PAD & PENCIL, Don't leave home without it!
Greetings Friends,
In our last e-news, we stressed the message: “BE PREPARED.” Instantly my mind conjures up the image of a boy scout; who is never without his trusty pocket knife.
As artists, our ‘pocket knife’ is a pad and pencil. We should always BE PREPARED to capture a scene at a moments notice.
And as any Scout master will tell you, one of the worst things is for a boy to have a knife and not know how to use it. It is the same for an artist.
Sketching, like whittling or carving, doesn’t always come natural. It takes practice.
So how do you create a successful sketch?
1. Must have materials: Pad, pencil and soft eraser.
2. Take a minute or two to loosen up, draw a few circles, lines, etc.
3. Observe what you are trying to draw. Notice how the light falls
across the objects.
4. Begin with light, loose strokes, moving quickly without stopping.
5. Notice scale; make any necessary changes prior to making
darker more defined marks.
6. Continue to add detail until you feel you have captured the
image in front of you.
If you are like me, it is best to try to keep it to a two minute sketch. Remember sometimes less is more and too much is, well, too much!
Sketching on a regular basis will help you BE PREPARED, by practicing the ‘art of seeing’ shape, value, texture and how they relate, as well as learning proper scale.
Just remember, don’t worry about making mistakes - sketching isn’t about creating a perfect drawing, it is about having fun, being loose and allowing your works to be full of life and energy.
Happy Sketching!
Meghan B Minton
Executive Director
