365 Day's of Drawing... Some Drawings from that.

  When I look through my folder of drawings from each day since November, I can remember something from each of those days which otherwise would be lost to memory forever. I don't remember everything from the particular day, but I remember the moment I was drawing, what my surroundings were, and sometimes I remember the very thoughts that were running through my head while I was drawing that picture.

Here are a few recent sketches from my daily drawing challenge:

As you can see, a lot of my drawings lately have taken on a sketchbook page style. I think I might begin a sketchbook so I can sketch away there and do a proper drawing for my 'official' daily drawing! I've been wanting to make some sketchbooks of my own lately, here is some of my inspiration for it.

Pages from my sketchbook

Here are some pages from my sketchbook in response to Loriann Signori's challenge on her blog. 

I use my sketchbooks as places to scribble when I don't feel like doing a proper drawing but want to make marks with my pencil anyway. Or I use them it for daily sketching challenges which I love or preliminary sketches for more finished drawings or paintings.

 

This first photo is one of several I have done from famous paintings. I find the best way to learn more about a master's work is to copy his masterpieces. I discovered allot about 'In the Conservatory' when I did this page. And also about the artist. Art Project Powered by Google is a great reference for this kind of thing.

On this second page are a couple of sketches I did in preparation for a portrait of the girl. They were really helpful and decided me on the first pose as an open smile really doesn't look good in a portrait.

These last two are from a daily sketch challenge I set myself earlier in the year. I always find my hand eye drawing skills are given a huge boost after I draw heaps and heaps and regularly.

My big sketchbook, the first few pages

  Here are the first few pages on a new sketchbook of mine which I bought recently. It's a big one, A3 in size and I'm making a sort of project out of it. I intend to mainly draw in it copies of famous art works along with words about the work and the artist. I have always loved sketches and words together, don't you! Like Leonardo's famous manuscripts and such things. 

So this is sort of like a casual course of study to get to know better the works of the masters. There is no better way to know a picture than to copy it. I agree with many artists that copying is an important learning tool which naturally be replaced by one's own style of drawing.

    The drawings on this last page are sketches for a larger finished drawing I am doing for a neighbour, the mother of the beautiful girl. She was only 18 when, tragically, she drowned some years ago. I was honored to be asked to draw her portrait.

Coming on...

This big painting is going very very slowly! I haven't worked on it for days, sort of lost inspiration, but I'll finish it, don't worry. This is what it looks like at present. 

I have been doing lots more drawing than painting lately, I'll show you my sketchbook tomorrow.