Doodling

Here are a few pages from my sketchbook....

Since we got back from our trip, I haven't had much time to sit down and really draw or paint.  So, I grab 5 minutes here and there to just doodle and sketch.  

On My Bookshelf : Drawing From Within

Drawing from Within by Nick Meglin and Diane Meglin

I bought this book on a whim after reading the preface and introduction on Amazon.  Am I ever happy I did!  This book just gets better and better with each chapter.  If you're looking for a traditional how-to book, this isn't it.  But if you're ready to discover your own voice with your art, buy this book right now.

Drawing from Within is about the sheer pleasure and joy of drawing.  How it makes you feel.  How it makes you feel.  Nick Meglin does a fantastic job of coaching as he gets you to look at yourself, your drawing and what makes you draw.

And if you need a push to get into your sketchbook more often (like, everyday) you will absolutely find it here.  As he says in the book,"your own sketchbook is your teacher."

A few of my favorite quotes (and it was hard to narrow it down - I could've quoted entire pages!) :

"It isn't possible to teach anyone how to draw.  Drawing is self-taught."

"It's fun to draw.  Let each drawing be just that!"

"To spend time observing, without drawing, thinking, without drawing, or feeling, without drawing, is the misfortune of nonartists."

"There are no mistakes, just lines you're not happy with."

"Draw, don't make a drawing."

"What you can achieve is a sincere, personal artistic response to visual stimulation.  That's worth aspiring to because you're capable of achieving your goal with every drawing you make."

Sketchbook 05.18.2013

A peek into my sketchbook :

I seem to have food on the brain!

Spring : Printable Art

Spring is busting out all over in our part of the world!  How about yours?  I designed this to fit a 8.5 x 11 inch sheet of paper, so you can print it out.

For personal use only.  Please don't re-distribute the graphic, but you may link to this blog post if you feel like spreading the word. Thank you!

IF : Urban

I love fountains.  You usually see lots of fountains in urban areas.  The whole motion things captivates me, and water, of course.

Words of Wisdom

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.  Proverbs 4:23

An Illustrated Journey

I got Danny Gregory's newest book, An Illustrated Journey, a couple of weeks ago and I've been reading it a little bit at a time.  It's fascinating to read about different artists' process, tools and thoughts.  I'm thoroughly enjoying it.  What artist doesn't love to read what other artist's use and their process?

There are 34 artist's sketchbooks presented in the book with a wide variety of styles, so there is something for everybody.  I don't think you can read this book and not want to go out sketching right away!  It's just so inspiring.  I'm always itching to pick up my sketchbook and pen after I read it.

It's interesting to me, as someone who hasn't always drawn, how many of the artists say, "I've always drawn, since I was a child..." or something similar.  There are a few who have only been drawing for a few years, but not many.  And some drew as children and then stopped for years, before picking it back up.

I also love how many of the artist's say that sketching imprints a scene or place in their mind in a way that no photograph every could.  Drawing something makes you really stop and "see".  I find this is true for me, too. When I look through my sketchbooks, I can remember exactly where and when I made that sketch.  What I was thinking and feeling, or even smelling!  It's a great way to capture a moment in time.

Sketchbook 03.25.2013

A few things from my sketchbook this week :

My desk is one of my favorite places to be!

Our front yard is always a beautiful sight in spring when the forsythia and daffodils are in bloom.  

My little see-through travel pouch for making hexagons and yo-yo's (which are very addictive!).  

The eyeglasses were for Illustration Friday last week, but I didn't get them posted in time.

APR : What do you overlook?

This week's theme for the Artist's Play Room was "What do you overlook?"  A counterpoint to the theme a couple of weeks ago "What do you treasure?"

I had to think a bit....but, it's the ironing.

This is my iron, and I like it. It's old and has a good weight to it, so it presses well.  But I gotta say I like painting it way more than I like using it :)

What's sad is that my iron stays set up in my studio for quilting and sewing.  All I have to do is set up the ironing board and get it done.  But I'm always behind, or forgetting, to do the ironing.

Printable March Calendar - Free!

Since I began planning my blog posts ahead of time, I've been using a printed monthly calendar page.  It's always sitting on or beside my desk where I can see it, work on it, edit it and generally be aware of it.

So, I thought maybe I should do something a little prettier than this :

That is my February page.  Not real pretty.  Functional, yes.  Inspiring, lovely, charming...no.  Since all I wanna do these days is draw, why not draw a better calendar?  Yep!

So, here's my little version of a March calendar.  Simple, but effective.

And since I like to share, you can download it here.

Sketchbook 02.23.2013

A peek into my sketchbook from the past couple of weeks :  lots of little bits this time

A Map for Drawing

I sketch/draw everyday.  Sometimes for a couple of hours, sometimes just 5 minutes.  But I've tried to not skip a day since the new year began.  I try to remember that the best way to improve is to just keep going.  Keep drawing, keep practicing.  It really is like a muscle - if you don't use it regularly, you lose it!

The thing I need to focus on more is drawing with a plan.  Most of the time, I just sit down and draw what I see around me, or something in my head.  Which sometimes means that I just draw the same stuff over and over, and sometimes I'm kinda stumped on what to draw.  But that's not getting me very far down the road.  I need a map.

Making a Creative Road Map
Maps are great for getting you from where you are to where you want to be.  And the great thing is you don't have to take the interstate, you can take the scenic route with interesting stops along the way...little diversions to keep it fun and interesting.  But if you follow the map, you still end up at the destination!

Where are you going?
You need a destination.  Somewhere you want to end up.  For me, it may be to do a series of related drawings, or to draw a certain place or buildings in a way that satisfies me.  It could be an idea to bring to reality, an increase in sales, or to have less on your plate instead of more.  But you need that destination before you can plan your route.

What route will you take?
Here's where the fun begins.  How will you get there?  A straight shot at full speed?  A scenic byway with some beautiful scenery?  A back roads meander with lots of stops and detours?  It's up to you.  I want to be at my destination in 3-4 months, so I'm planning a scenic byway kind of journey.  I want to be steadily moving forward, but I don't want to kill myself...and I want to enjoy the journey!

How long is the trip?
You have to arrive at some point, so you'll need a calendar or timeline.  We're planning a trip to New England in the late spring/early summer, so I'd like to have my sketching chops well sharpened by then.  That gives me 3-4 months to get to this destination.

Go On The Road Trip
Road trips are great, you're going somewhere fun with fun stops along the way.  You'll see interesting stuff, get souvenirs and momentos, have good experiences and meet new people.

I'll be working on my roadmap for my goal of improved drawing skills over the next week or so, so hopefully I'll be showing it to you soon!

Resources : Learning to Draw

I've had drawing and sketching on the brain a lot these days.  I'm really focused on improving my drawing skills.  That means I spend a good bit of time looking for resources, inspiration and things to help me.  There's a world of stuff out there, but here a few that I've used and enjoyed lately:

Blogs
Besides being wonderful inspiration, blogs are a great place to see tutorials, videos and pick up pointers on the finer points of drawing and sketching.  A few I've really spent some time on lately are :
Hogwash and Nonsense - The blog of Lisa Anchin, a Children's Book Illustrator.  I love her characters and the traditional process she uses.
Gurney Journey - James Gurney's blog fantastical.  Talk about a treasure trove of information!

Books
Your Artist's Brain
How to Sketch with Watercolor
Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain

Websites
Ashmolean
Derwent Academy

Courses

There are tons of e-courses you can take to improve your drawing skills.  I haven't done this...yet, but here are a couple I'm very tempted by.
Imaginary Trips - Italy or Paris with Laure Ferlita
Sketchbook Delight with Alisa Burke

Daily Practice
I subscribe to a daily email prompt here.  She sends a word each day to jumpstart your imagination.

Do you have a favorite resource?

Sketchbook : 02.09.2013

Here's a peek into my sketchbook from the last couple of weeks :

I got a new Lamy Safari fountain pen...and I'm in love with it!  Sketching with this pen is a joy.  I got some Noodler's Bulletproof Ink in Lexington Gray, and I'm very happy with the color choice.  I do want to get some black eventually, but I love the gray.  Not too dark, but not too light.

Here are a few studies I did of my go to subject :)

IF : Wheel

I've been doing the Illustration Friday sketches for a few months now, but I haven't enough nerve to actually post any of my sketches.  But with this week's word (wheel) I knew I needed to just go for it.

Spinning Wheel :

How could I not?

A Look into my Sketchbook : 01.26.2013

Here's a peek inside my sketchbook from this past week :

Thinking about knitting :

A few chairs I frequent :

And the verse of the week :

January Journal : Other's Journals

While looking around on the internet the last few weeks, I've found several wonderful places that focus on journaling or sketchbooks.  I'm a little obsessed with drawing at the moment, so I've spent a little bit of time looking at other people's drawings.  These blogs have been a joy to discover and read through, and they all have a lot of good tips and ideas :

Jenny's Sketchbook

Drawn2Life

Leslie Fehling - Everyday Artist

You can also buy sketchbooks and journals of some famous folks:

Henry David Thoreau's Walden
The journal of Beatrix Potter

and learn more about journaling with some beautiful art books :

An Illustrated Journey
Create Your Own Artist's Journal

And...we found this last weekend :

Joy unconfined.  This is my own personal desk area just for drawing & painting!  (I suspect it'll also come in handy for knitting math and such.)  So, working in the above spot, I was able to do a few more pages in my sketchbook.  I'm slowly getting a little bit better at filling a page.  I guess practice makes perfect :)  And even if I'm not, having my own spot for it makes it fun!

A Simple Christmas : December Sketchbook

I've been sketching away the last few weeks, and thoroughly enjoying it!  Here are a few sketches from my sketchbook this month :

My sketchbook has really been calling to me lately.  I'm one of those people who go in cycles, or spurts.  For a while it's all about the knitting, then I can't spin enough, or stitch enough, then I just 'have' to draw and paint!  (If you're like me, let me recommend a great book I read a while back.  Refuse to Choose by Barbara Sher.  Chances are your a scanner.  I know I am.)

There are lots and lots (and lots) of art supplies out there.  And most artists would be happy to try them all!
Kind of like there's no such thing as too much yarn...there's no such thing as too many watercolor paints, or too many sketchbooks, or pencils, or paper. You get the idea.  If I were going to the art supply store with a blank check, here's what I'd buy :

Top Row :
Daniel Smith Watercolor Paint Set - 18 tubes of high quality watercolor paint...wheeee!

2nd Row :
Alvin Titan Drafting Table - nice
Canson Watercolor Paper Block

 3rd Row :
Charles Reid's Watercolor Solutions
daVinci Cosmotop brushes - I personally like a 4 and 6 round
Successful Drawing by Andrew Loomis - a classic

Bottom Row :
General's Kimberly Drawing Pencils - Set of 10
Maruman Art Spiral sketchbook for watercolor
Time - to sketch!
Watercolor Journeys : Create your own travel sketchbook by Richard Schilling


Are you a journal keeper?  Or a sketchbook keeper?

Do you doodle?

Flickr collage - Doodles

1. doodle heart, 2. Doodle ICAD, 3. doodle, 4. doodles, 5. Doodle Design 2 start sheet, 6. doodle, 7. January Doodling 2, 8. doodle drawing 8, 9. Doodling up a storm, 10. Doodle color detail, 11. doodled flipflop, 12. Small meeting doodle, 13. Doodle drawing for L14. Not available15. Not available16. Not available

I do!  And I love seeing other people's doodles.  It's always a springboard to new ideas.  Below are a couple of pages from my small sketchpad after making the collage above. (I like drawing flowers:)

Do you doodle?