketchbook. When I started out, my aim was to draw, not to paint. And to mess around with water in my sketchbook doesn't sound appealing to me.
A medium for colour, that is dry and easy to carry around and goes well with graphite pencils, is coloured pencils. You can use them like your graphite pencils, doing outlines and shading and hatching - quickly bringing some colour to your sketch. It might take a bit longer to colour your sketch with them than with watercolour, but you don't have to wait for anything to dry before you can move on. They even look great with pen and ink.
An artist who likes to sketch with coloured pencils and has done so for more than 20 years is Katherine Tyrrell. She offers a free pdf with "10 reasons to sketch with coloured pencils". It also shows a few of her beautiful sketches. If you feel like seeing more of them got to http://travelsketch.blogspot.com.
Pen and ink
I have had a Lamy fountain pen for about 25 years, but I haven't used it for ages. Yesterday I bought ink cartridges for it, with blue-black ink. After cleaning the nib a bit, it works fine.
Now I'm thinking of using it for drawing. It seems, a lot of people like to draw with Lamy fountain pens. You can certainly do beautiful drawings in ink, using hatching and crosshatching and all kinds of lines. This way you can create intriguing textures. I think, I really have to try it out with the right subject. Or maybe any subject will do. Let's see.
The good thing is, the paper of my current sketchbook is smooth enough for using ink. And the 120 gsm of it are heavy enough for the ink not to bleed through. Now I'm curious what I will create with this new drawing tool.
Now I'm thinking of using it for drawing. It seems, a lot of people like to draw with Lamy fountain pens. You can certainly do beautiful drawings in ink, using hatching and crosshatching and all kinds of lines. This way you can create intriguing textures. I think, I really have to try it out with the right subject. Or maybe any subject will do. Let's see.
The good thing is, the paper of my current sketchbook is smooth enough for using ink. And the 120 gsm of it are heavy enough for the ink not to bleed through. Now I'm curious what I will create with this new drawing tool.
Doodling
I generally like to draw real things. I like to find an object or a scenery - or a photo of it - and draw it. Though, recently I have realized that just doodling every now and then is a worthwhile experience.
You start with a line or a shape and keep adding lines or shapes, whatever comes to your mind. It seems I start to find this easier than earlier on. Often something really nice and interesting develops.
But even if not, it's a freeing experience not to expect any outcome and it's good practice. After all, everything we draw consists of lines and shapes.
You start with a line or a shape and keep adding lines or shapes, whatever comes to your mind. It seems I start to find this easier than earlier on. Often something really nice and interesting develops.
But even if not, it's a freeing experience not to expect any outcome and it's good practice. After all, everything we draw consists of lines and shapes.
pebble flower
You can draw
You see other people drawing or admire their drawings and wish you could draw like this, too? Though, you think you don't have the talent for it? Well, you don’t need a special talent or have to practise excessively for years to be able to create a drawing that’s worth looking at. Everyone who really wants it can learn it. Especially, if you watch others drawing and you feel the urge to draw yourself, you should wait no longer.
These days there are so many possibilities to learn the basics, especially on the internet - and for free. Then, start by drawing every single day for at least six weeks. Five to ten minutes a day are enough, but don’t pause one day. You can start with simple, geometric subjects. This way you’ll train your eye-hand-coordination. Your hand learns to transfer onto paper what your eyes see. Drawing has a lot to do with seeing. Take your time to look at your subject closely. Look at it like you have never seen anything like it before. Yes, it takes a bit of discipline to do this, but in my experience it's essential.
Drawing is a trade that you have to practise to master it. Only by doing it will you improve. Regularity is important. And indivituality is more important than perfection. Drawing is not copying and a drawing is allowed to look like a drawing. There are cameras for photorealism.
Drawing is not mainly about the product. Yes, it’s great when the result looks pleasing. Though, the process of seeing something come into existence, on that blank piece of paper in front of you, is more important. It’s about creating something that hasn’t been there before, not in this way. Every drawing is unique, no matter if you are drawing from an object or a photo or from fantasy.
And even if you are not satisfied with a drawing at first, don't give up hope. One is often too critical directly after drawing something. Put it aside and look at it again hours, weeks or even months later. You may only then see the beauty in it.
Easter gift
I like to use my sketchbook as journal. One way to do this is to make a quick drawing of something special I have bought and write a few lines. Yesterday I bought some easter presents for my nieces. Back home I did this page. As I always date my sketchbook pages, I can later see what I was up to at a certain time.
Quotes
"The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls."
Pablo PicassoMaking art, being creative can be a retreat from everyday life for everyone. You don't need to be another Picasso for this to be true.
"If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint', then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced."
Vincent Van GoghDon't listen to this inner critic. Prove him wrong by doing it anyway. Who is he to judge your art?
Simple but colourful
On the one hand, I love colours. I have a nice set of coloured pencils. On the other hand, I love lines and I don't like spending hours on colouring a drawing. I would love to concentrate more on lines again when drawing, but it's not easy to do without any colour all the time.
One solution could be colourful lines. I have recently bought this cheap multi-coloured pencil. It has blue, red and yellow next to each other. There are better ones than this, but with turning around the pencil once in a while it works quite well. It can make a simple drawing look rather interesting.
One solution could be colourful lines. I have recently bought this cheap multi-coloured pencil. It has blue, red and yellow next to each other. There are better ones than this, but with turning around the pencil once in a while it works quite well. It can make a simple drawing look rather interesting.
A rose
"I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers." - Claude Monet
When you want to draw, but don't know what, you have the option to go to sites offering free photos, like pixabay, and look for a nice photo of, for example, a flower. Find a quote that suits your subject and you will end up with a nice, meaningful page.
When you want to draw, but don't know what, you have the option to go to sites offering free photos, like pixabay, and look for a nice photo of, for example, a flower. Find a quote that suits your subject and you will end up with a nice, meaningful page.
It would be even nicer to draw from a real rose. Drawing from life is said to be the real thing and, yes, it is great if you can do this. But you can't always do it, so you have to find other options. Taking a photo when you see something interesting and drawing from it later on, is also a good way to find subjects. Whatever you do, in the end you will have created another pretty drawing.
Why draw?
Why spend your time and energy on drawing? Because of health issues I often feel there's a brake inside me, that tries to prevent me from drawing. I guess, it wants me to save my energy for the important things in life. I find myself constantly trying to persuade this voice that drawing, being creative is important.
But why is it important? One thing I know for sure is, that I have always had this urge to be creative. I have been doing web design as a hobby for a long time now. I occasionally have created graphics. Drawing is my newest creative endeavour. You just need some paper and a pen or pencil and there you go. Where there was a blank page, there is a nice little drawing afterward. You have created something. What a great feeling is that?!
Humankind has come this far, because we are a creative species. It's in our fabric. And drawing is just one way to be creative.
The only challenge is to find out what you want to draw. What interests you enough to grab a pencil and recreate it on a piece of paper. Keep your eyes open and you'll find out.
But why is it important? One thing I know for sure is, that I have always had this urge to be creative. I have been doing web design as a hobby for a long time now. I occasionally have created graphics. Drawing is my newest creative endeavour. You just need some paper and a pen or pencil and there you go. Where there was a blank page, there is a nice little drawing afterward. You have created something. What a great feeling is that?!
Humankind has come this far, because we are a creative species. It's in our fabric. And drawing is just one way to be creative.
The only challenge is to find out what you want to draw. What interests you enough to grab a pencil and recreate it on a piece of paper. Keep your eyes open and you'll find out.
Introduction
I have been drawing for 20 months now. I started back then, because I wanted a creative hobby, that you can do on a daily basis without needing lots of material initially. So I decided to learn a bit about the basics of drawing, practiced and soon found out, that it is easier than everybody thinks. And after all, you don't have to be perfect for it to be fun and for your drawings to be valuable. You are free to find your own way of drawing.
While drawing as often as possible, I often find myself thinking a lot about this craft and me doing it. I certainly like drawing and sketching in sketchbooks. They are like journals you can browse through again and again and see what you were up to when you filled them.
I am going to share my thoughts about drawing here and hopefully will dare to share one or the other drawing.
While drawing as often as possible, I often find myself thinking a lot about this craft and me doing it. I certainly like drawing and sketching in sketchbooks. They are like journals you can browse through again and again and see what you were up to when you filled them.
I am going to share my thoughts about drawing here and hopefully will dare to share one or the other drawing.
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