Sketching Challenge – Week 4

Incomplete Pine Cone
July Challenge Day 24
24 July 2014
Graphite Pencil
Winsor & Newton A4 Heavy Weight Sketch Book
21.0cm x 29.7cm (8.25" x 11.75")

This is the last full week of the July sketching challenge - the goal is to sketch from life for exactly 30 minutes on each day in July.

I am trying to vary the subjects, but there are a few common themes. This week I chose a number of subjects that were too complicated for a 30 minute drawing.

July Challenge Day 20
20 July 2014
Graphite Pencil
Daler Rowney A6 Graduate Sketchbook
10.5cm x 14.9cm (4.1" x 5.9")

This week’s picture of Elaine was drawn on the train as we returned from London. It looks like she was asleep, but she was reading.

Spice Racks
July Challenge Day 21
21 July 2014
Graphite Pencil & Wax Crayon
Winsor & Newton A4 Heavy Weight Sketch Book
21.0cm x 29.7cm (8.25" x 11.75")

Monday’s sketch is the spice racks in our kitchen. I realised very early in the drawing this was going to be a rush and it became a mad dash to give an impression of the different sizes and colours of the spice containers.

Ficus
July Challenge Day 22
22 July 2014
Graphite Pencil
Winsor & Newton A4 Heavy Weight Sketch Book
21.0cm x 29.7cm (8.25" x 11.75")

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday’s sketches were all drawn on the patio because the weather was so warm.

Green Pepper
July Challenge Day 23
23 July 2014
Graphite Pencil
Winsor & Newton A4 Heavy Weight Sketch Book
21.0cm x 29.7cm (8.25" x 11.75")

I was pleased I can see some development when comparing Wednesday’s drawing of a green pepper with a 30 minute drawing of a pepper I drew almost exactly a year ago (see Keys to Drawing - Chapter 1).

The pine cone at the top of the post was the most enjoyable drawing of the week. This is a subject I will return to with a more leisurely approach after the challenge is complete.

July Challenge Day 25
25 July 2014
Graphite Pencil
Daler Rowney A5 Graduate Sketchbook
149mm x 210 (5.9" x 8.3")

Friday’s sketch is another scene from the churchyard. I tried to recreate the texture of the stone cross by rubbing the pencil over the paper while resting it on the stone, but this wasn't as effective as I had hoped.

Cat in a Box
July Challenge Day 26
26 July 2014
Graphite Pencil
Winsor & Newton A4 Heavy Weight Sketch Book
21.0cm x 29.7cm (8.25" x 11.75")

Saturday’s drawing was another rush. It illustrates a lesson I've learnt from this challenge. Previously, I suspect I would have spent ages trying to get the perspective of the box right before starting to draw Felix - who would then have jumped out and found somewhere else to sleep. Yesterday, my focus was on drawing him before he moved or I ran out of time.

Sketching Challenge – Week 3

Trent at Hoveringham - Cows Paddling
July Challenge Sketch 18
19 July 2014
Watercolour on Paper
18cm x 12cm (7" x 5")

This week's post is a bit later than usual because Elaine and I met with Lori and Peter while they were in London. We went to see the Matisse and Malevich exhibitions at Tate Modern .

The rules for the sketching challenge remain the same – sketch from life for exactly 30 minutes each day.

July Challenge Day 16
16 July 2014
Graphite Pencil
Daler Rowney A6 Graduate Sketchbook
105mm x 149mm (4.1" x 5.9")

I missed a couple of days during the week because of travelling and working too hard, but I caught up by drawing three sketches on Saturday. The travelling also gave me the opportunity to draw the view from my hotel balcony in Madrid.

Trent at Gunthorpe
Everyone Had Ice Cream Except Me
July Challenge Day 13
13 July 2014
Daler Rowney A5 Graduate Sketchbook
210mm x 149mm (8.3" x 5.9")

The week was bookended with two sketches of the Trent. The watercolour sketch at the top of the post was a memorable event. The weather was fine when I started, but the rain began almost immediately and became more and more intense until I finally ran for cover.

July Challenge Sketch 17
19 July 2014
Graphite Pencil
Winsor & Newton A4 Heavy Weight Sketch Book
21.0cm x 29.7cm (8.25" x 11.75")

July Challenge Sketch 19
19 July 2014
Graphite Pencil & Wax Crayon
Winsor & Newton A4 Heavy Weight Sketch Book
21.0cm x 29.7cm (8.25" x 11.75")

July Challenge Day 14
14 July 2014
Graphite Pencil
Winsor & Newton A4 Heavy Weight Sketch Book
29.7cm x 21.0cm (11.75" x 8.25")

Unintentionally, I've selected a number of round objects to sketch this week, which brings the challenge of drawing circles in perspective.

July Challenge Day 15
15 July 2014
Graphite Pencil
Winsor & Newton A4 Heavy Weight Sketch Book
21.0cm x 29.7cm (8.25" x 11.75")

This week’s drawing of Elaine is a portrait. If I keep practicing, one day I hope to draw a picture that looks like her.

Sketching Challenge – Week 2

July Challenge Day 9
9 July 2014
Graphite Pencil
Daler Rowney A5 Graduate Sketchbook
149mm x 210 (5.9" x 8.3")

I’ve enjoyed the second week of my daily sketching challenge (see Sketch Challenge). The rules are the same as last week – sketch from life for exactly 30 minutes every day.

July Challenge Day 6
6 July 2014
Black and Gold Ink
Winsor & Newton A4 Heavy Weight Sketch Book
21.0cm x 29.7cm (8.25" x 11.75")

July Challenge Day 7
7 July 2014
Graphite Pencil & Wax Crayon
Winsor & Newton A4 Heavy Weight Sketch Book
29.7cm x 21.0cm (11.75" x 8.25")

July Challenge Day 8
8 July 2014
Graphite Pencil & Wax Crayon
Winsor & Newton A4 Heavy Weight Sketch Book
21.0cm x 29.7cm (8.25" x 11.75")

July Challenge Day 11
11 July 2014
Graphite Pencil
Winsor & Newton A4 Heavy Weight Sketch Book
21.0cm x 29.7cm (8.25" x 11.75")

There are already some recurring themes because I am returning to subjects I've found challenging, but my aim is not to exactly repeat any sketches during the challenge,

A winter view of the tree at the top of this post has appeared on a previous post (see Studio Rousar Memory Drawing Group - Weeks 24 to 27).

July Challenge Day 10
10 July 2014
Graphite Pencil
Winsor & Newton A4 Heavy Weight Sketch Book
21.0cm x 29.7cm (8.25" x 11.75")

In last week’s sketch of Elaine’s car I tried to accurately plan the proportions and perspective at the start of the sketch. This week, I just dived in and drew bits of the car - trying to relate each new piece to the parts I’d already drawn.

July Challenge Day 12 - Page 1
12 July 2014
Graphite Pencil
Winsor & Newton A4 Heavy Weight Sketch Book
21.0cm x 29.7cm (8.25" x 11.75")

July Challenge Day 12 - Page 2
12 July 2014
Graphite Pencil
Winsor & Newton A4 Heavy Weight Sketch Book
21.0cm x 29.7cm (8.25" x 11.75")

July Challenge Day 12 - Page 3
12 July 2014
Graphite Pencil
Winsor & Newton A4 Heavy Weight Sketch Book
21.0cm x 29.7cm (8.25" x 11.75")

The dog sketches are drawings of Rosie (Joan’s Yorkshire Terrier). Before drawing then, I read some advice from Katherine Tyrrell about how to sketch a cat in 30 seconds (see http://www.makingamark.co.uk/how-to-sketch.html#sketchacat).  I'm not sure about 30 seconds, my sketches took about four or five minutes each.

Sketch Challenge

Carnations - Gurnard's Head
19 June 2014
Ink and Water Soluble Marker
Daler Rowney A6 Graduate Sketchbook
105mm x 149mm (4.1" x 5.9")

On previous posts, I've mentioned a desire to turn drawing and sketching into a daily habit. With this in mind, I've set a challenge to sketch for 30 minutes every day in July.

July Challenge Day 1
1 July 2014
Graphite Pencil
Winsor & Newton Heavy Weight Sketch Book
29.7cm x 21.0cm (11.75" x 8.25")

The picture at the top of the post is a sketch from Elaine and my recent holiday in Cornwall. The remaining pictures are the first five sketches from the July challenge.

July Challenge Day 2
2 July 2014
Graphite Pencil & Wax Crayon
Winsor & Newton Heavy Weight Sketch Book
21.0cm x 29.7cm (8.25" x 11.75")

The first rule of the challenge is the sketches must be drawn or painted from life.

The second rule is I must draw or paint for exactly 30 minutes – this can be on multiple sketches. I’ve set a strict time limit for a variety of reasons. The most important is I want to understand what I can achieve in 30 minutes because Elaine and I have agreed this is a reasonable time for a sketch stop when we are out together.

July Challenge Day 3
3 July 2014
Graphite Pencil & Wax Crayon
Winsor & Newton Heavy Weight Sketch Book
21.0cm x 29.7cm (8.25" x 11.75")

One of my goals for the challenge is not to focus on the end results.  Until now I've tended to concentrate on creating drawings I'm not embarrassed to post on this blog. This approach has some benefits, but the downside is it tends to stifle creativity and experimentation.

Old Sandal
July Challenge Day 4
4 July 2014
Graphite Pencil
Winsor & Newton Heavy Weight Sketch Book
29.7cm x 21.0cm (11.75" x 8.25")

The third rule is the sketches are not judged as finished pieces of work. They can be as complete or as incomplete as I want them to be and time allows.

July Challenge Day 5
5 July 2014
Wax Crayon
Winsor & Newton Heavy Weight Sketch Book
21.0cm x 29.7cm (8.25" x 11.75")

During the challenge, I aim to draw a variety of subjects and not to shy away from difficult ones. This is the reason for choosing a car on the first day. The drawing is not a great success, but I've learned from it.