Sketchbook Strategies
Week One
This week we begin by thinking a little more about our own sketchbook style. And then start drawing in our sketchbooks using techniques designed to help us sketch without the pressure to make “good” art ☺️
For those of you following along at home here is the quiz we began with, just to get those thoughts flowing about what a sketchbook is to us ->
Below is the presentation from the day + some activities you can do at home….
For those at home…
Activity One
Automatic + Blind
Leave the first page of your sketchbook blank.
Have a look through the automatic drawing + blind contour slides above.
Set yourself a 3 minute timer and create an automatic drawing with a highlighter or Texta if you have one. If you don’t try using watercolour or coloured pencil instead.
Follow the steps for adding colour with watercolour or use coloured pencil instead.
Then, have a go making a blind contour drawing. Drawing without looking at the page :D
Follow the steps in the slides and create a two page spread :)
Activity Two
Pen drawing
Create 3x tonal scales in biro/ballpoint pen; one smooth, one hatching, and one scribbling (examples in the slideshow)
Then choose an image or object you have. Make a 30 minute drawing of it ALL in pen (no pencil, embrace the mistakes if they happen). Use either smooth, hatching, or scribbling to shade.
If you feel like doing another drawing do it in one of the techniques you didn’t use for the first drawing.
Activity Three
Adding colour
Add in some coloured washes into your pen drawings using watercolour or pencil.
See if this adds to the drawing and makes you enjoy it more or if you feel like it looses something
Activity Four
Tea & Coffee
Brew yourself a really strong cup of tea + a small cup of strong coffee.
Use the tea + coffee to create an abstract “drawing” by using the tea-bag, string and coffee/teacups to draw with.
Let the drawing dry and then come back in with pen and add pencil to draw over the top.
You can do this with any abstract marks OR see what the marks remind you of and turn them into more representational images.
Activity Five
Playful creation
Grab a six-sided dice if you have one. If not you can use google to roll a dice.
Follow the steps bellow to create a very unusual humanoid creature.
The sillier and goofier the better 🙂↕️
Week Two
An investigation of different approaches and materials, a bit of a foray into urban sketching and some collaborative exercises.
The slideshow is below and the “homework” for the week is here…
Sketching @ Home
These sketches should be around 5 - 10 minutes each. Don’t feel like they need to be “good” drawings, they’re more like exercises, do as many of these as you have time for.
Sunday - After you have breakfast make a sketch of the empty dishes
Monday - Make a quick sketch of your bedside table, your wardrobe or your bathroom sink. If you can make the same drawing in the morning and in the evening. Compare how the drawings differ.
Tuesday - Look outside a window, draw what you see.
Wednesday - gather 1 - 3 objects from your kitchen. Make a drawing of them.
Thursday - open your favourite magazine, book, or social media app and draw the first thing that grabs your attention.
Friday - Make a drawing of your favourite animal or plant.
Week Three
Delving into the world of mixed media drawing and alternate surfaces. Below is the slideshow from the day, which we didn’t really use all too much 😅, but you can refer back to it for any references if you like.
Here are some roll sheets for you if you need a little kick start for what to draw every now and then. I’ve made a photo version and a fantasy one. Plus a blank one if you want to create your own.
Thanks for a delightful 3 week course everyone! Enjoy filling your sketchbooks ☺️
