The Sunday Spread: December 16, 2023
Hi there. How are you?
Welcome back to the Sunday Spread. Each week I give you a glimpse into my sketchbook and drawing practice. Posted most Sundays.
12/8: It’s Ok to Make ‘Bad’ Art
I often give myself “rules” to follow in my sketchbook spreads. Limiting the amount of colors and/or marks makes it challenging but also relaxing. With less decisions to make, I can settle in, zone out and explore the mark.
In this spread, I gave myself 3 colors and just one mark: short straight lines. I started in the right hand corner as I often do as a lefty. I worked on it I liked where this one was going, but then I got bored and didn’t have patience to continue with the little hatches. I changed up my mark and kinda ruined it in the process. Instead of carrying on, I abandoned it, and that’s ok. It’s so much about the process for me, so if I’m no longer enjoying this, there’s no reason to continue on.
So, I moved onto a new spread.
12/9: Revisiting Some Favorite Marks
Last week, I used this same vocabulary of marks to make a spread. I don’t like the lines that I thickened (doesn't look purposeful) and I’m not fond of the extra lines I added to the upper left corner at the last minute. I like this, but I wasn’t entirely satisfied, so I made another.
12/11: Third Times a Charm
The more I practiced these marks, the easier they flowed onto the page. I may go back and thicken up some of the lines to create more contrast and make some areas stand out more than the rest.
I put in the work, practiced the marks, and enjoyed the process. That’s what it’s all about for me.
Sketchbook Slowdown
I make a conscious effort to work in my sketchbook a few times every week, but that hasn’t happened lately. We’ve been on the go since Thanksgiving, so my time has been limited. On top of that, I just haven’t felt like drawing.
I’ll give myself for a break for a bit, but then I’ll make time to sit down and draw something, anything, just to get my groove back. Newton’s Law of Motion applies to artmaking too! It’s so much easier to maintain momentum when you’re creating regularly.
That’s All For Now
I leave you with Richard being sleepy and cute. I’m happy to report that he still hasn’t pulled down the Christmas tree. Now if he could just stop waking me up at 3:30AM, that would be great!
