Understand that drawing is as much a mental activity as a mechanical one.
Alphonso Dunn
There’s always a sweet spot between thinking about something and doing something. That sweet spot will vary from person to person, too. Rushing in too early can lead to mistakes. Whereas overthinking can paralyse you.
A bit of spontaneity in what you do can make it more fun, after all.
Continue readingHow do you make your art pay?
Maybe you’re not bothered about money – you’re happy enough just sketching for fun, and that’s fine. Most creatives struggle to make a living from their art and do other stuff too. Unless you’re one of the lucky few.
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I’ll keep this one short and sweet.
An artist’s grid is invaluable for getting your proportions right, especially if you want to draw something like the sketch above.
For this sketch I drew a 10 by 12 grid in light pencil first. That not only gave me the parallels I needed for the brickwork, it also allowed me to accurately place the candles to flank the crystal ball, as well as get the proportions right for the central character.
Let’s hear it for grids! I never thought I’d have to use Maths to do drawing, but it really helps!
Using the right tools for the job is essential.
Sure, when you’re starting out, sketching with anything can be fun. You certainly don’t need to spend a fortune on pens. However, if you want to get a bit more serious and look at refining your art further you could do a lot worse than invest in some Rotring pens.
Continue readingHatching.
It’s a familiar technique to most sketchers, but if you haven’t come across it here’s a useful overview by Koosje Koene.
Continue readingMy second tip isn’t really about how to hone your sketching skills, it’s more about finding the time to practice. We all lead busy lives and it’s easy to get caught up in life’s everyday challenges. Finding the time to sketch isn’t easy.
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“I’m still alive” isn’t a reference to my recent absence from blogging (although it does bizarrely fit), it’s a lyric from the song 11.59 (written by Blondie’s keyboardist Jimmy Destri).
Continue readingAbout a year ago I started sketching. I’d not drawn for a long time (decades, in fact), but drawing was something I used to do a lot as a child.
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Beyond the Sanctuary of Aphrodite, just outside the small village of Kouklia in Cyprus, a trail meanders along the hillside. To the left lie scorched fields of yellow grass, broken by the dual carriageway that joins Paphos to Lemesos, before sweeping towards the endless blue expanse of the Mediterranean.
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Scott's Unfinished Pictures 