Currently Browsing: Expectations 52 articles
Why Keep Sketching the Same Subject?
A friend of mine once said he couldn’t understand how I could draw the same subject over and over. I do that a lot. Most notably daily drawings for 4 and a half years of my dog Dottie. But my life is full of drawing the same subject over and over. Life drawing models I […]
Tools Really Do Change the Way You Draw
I’ve met students who come to my classes who are totally frustrated with their materials and tools. They keep doing the same thing with their tools, using those tools, usually because an “expert” told them they were the best tools. Unfortunately the best tool for one artist might not be the best tool for another. […]
Sometimes Leftover Paint Colors Give You Zombies
New readers to the blog might not realize at first that a lot of what I post is a sort of cautionary tale. I’m trying to get across that sketching and painting needs to be fun, if you’re going to continue. And by showing you some of the missteps I make I hope to help […]
The Simplest of Reasons
Sometimes the only reason I do sketch-related actions is because—the paint was already out, I’d run out of time, I wanted to see what would happen, I was following my nose, I wanted to push something, I just wanted to get to some sort of “finish” and go to bed. There are a million reasons […]
What’s on Patreon/RozInterim in October 2022?
You’ve seen this sketch in full before—I have used it as one of my Wizards. But I saved the video to discuss on my Patreon blog for October 2022. You’ve read here on RozWoundUp what I think about working with intention; how I love to experiment; how I think it’s crucial to play and […]
Things You Find in Your Digital Archive
I thought I started using the Hahnemühle Travel Journal well before 2019, but my journals are all in storage for the downsizing. I’m just now going through some digital files trying to rebuild my archive. It’s fun to take a quick look at the past with these scans. Today I found this sketch and I’m […]
Take More Than One Look
When you’re sketching someone, whether it’s a month-long project like last year’s #MarchIsSketchAlunArmstrongMonth, or just someone you see on the street (if they stick around long enough) take more than one look. Here’s a page spread from a hand-bound journal I made with Fabriano Artistico 90 lb. hot press watercolor paper. (8 x 8 inches […]
Sketching on Any Old Paper You Have At Hand
Sometimes we can get into our heads. We can spend time telling ourselves all the reasons we can’t take time right now and paint. As a teacher for over 30 years I think I’ve heard every excuse there is: no space to set up, don’t have the materials I want to work with; I don’t […]
Another Potential Journaling Hiccup: The Perfect Time and Place
Blog readers and students often write to me about their hopes and deferred dreams for their journaling and their art life. They live with the hope that if they can “just get through to retirement,” or “Just get through this current crisis [fill in the blank as to what that is]” that the clouds will […]
Journal Practice Hiccups?
I always tell people any day is a great day to start a journal practice. Start. But I know that many people think it important to have a milestone day like the first of the year for a starting point. If it gets them to start then I’m all for that. As a new […]