The Joy of Sketch. Jen Russell-Smith
a page: make-up bag
Fill a page: patterns in a single room
Fill a page: view from the window
Showcasing and developing your work
FEELING sketchy?
Most children draw. Before we can write, even, we scribble and sketch and create. But somehow that gets lost as we get older. We learn that Being An Artist is hard and complicated, and that there are technical rules to choosing colour and perfecting your perspective. But I want to remind you of the joy you once found in creating, scribbling, getting something down on paper – and that it’s really about the process and nothing to do with how technically brilliant the finished ‘artwork’ is.
You don’t need to be a journalist to write a newsy email to a friend, a poet to scribble a love letter, or an author to pop a reassuring note into your child’s lunch box. In the same way, you don’t need to be an artist to be able to capture moments and thoughts in a sketchbook, and even to create something you might want to frame and hang on your wall, give to a friend, or just feel proud of.
If you want to find a bit of space for creativity, don’t wait until you have the perfect room to use as a studio, or even the spare hours to while away. I rekindled my art journey (from the embers of a rather long-distant art A- level) while a bit stuck in an office job that didn’t give me enough to do or offer any outlet for the creativity I was sure was still lurking somewhere inside. I certainly didn’t have the right space or materials but somehow it grew, and the joy I found in those first sketches has endured, working around house moves, small non-sleeping babies, larger non-sleeping children, and any number of other demands on my time. There have been periods where I’ve hardly drawn at all, and others where I sketch every day.
An honest ‘what I can see’ sketch from a few years back – paint on an old saucer, apple core and a baby monitor. Oh, and honestly, I drew very little when my children were babies! Hats off to anyone who manages anything!
In this book I’m not aiming to give you step-by-step instructions to create sketches that look like mine, or even a guide to follow a similar creative path. Instead, I hope to give you some suggestions for places to start sketching based on where you are right now, to help with the eternal question ‘I don’t know what to draw’, and a few techniques that will give you quick results and allow you to find the confidence to go and explore by yourself. To help you rekindle that joyful feeling that only creating can bring!
I’ve aimed this book at absolute beginners, but included pointers for directions you can head in to find out more if any of the subjects are especially interesting. I can also imagine it would be helpful to a more regular sketcher who struggles for subjects, or someone coming back to art after a few years or a change in circumstances.
Find the interest and beauty in the everyday, in the things that are around you right now. You don’t have to paint the Mona Lisa or the Sistine Chapel – especially if they’re not something you come across on a regular basis. Instead, create art based on what, and where, you are today.
The first few pages will give you an overview of tools you might like to track down and how you can use them. If you prefer something different, please go ahead! There are suggestions for subjects, exercises and things to sketch throughout the book. Pick the one that most interests you and start there, or work through them from beginning to end. Follow every suggestion to the letter, or just take inspiration from one or two pages. All I hope is that you start to fill that sketchbook!
What
DO I NEED?
MATERIALS
As with most of my advice, the key message is going to be: do what works best for you! If you’re someone who likes to embark on a project with a perfect array of new tools, then by all means head down to your local art shop and start a collection. But if you prefer not to commit until you’re sure you’ll like it, or have a tendency to ‘save things for best’ and then never use them, I’d encourage you to make a start with whatever you have to hand.
I use waterproof ink and watercolour as my go-to sketching materials and that’s what you’ll primarily see throughout this book. It’s a medium that works well when you’re sketching at speed, so I’d definitely recommend it for anyone short of time or who wants quick results.
Basic
At the most basic level all you need is something to draw with, and something to draw on. Your house will probably already be full of those. Hunt down a ballpoint pen, or whatever you use to scribble notes whilst you’re on the phone. A pencil, felt-tip or even a wax crayon will do for a start. Then an old notebook – even one with lined paper could work – the back of an envelope or electricity bill? If you’ve found a few different tools and papers, a first exercise can be to see which work well together. Wetter ink (felt-tips or ink pens) will bleed on some papers (the ink will spread out and go a bit spidery), which can be a good effect but annoying if you’re trying to create a clean line. Try out a few options to see which work and what you feel the most comfortable with.
I have a jar full of brushes, but probably stick to three favourites 90% of the time
Something to draw with...
A pencil is often the first thing people new to drawing pick up – it’s versatile, you can shade