Every Day Sketches

Once again, a friend and I have challenged each other to try to make at least one sketch each day in November. Here are some that I feel comfortable posting.

 Some have been mundane...

Some have been sketched while I've waited...

Sometimes I've sketched looking out windows...

or on a walk...

I've gone to figure drawing sessions...

I've drawn plants....

and I've drawn with friends...

(If you look closely on the teapot lid, you'll see the reflections of some sketchers. You'll have to trust me on this.)

About two weeks into the challenge, I felt pressured to sketch and was counting the days left in the month. Then in about the third week, I was back in the swing of things and it was easy to find a subject to draw. Lots of times, I'd start planning what I might sketch the next day. Like any habit, it gets easier with time and eventually, a day doesn't feel complete until I've sketched.

Spiral Drawing

I've been taking a Sketchbook Skool class and last week's instructor was Miguel Herranz. One of his suggestions was to start a drawing in the center and then spiral out from that instead of doing a layout first. One advantage to this kind of sketching is that you can stop at almost any time and you have a fairly complete looking sketch. Somehow, I haven't found it very easy to stop, though.

I started the Jamison Square sketch yesterday and went back to finish it today. I had drawn the birch trees with white gel pen and they looked like ghost trees. Today, Deb informed me that they are infected with Birch Boar and are indeed dying. That's too bad. I've been drawing these trees over several years and it will be sad to see them go.

This next sketch was drawn from inside at the always welcoming Ovation Coffee Shop, bordering the Fields. A few of us sketched inside, waiting for the drizzle to end. Again, Deb helped me out by giving me an Urban Sketcher sticker to cover up the partially drawn dog that I didn't have time to finish before it walked away.