Over at www.art-classes.com I took a class called 30 Days To More Confident Sketching.

One day at a time we watched videos and learned to sketch with only graphite pencils in a varying selection of hard/soft leads. This gives the range of lights/darks for highlights and shadows. 

For some lessons there were photos provided to draw from but in most cases I researched to find similar subjects with different layouts so I could practice what I had learned rather than just copying the instructor stroke for stroke.

These are the pages in my sketchbook:

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

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Some time back I took a class called Whimsical Sketching. Then I took one called Drawing 101. Just this week I completed one titled 30 Days to More Confident Sketching. All sound similar but are completely different in scope and intention.

Whimsical sketching was pen and ink used to draw allover themed cartoony pages. Those included random flowers on one, birds on branches for another, stacks of packages, a tower of cupcakes and an underwater scene. 

Drawing 101 taught a lot of perspective lessons to make boxes, buildings, spheres, cylinders and natural objects fit properly into their environment with scale, angles and details looking correct.

This latest, More Confident Sketching, covered a wide range of themes using only graphite pencils in a variety of hardnesses to achieve highlights and shadows. The point was not to create finished detailed drawings but to learn to create sketches that could be used as a map for finished pieces in other mediums. There were first some pages where we learned about our materials and then we worked through different themes. Most of the 30 days had exercises that covered more than one page in the sketchbook.

The instructor provided the photographs for the drawings she did in the exercises. In most cases, I searched out my own photos to use as references as I wanted to be sure I was applying the principles being taught and not just copying her sketches.

Without comment, these are the pages I did as homework for this class.

30 days of anything is quite a discipline but I made it through and will definitely return to these lessons when planning future projects.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

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 As we were leaving one of the Mexican ports I started sketching some buildings on the hills. It wasn't too long before we were out of sight of the town and I had to switch to my imagination to fill in the rest of the scene.

It was interesting to sketch strictly in pen without the safety net of laying down a pencil sketch first.

This is enlarged significantly to show detail.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

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 These flowers were inspired by the fabric I had made my drawing tools case out of. It has a black background and medium-bright colors in yellows, pinks and aqua. The fabric has the flowers all spread out but I arranged them to make a cluster.

In fact, I created more flowers and buds that were in a similar style.

This was also worked out in pencil before inking.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

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 Before I left on vacation a number of people were posting pictures of this sort of layout that they were doing for an oline class. So when I was thinking about things to put in my sketchbook this came to mind.

I did not have access to class materials or pictures of anyone's work so I just went for it out of my head.

I did work this one out in pencil first and then inked over it, working from front to background.

I really like how this came out. I think my favorite parts are the shadows on the floor and the weed peeking around the doorframe.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

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The next page in my sketchbook started with the Hibiscus and 'grew' from there.

Working in brown pen, I just kept adding flowers, dots and squiggles until it felt 'done'.

Some of the flowers you may reognize from other pages in the sketchbook.

I later used the hibiscus on a hymn page that will come up later next month.

Ddd

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Some of the work in my sketchbook was going to be transfered to my hymnal and I wanted some lettering to use with it. I didn't have any of my resources with me so I worked on making up two new alphabets.

The two of them are very similar with their high waist and low waist styles. Some of the letter forms are changed entirely but the biggest difference is that the first one is built on a 2x2 grid and the second is on a 1x2 grid.

Nothing spectacular about either of these - just utilitarian - and they served their purpose.

Ddd

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When we were in port in Honduras there were groups of children dancing on the pier. I loved the costumes and took a snapshot of one girl about 8-9 years old.

When I came to the point of drawing it I kept the twists and turns of the costume but changed it up to be a lady rather than a child.

This sketch I DID work in pencil first and then went over that with brown pen for the final product.

I'm not such a good people drawer but it was really the folds of fabric that fascinated me in this pose.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

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 I started this page in the sketchbook with a quilting motif, called a feather. Then I just started adding doodly details, one at a time.

I really like the result and the graphic feel of the black and white. (The drawing book really does have a slight gray cast to it, though)

I might try copying this and making the paper appear more white. Then, adding colors found in peacock feathers would really bring it to life.

Ddd

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 In my vacation sketchbook I used a compass to draw overlapping circles of various sized and inked them. Then I started filling them with a variety of doodles, working in pen.

I hid a few odd things in there: a few buttons, a balloon, a face.

When I was done I reinforced the outlines of the circles with a second line for more definition.

This was a lot of fun and an easy project to pick up and set aside to fit into a schedule of other activities.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 11:35 AM PST

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 On my recent vacation I took along a new sketchbook (with dot grid pages) along with pencil, drawing pens and a set of colored pencils. Although I also took along other art supplies, the drawing and coloring ones were what I used throughout the trip.

The first one I did was some random doodling, in pen, around a scripture done in brush pen. I just letting the sketch grow without a plan and then used colored pencils on it.

I am trying to decide how to carry this into my Bible without redrawing the whole thing. I think it will have to go in the interleaved Bible so text is not obliterated.

We'll see. I don't want to tear it out of the sketchbook, though.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 11:28 AM PST

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And now, I have finished my Whimsical Drawing class, too. Whew!

The final idea was to create an underwater scene. These are all my orn original fishes, corals and seaweeds.

As with the other whimsical drawings I was able to find an appropriate scripture to accompany it in my interleaved bible.

So, two classes completed? Now I can get back to the Colored Pencil Jumpstart class and start a new class (April 1) on Typography for Bible Journaling.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 1:00 AM PDT

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The final lesson in this class was on rendering metal and glass. I worked from the photo provided and I think I got a good result.

I reduced a scan of this one for my interleaved bible and lettered scripture to surround the lantern.

I think I might have to find some photos to use the techniques I learned in this class.

Oh, for more time!

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 1:00 AM PDT

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The instructor for Whimsical Drawing designed some crazy little birds in various positions perched on branches.

I paid more attention to the original artwork when drawing this because of the need to get the birds right. Mine are moved around a bit as they did not fit with the sizes I made them. I also did more preliminary sketching on this one than with the previous drawings.

This whimsical drawing was also reduced and colored with markers to go in my interleaved bible.

I added a block of hand-written scripture at the bottom of the page.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 1:00 AM PDT

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Skipping back and forth between different types of projects is sure keeping me on my toes!

In the Whimsical Drawing class the next assignment was a tiered plate of sweets. I turned mine into cupcakes with a blank banner at the top so I can print it out and fill the banner with a sentiment for whatever the occasion will be (if used on card fronts).

This is another one that I reduced to fit in my interleaved bible. I colored with markers and added a short scripture snippet in the banner.

This is a really fun class!

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 1:00 AM PDT

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This is anoth in the lessons that uses toned paper. The highlights in the original photo were totally blown out so I reduced the contrast in mine. The original shows the bird as pretty much a black blob with a few stark white highlights along the top. In many drawings I couldn't even figure out what it was supposed to be!

I like my version better.

I think there is only one more lesson to go in this class.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 1:00 AM PDT

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The continuation of the Whimsical Drawing class had us working on a page of stacked gifts.

What fun these were to draw! It is certainly a process. But the instructor draws all on video and talks through the things to consider as well as showing ideas and techniques.

I printed out her sample sheet but then put it away out of sigh and drew from my memory and imagination.

I may scan and reduce to print out for card fronts that I would then color.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 1:00 AM PDT

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Until I started this Drawing 101 class I had not used toned paper for drawing since I was in college (more than a few years ago). But I am discovering that I really do like the effect.

Good thing since I have a whole notebook of it now!

This was the 8th lesson from the class. Again, we were provided with a photograph to work from.

I do two things to help myself: 1) I use my computer to change the photo to black and white and then play with the lighing and contrast so I get good details to print. 2) I draw a grid on my printout and on my drawing paper and use the gridlines to transfer the drawing outlines.

These two steps help me immensly in getting a good result.

Our photo was a whole bundle of garlic bulbs with one featured. We were given the option of zooming in to work on only the featured bulb and working in more detail. That is the option I chose.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 1:00 AM PST

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In a Whimsical Drawing class the first lesson was on drawing fantastic flowers. These are all flowers made up as I went along.

This was drawn entirely in Prismacolor pens.

After the drawing was complete the background was filled in with brush marker.

This was another drawing that I reduced and printed to go in my interleaved bible.

I colored my print with markers and lettered a scripture to the bottom of the page.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 1:00 AM PST

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Lesson 7 in the class Drawing 101 is again working on toned paper (as are all the rest in this series).

We were provided with a photograph to draw with the concentration on light and shadow. This one was of a padlock on an old door.

I liked my drawing so much that I scanned it and printed on plain paper in a reduced size. The I trimmed and added it to my interleaved bible and lettered a verse with it.

I really like this bible for glueing in full-page art.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 1:00 AM PST

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