Tuesday 12 August 2014

75 Day Sketch Challenge - No. 8-20

I thought I had posted the first 10 drawings of my 75 Days Sketch Challenge in my last post, and so I was waiting until I had finished the next 10 before scanning and posting them, but then realised that I had only shared the first 7 so far. So here are the past 14 sketches.


So far, I have succeeded in doing one drawing each day, but that might change by the end of the summer, when my portrait drawing class and my Swedish class start again. I do try to do my drawing in my lunch break if possible, if can't draw in the evening. Some of the drawings have been inspired by the lessons in Sketchbook Skool, especially last week's class with Andrea Joseph, which was all about the good old ballpoint pen (and other pens too). I've meant do some pen-only drawings too, but so far, I just couldn't resist colour - coloured pencils or watercolour for most of them. But hey, I've still got 55 days to go.

I am enjoying the challenge so far, although it sometimes really is a challenge. It's not the drawing itself that is the problem, though, it's finding something to draw when I'm tired and uninspired. Some are quicker, some take more time, depending how much time, and energy, I have. But I really, really enjoy to draw every day. Even if it's just a quick sketch of my pens.

There's one thing, though, that I'm beginning to find a little bit frustrating - the pen only restriction. I know, I know, it's all about getting confident with drawing with pen and not relying on the good old pencil, or rather the eraser. But I'm finding it very limiting. What I want to do right now, with the help of the challenge, is to explore different styles, techniques, mediums. Including the pencil (but not necessarily the eraser). Of course I do other drawings besides those for the sketch challenge, at the weekends, when I have the time. But during the week, these drawings for the challenge are all I've got time for. So I might eventually break that rule, but only because I feel that I would benefit from it. I want this challenge to be a helpful part of how I draw, and will draw in the future, not something completely different, that I just do so that it's done, and put away once I've finished. But we'll see. There's still 55 days to go...

4 comments:

  1. I really enjoyed your post tonight - your sketches are lovely - I admire you for just getting stuck in on the Challenge - keep the faith with the pen & keep going !! thanks for the link - I think I will investigate when they run it again as I have a yen to draw but just can't seem to muster the courage to start ! Ali x

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    1. Thank you Ali, I think it's a good idea to set yourself a little challenge, once you get into it, you just keep going. I know it can be hard to get started, just go for it, and switch off your brain. That's what I love about sketchbooks, if something turns out complete rubbish, I don't have to show it to anyone. But I can always learn something from it.

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  2. I honestly think that the point of the 75 day sketch challenge, is to get you drawing something every day... that's all. I think it's a good thing not to erase lines and work with any mistakes, but I don't think it matters what those lines are made of. It's about getting in to a habit. I did the challenge and you can see some of mine here: http://www.sketch-mad.com/2013/02/sketchy-sundays.html
    And here :
    http://www.sketch-mad.com/2013/02/introducing-sketchy-sundays.html
    You'll see that I sketched anything from a lipstick to the corner of a room! It was great fun - I just used the time I had on the day :0)
    Yours are wonderful! I like that you have used colour. I didn't do that - mine were all pen only! :0)

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  3. I completely agree, Sandra, and it's the main point of doing this for me too. And I can feel that I'm beginning to get into the habit. I would like to do more pen only sketches too, but I haven't got the patience for it most of the time. So much easier and quicker to add shadows and highlights with colour. Well, watercolour, at least. The coloured pencil ones are quite time consuming.

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