Currently Browsing: Why Draw? 211 articles
Simple Things to Sketch
There are a lot of simple things around your home to sketch. What you choose will reflect on what you’re interested in. Shapes, colors, values, negative space. Subjects around us keep us practicing for other subjects we’ve yet to meet. Enjoy exploring your home for simple subjects which yield greater understanding of all those skills […]
IFJM: Sometimes Projects Creep Up On You
OK, so the other day I posted about the importance of finishing projects. I included some documents I’d created to help people working through previous International Fake Journal Month public celebrations. You can see that post at this link. Of course as soon as the post was set to publish I went into the studio […]
What Happened with the Excess Stamp Ink from Yesterday’s Post?
Yesterday I showed you what you could do in 15 minutes with some rubber-stamp ink to prepare some background textures in your journal. You’ll remember there was a scrap of watercolor paper I also painted with the leftover ink. (See the bottom right of the above photo.) Here’s a bit of pattern/texture making fun you […]
Doodling: Let Your Mind Play—Remind It of the Value of Play
I’m often doddle and draw on non-art papers—simply because I’m sitting at my desk working and all that I have immediately around me is office supplies—bond copier paper and Post-It Notes™. (You see both of those types of paper in the first image today.) I wrote earlier this month, and many other times in the […]
Helping Minnesotans
Yesterday I wrote about what is happening in Minnesota. There are a lot of ways individuals can help in this current situation, whether you live in Minnesota or not. In response to my post yesterday a friend who used to live in Minnesota wrote she was going to donate to the Immigrant Defense Network. (This […]
Go with the Line—And Finish
When you draw directly with ink every mark you make is permanent (or is it? More on that in a moment). If you don’t nail the line positioning, length, and weight (thickness and thinness determined by pressure) it’s decision time—what do you do? I’ve seen a lot of students figuratively and literally throw up their […]
So Many Components to Grief
Grief has a lot of components. And if you’re lucky enough to live long enough, a greater variety of those components will touch your life. It might not seem like it, but those components will make you stronger. This past summer I couldn’t sleep. I was dealing with physical stress; I was fed up with […]
Brush Pen and Ink Wash Meet Hair
Hair, wavy hair. I find it fascinating. It can be on the 1910 era women I’ve been sketching lately, or on actors playing gangsters on crime shows (which this actor was). Look about for what interests you. Draw that. The pages literally fill themselves.
Vintage Hair in Portraits
Vintage hair, I’ve been painting a lot of portraits of people from the 1800s and from the early 20th century. I am fascinated especially with women’s hair—typically piled into what look like impossible constructions. And then of course I’m equally fascinated with that happens to a 19th century man’s heavily creamed hairdo when he takes […]
In Context: Taking Time to Note Your Color Mixes
Even when you’re rushing to get a quick portrait study done, you’ve got time to test some color mixes and note them down for future reference. That’s what’s happening on this page spread (as well as some notes about life). I love Azure Cobalt Blue from Schmincke but it doesn’t give the dark values I […]