Art Revival in 2017

In my previous post I mentioned I had gotten rid of all my art stuff and taken over a year out from everything.  In about October 2017 I started getting slightly into art once again.  I bought myself a Roald Dahl notebook from Haskins Garden centre and what I liked about it was that it was quite wide.

New Notebook

Before with my art I had become a little bit stressed with all the options for different mediums and the use of canvas, rag paper, watercolour paper, paper on boards, acrylic paper and I had  a lot of art materials.  I don't have very much space, firstly my room goes for music production and the running of our film production company, art is secondary to that.  With my new notebook I thought about ways I could still do art but save space and stress. 

Sketchbook Journaling

I have been in awe with people's different Sketch Journals available to view online.  Still not having really reached a point of drawing originally I found the samples breath-taking, beautiful paints, colours, drawings and all themed too.  I decided this would suit me with my new book.

Sketch Journal sample found online 1

Sketch Journal sample found online 2

I found that everybody's style was different.  I knew I did not yet have my own style so I thought that I would take some of the ideas and try to draw according to what is taking place that day.  One of the major spoilers and stresses I found before was wondering what on earth to draw!  This way, I would be guided by the daily events.

Keeping a Journal?

Still feeling raw from life's troubles I did not yet really wish to keep a diary form, I mean, what if something else traumatic happened I did not wish to have to draw another pet loss or something else traumatic, I just wanted to draw.  Some stamps arrived in the post on a letter from the USA and I found the pictures inspiring so I used these as my starting point with my first sketch journal entry:

First journal entry, sticking in images and information

 At this point I decided to leave off any dates and just mostly stick interesting things in, working with art and creativity in my layouts and colour choices and then drawing if and when I felt inspired.

We took a trip to Hobbycraft and I got myself some very basic supplies, cautious not to overindulge or overwhelm, not wanting too many things.  I got some basic coloured pencils and used them to draw on this page, drawing of the actual art materials themselves:

First drawings, feeling the way after a long break.

I was pleased with the result and I went along like this, page by page, trying to draw at least something per evening and I found that it gave me the opportunity to draw interesting things.  I stuck mainly to pencils and coloured pencils at this point. 

Drawing a Ranchu fish - copying from Google Images

Pencil drawing and shading

 In the above entry I started working on my shading again, I drew Patching church from a photograph.  I find it easier to draw from a drawing but drawing from a photograph was really good practise! 

 In the above I drew a pancake stack and the next day a burger.  It was great not having to wonder what to draw but to be guided.  I still felt my work was a long way off of other people's sketch journals but it was a least getting me to draw again.  I found that I would miss letters off and not notice which was weird, this has happened a few times.

With each day I tried to lay out the page more creatively.  If I did not know what to draw I would find it on Google Images and copy it but try to make it my own.  As with the wshing machine and the hoover and washing on the line, I copied those.  The Worthing Seafront picture I copied from a photo.

Creativity in my Sketch Journal

In the above entry I got really creative with the layout of the parking metres and the road. On the right hand page I felt an itch to do shading, I firstly love shading and pencil and am not too keen on coloured pencils but they did look nice.  Spontaneously I thought about what I would like to draw and what inspires me and I found a gorgeous fence pencil drawing so I copied it:

I incorporated the pencil fence into the journal entry.  Here is a close-up:

Feeling the itch to draw pencil drawings started to get me a little frustrated but I decided to try and incorporate pencil sketches in the sketch journal when I could.  All in all it was great to be back drawing but I was feeling the itch to do more.  I thought, I won't try acrylics as I got rid of them all and I don't want big canvases everywhere.  I won't use soft pastels as my lungs didn't like them.  I never used watercolours so perhaps I will give them a go.  

Watercolour

I followed a simple watercolour instruction book and drew a nice broody sky with watercolours and some dark crows and trees.  The good thing was - it fitted into my journal so still everything was contained!

Watercolour painting - trying out watercolour paints

In the sketchbook:

Sticking in the painting to the sketch journal

The good thing about sketch journaling is being able to add bits and pieces, kind of a mixed media but more adding things that you gather.  I try to focus more on drawing but occasionally I stick things in too such as these leaves/seeds and a funny email:

Sticking other things in the Journal around the drawings

 IN the next entry I was able to focus a bit on perspective with the bathroom drawing.  Although copied it looks 3D and before when I had tried to study perspective I had quit because it seemed to difficult.  Gary Gumble was right in saying that some artists start by copying, I find copying very helpful indeed and it is working to make me better!

Finding copying very helpful.

These are several examples of my sketch journal over several months.  Alongside this I got myself a Leuchtturm drawing book.  The Roald Dahl lined or spotted paper plus its thinness sometimes restricted me from things so I decided to try and draw randomly in another book too.  This was difficult for me as I am a bit of a control freak and found having 2 things on the go not as organized but with the Leuchtturm I decided it would be absolutely random and also enable me to try other mediums more freely as the paper is more thick and plain.