First of all, can I tell you some of the reasons that I might not sketch even when it’s a fine day for sketching and I’m out in the world.
I’m worried that if I make a bad sketch it’ll put me in a bad mood.
I’m too lazy to gather up my whole art kit and bring it with me.
I have no idea what to draw.
The thing is when I don’t sketch, I get so mad at myself for being such an NPC. So I decided, “We gotta do something about this!”
So dear brother and sister artists, welcome to the…
Carry a sketchbook you don’t really care about: I’m talking about a non-fancy sketchbook that you’re never going to show off to people or feature on a social media post. Why? Because now you can say to yourself, “Some of the drawings in this sketchbook are going to be not-so-good, but I don’t care ‘cause no one will ever see them, so instead of a bad drawing putting me in a bad mood, I’m just going to flip the page and draw a new one right away.”
Just grab one (or two) drawing implements. Why? Because now, you can sail out the door like the freest person in the world with a single drawing tool and a sketchbook. And without that whole pack of art supplies you’ve also freed yourself from worrying about what to draw with and what colors to use. For me I grab my PITT OIL-BASED PENCIL and sometimes its friendly red-haired cousin the SANGUINE PITT OIL-BASED PENCIL. But of course you can pick whatever you want.
Draw Whatever You See. Now that you are carrying everything you need in your hands, you can crack that sketchbook open wherever, without it being a big deal and you can pop that drawing tool into your hand and draw whatever is in front of you like you used to when you were six years old — not agonizing over WHAT to draw or HOW it’s gonna look but instead, just keeping your drawings free and fun and quick … and if it doesn’t look good — who cares? — flip that page and start all over again.
Don’t take more than five or ten minutes on your sketches!
If this system works for you like it works for me you’ll find that when you are wavering about bringing your art kit along with you, you’ll just pick up that funky old sketchbook and those one or two drawing tools and carry them with you wherever you go and you’ll find you will sketch 20 times more than you used to.
TWO THINGS I LEARNED: How to see things more SIMPLY and the wisdom of drawing the same thing two or three times.
Here are some prompts to help you get started. If you try one of these and post it please tag me. And remember if you don’t like the way your sketch turned out, just try it again.
So simple right? Wherever you are and whatever you see just draw it. Don’t worry about tonal values, details and colors, ignoring anything that feels burdensome to draw. That’s how you keep it super simple and fun. And if it doesn’t work out just turn that page and start all over again.
If the scene feels a little overwhelming — be kind to yourself — just pick one thing and put all your attention on that.
If you’re home and you have five minutes of free time, grab that sketchbook and draw something that’s right in front of you. Have fun and don’t worry about making it look realistic. One day you will look at that drawing and remember how much you like that thing you drew. Plus that thing you drew will say, “Thank you.”
You can draw someone you’re with or someone you see out the window or someone who is hanging out in the same place you’re in. I even draw faces of people when I’m watching TV or on social media. Don’t worry about capturing a perfect likeness, just capture the person as best as you can and make it fun for yourself.
If you’re in a car (but not driving lol) or out on the street or in a busy place where nothing stays still, just have fun and draw like you would construct a collage - putting this, that and the other thing wherever you want.
That’s it! Thanks for reading and I hope this was helpful and if you try any of these quick and easy sketches please tag me when you post them.
Your comrade in sketching,
Josh
I’d love to hear your thoughts about quick’n’easy, no-pressure sketching.
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