Daily Sketching Practice
Love it or hate it?
Hey there,
Do you love diving into your sketchbook every day or does the idea make you cringe? Well, let's chat about it!
I always hear the advice to sketch daily, but I must admit, I haven't been the best at sticking to it. When I do pick up my pencil, it's usually for a specific project or idea I'm excited about. Whether it's kids chasing after an ice-cream truck or a whimsical scene, I dive right into sketching out my vision.
But why not sketch daily, you ask? For me, it's all about having a purpose behind my sketches rather than just doodling aimlessly. However, I've realized that if I want to level up my illustration game, daily sketching is the way to go.
Here's why:
1. Just like a daily workout strengthens your muscles, daily sketching hones your skills bit by bit.
2. When a project pops up, you'll be ready to sketch out your ideas in a flash.
3. It's a fantastic way to define your unique style.
4. Daily sketching sparks ideas for personal illustrations, character development, and even story concepts.
5. It trains you to draw from memory, not just observation.
I'm making a commitment to 10 minutes of sketching each day, inspired by Adam Ming's "10 Minute Artist" Substack. It's a small daily investment that I believe will pay off big time.
Last month Beth Spencer (her substack is “Introvert Drawing Club”) and Adam Ming joined up for “Drawing Pets: Microlessons and sketch book project”. I enjoyed following their prompts and as bonus I loved seeing all of Beth’s rescues- they are so adorable 🥰
I completed 7 days, plus a bonus day where I created a full-color drawing based on my sketches.
Sure, my sketches might not look perfect right now (in fact I don’t like them at all), but it's all about progress over perfection, right? I'm excited to continue this daily practice and share my growth with you in 6 months. I've also been playing around with different Procreate brushes and techniques and eager to explore more.
So, here they are, my sketches with all their quirks and imperfections.
Bonus
Colour illustration inspired by my sketches.
Some quick tips on sketching from a few members of the illoguild.
Tammy says: Spice up your sketches by experimenting with different materials like paint and markers.
Damjana (newsletter) suggests: Practice at home first, then take your sketchbook out into the world for fresh inspiration.
Chantelle's advice: Create an album or Pinterest board of images to draw from. When you've got those precious 10 minutes to sketch, you won't waste a second searching for inspiration.
News
I was featured in ‘Just Write for Kids’ series on ‘amazing kidlit illustrators’. It was so great to chat to Romi Sharp about my process, inspiration and published work. You can read it here.
For those of you in Sydney, ‘Our Australian Heart’ is now available at Harry Hartog Bondi Junction. One of my illustrations is featured in this beautiful anthology and proceeds go to The indigenous Literacy Foundation.
You can also listen to the Illoguild Live March session all about ‘Embracing Rejection’. It’s great to listen on the go and it will keep you motivated!
I plan to try a new project to level up my illustrations every week an I also plan to keep up with 10 minutes of sketch a day. I will show you my progress.
Please share your experiences with sketching in the comments- love it or hate it?
And I would especially like to find other newsletters on Substack that offer weekly exercises to improve my art and illustrations. Please drop the links below.
Thanks for reading!
You can see more of my work on my website or instagram.
Also please check out the Illoguild Newsletter! It comes out next week!
All the contributors will be tackling the question “What happens behind the scenes?”
My Books
‘Our Australian Heart’ is an anthology celebrating Australia, featuring my illustration “New Life at The Great Barrier Reef”. Sale proceeds are to be donated to The Indigenous Literary Foundation.
Mia’s grandma is no ordinary grandmother. She is a very busy grandmother who is curious, fashionable and adventurous. Glamma always has time to share her love of the world with her granddaughter Mia, so is she just like any other grandmother?
Little Shark Lulu is Sleeping Little Shark Lulu is trying very hard to go to sleeeep…
But, all around her, lots of sea life are wide awake and busily hunting, eating or playing. How can Lulu nod off with all that underwater fun and games?