Sketching is one of the best forms of practice for drawing. A sketch is usually an unfinished drawing, but it can also be something more elaborate that may or may not be the basis for a full drawing or painting.

Sketches can be done in pencil, charcoal, ink, watercolour, oils or acrylic paint and on any surface. Working from life is the best method, but reference photos can be used as well.

The constant practice of observing and allowing your mind to translate what you see to your hand on paper will improve both your ability to observe and the speed and accuracy of the lines that you put down.

Daily sketching, even if only for five minutes provides the means to improve your drawing skills.

This thread will act as an open sketch book for you to practice your drawing skills and show the world what you are doing.

I'll start the ball rolling with providing a sketch that I did of some of my lunch. Drawn from life, mechanical pencil 2B lead in my Moleskine sketchbook.

What are you drawing today?

started doing that today... need to do alot more and fix alota stuff i did so far ...

Great stuff Antisnow, I like the dark/light contrast

A sketch done on site at Quidi Vidi Lake. Pen and ink, Rapidograph, done in Moleskine sketchbook.

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Off the topic a bit, but I've seen moleskines in the shops, and while tempted to buy because they were the sketchpads used by Da Vinci, the price makes me wonder whats so special about them...? do they make you Da Vinci?

LOVEY DRAWING YOU TOO

heres one of mine

DaVinci didn't use a Moleskine - or not that I know of. The manufacturer Modo & Modo claims the notebook has been used by other well-known artists and writers, such as Picasso, Matisse, and Hemingway, it is not clear that they used the same style of notebook as Chatwin, though there is evidence that they used some kind of pocket notebook.

I like Moleskine sketchbooks because the quality of the paper is so distinct and smooth - perfect for drawing on and I can open it flat and draw across two pages to increase my drawing paper size. Its easily portable and discreet so I can sketch unobtrusively in cafes and parks.

It takes most types of dry mediums. I have tried watercolour and it sort of beads up on the paper due to the coating I presume, but the effect can be interesting. A watercolour Moleskine has been developed also which has similar features to the sketchbook, but of course heavier watercolour paper.

It probably is a bit of a trend thing, and it was a long while before I bought one. Now I'm hooked. Try one and see what you think.

Cute sketch UKartist!

Thanks

this is what I am drawing at the moment inbetween the drawing challenge I recieved a birthday card with this picture on it so I thought I would draw it there is another dog to do yet at the side of it

David nice to see you using the grid lines to get it done right. I hadn't tried a project with that yet, but it looks like you have a good handle on getting it drawn properly.

I picked up a small 3x5 moleskine sketchbook at a French Department Store. I've only done a couple of sketches that I've posted in my Gallery. But I must say that even though the size I chose is small, it is very easy to get a subject together on the page, do it discreetly, and IslandBaby is right that the pencil glides across the page very easily.

Eric

My sketches are extremely rough at the moment and I only started putting time into sketching at the beginning of September. I worked at it when I was in Europe on business for a week and a couple small trips afterward. I'm so much more motivated when I'm seeing something different than my usual daily fare. And it's actually easier to find time when I'm away and my other artistic endeavors aren't calling for me, not to mention the dishes and other chores. Bleah.

If you want to see what I've done they're in a section of my webpage, although I'm not done annotating the Europe one yet.

http://www.artbybethrobinson.com/sketchbooks

I hope to spend some more time sketching this weekend when we're at a friend's wedding and if I do I'll upload one here as well as updating my page. Great idea for a thread!

Beth

thanks eric using grid lines helps a lot you can use each box like a seperate drawing to get the picture right i used to use it years ago then was able to draw without it but I havent got my confidence back totally yet got to keep practising all the best dave

I'm posting a drawing that I've started but haven't had much time to work on & probably won't for a while. When I can't work steadily at something, I tend to forget about it & don't finish so I'm hoping this will prompt/shame me into remembering! (I guess this is the same as giving permission to SOME people to prod me unmercifully until I do get it done but please don't start for at least a week as there will be a lot happening in RL next week!)

Grids are mostly more of a hindrance than a help for me so this is all freehand. Of course, have a lot yet to do on just the basic drawing, especially the feathers on the viewers right side.
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J

PS - the original photo is from the reference library at WC & by Crispycritter

This is a good drawing David and grids are a good way to make sure you have an accurate likeness. I don't use them often but they are a great tool when startng out.

Love the bird J-Lynn, the pose is interesting. Will it be all graphite or are you using colour?

I've been using pen and ink a lot lately with just a few placement lines to set myself up on the page. This is a sketch of an african violet on my table. Rapidograph, .25 nib on Canson sketchbook 8 x 5[attachmentid=239]

I liked this pose also - you can't really see it in my sketch (& I don't think it's approriate to post the ref from another forum without permission) but the bird appears to be sitting on a ledge of some kind. Also, the photo is in grayscale so I think I'll continue on with it & maybe do it later in ink with a w/c wash or something. I'm not confident of my ability with ink without a pencil sketch first.

I think your violets would look really great as an ink sketch with w/c - would you consider that for another drawing? I like the sketch as it is but flowers always scream at me for color! lol

J

thanks jeanette as I said I used to be able to draw pretty good without the grids but I havent drawn for years so getting plenty of practice. I agree with you j-lynn I think flowers look better in colour I wish I could paint

great topic see attached

thsi is another one of Brenda excellent lessions I am currently working on

Maurice

David, I love this little dog. Of course, I just love animals period, but I think you're off to a great start here. Will you please post it when it's finished?

I was doodling with some new watercolor pencils & did the following in about 15 minutes or so. I don't know that I'll ever use colored pencils as such (I'll leave that up to Venus & Islander!) but I think I like these w/c pencils.

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J-Lynn, OMG you did a fabulous job with the pencils!!! Don't give up they are fun and I do prefer water color pencils over colored pencils. Your bowl looks perfect and the apples look yummy. Here is two pictures I did a while back early this summer before I found drawspace...

I love pen and wash work J-Lynn and the violets would look nice with some colour, I agree. I'm not a flower person, I very rarely draw them because they don't interest me much. This was just a sketch of an object in front of me at the time that happened to work out well.

Good apple drawing too. The colours are very realistic. I do practice runs in a sketchbook of drawings in coloured pencil so I can work out colour swatches and shapes before I commit to a full drawing.

Maurice, these are wonderful drawings. I love the lines and tones. Beautiful.

These are lovely sketches Venus. I like the first image best as its soft and flows well with no harsh lines. Good work!

Here's a pen and wash sketch of a heritage tomato that I grew in the greenhouse this summer - Green Zebra. I went through a period of doing nothing but these and sort of fell into a rut with them. But pen work is more forgiving than I thought so it became addictive.

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Islander that is a very good picture. Now when you say pen and wash do you mean like pen over water colors? I remember having to do that my junior year of high school and I won an award for it but for the life of me I cannot remember how to start them. Ohhh Well I really like yours though. Looks great.

Venus, I usually start off with pen then do a watercolour wash over that. But you can do the reverse and it works just as well.

More sketching

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Ohhh ok Islander I wasn't sure if you had to do one or the other first because I wasn't sure if the picture actually looked good if one would comflict with the other and ruin the image and work that was put into it. Thats ok though because I have tons of books coming that I ordered that should just about cover everything I am interested. I can wait. Hub is gonna be ticked because I will be making myself super busy. I even got a dvd instructional videp for chinese brush painting. All early birthday presents to myself. I have alot of drawing and watercolour books and acrylic painting.

You Go for it Venus

I've been on an animal sketching fest this weekend. Here are a couple of simple line drawings.

Now come on lurkers, get sketching! And posting.

Here are a few sketches from my sketchbook, they are not a work in progress but more observations and experiments with pen and wash.
Hope you like them.

RJS


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here is a Lamborghini I drew:

I love these sketches RJS. The colours are so fresh and the whole sketch is light and loose. WOnderful work.

Flashy car Dalto...nice one.

thanks islanderNL

A sketch of my hand and sleeve

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Hello Everybody!

I'm new here and the past few weeks I absolutely enjoyed reading all your posts and looking at the beautiful drawings you all make. I just started drawing and in comparison to your drawings there is really much to learn for me.
I have tried to draw a few lessons like the portret of Brooke and the Eye on Melissa and I would appreciate your comments and tips.

Renske

ps I want to appologize for possible mistakes in my English. I'm from the Netherlands and I'm doing the best I can

Working on this now

Excellent work Twentse. You've done a great job on these drawing exercises.

Interesting sketch Antisnow, its looking good.

thanks IslanderNL, I find especially the eyelashes very difficult, but they turned out quiet fine.

Renske

And I don't mind, but you can call me Renske or Twentse Student -> it means student in a region named Twente in the Netherlands. so Twentse itself means nothing.
Renske

Nice work, Renske! Especially for a beginner

Here's some sketches i've done on the train on the way to and from college recently:

Renske, the secret to doing eyelashes is that less is more. They need to follow the line of growth and be subtle, not heavy lines.

Lizzeh, drawing on a train or plane or waiting room is great fun as you have a captive audience, except when they reach their stop. These are wonderful sketches!

Here's a sketch I did recently of a pillow, done in charcoal.

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Suppose to be amy lee from Evanescence, but i dont think it looks like her =/

Wow i just came in here cause I get kinda lost ...still new to getting to all the places .. and you guys have some really great stuff here .
Jeanette I love the hand and pillow ...sometimes simple looks perfect
RJS I love your cords .. I really like the way you did those .. looks like a drawing from a instruction booklet
Dalto your car is amazing .
lizzeh ...looks like classes pay off ..nice work .
Renske..always nice seeing your work ..well done
Antisnow ...I like the one that looks like the crow .. very nice .

here is a pic I did many years back and just found again .. its tinker bell Dah ! lol it was drawn for my daughter when she was in the hospital at two years old .

Gee Kim, I wish I had a Mom to draw me pictures like this when I was sick. Your daughter must be so lucky to have you. You do some fantastic work.

Everyone here has submitted some fascinating pieces of sketchwork. Even though its called Open Sketch Book, many look like full pieces.

Keep this thread going as its a great tool to inspire young (sic*) artists like myself.

Eric

Thank you Eric...I draw alot for my girls .. my daughters give me a discription of their friend .. like blue eyes blondish red hair long straight .. fav color ....and i put it all into a fairy picture for them .. personalized...the kids love it ...most people tell me i shouldnt do it ...but I dont get why not ..I love kids and if a simple drawing can make one smile .. I on it ! lol ..when my daughter was in the hospital lol I stayed the night and a little girl was in the bed next to hers and I had drawn so many pics and taped them to my daughters plastic cover over the top of peds beds .. well the little girl asked to see one .. and before you knew her bed was covered also lol .. later that evening when the girls were sleeping a nurse came in and said ..the girls parents dont stay with her ..and only come for a couple hours a day .. I felt so bad for her .. but when we left ..the nurse stopped me in the hall and said .. thank you .. i said why ? and she said that the little girl seemed much happier ..she thinks the drawings cheered her up ....paper and colored pencil can you believe it ..thats all it took .
sorry to run on .. lol
Kim

Hi Everyone.
Haven't had much time to draw lately, but I drew this last weekend while watching the Cardinals game. Thought I'd share. Go Cardinals!



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Very nice Donny .. I like that .. and here I thought the cardinals was baseball LOL .. I know nothing about sports .. and dont care to watch them but .. your drawing of the cardinal football players is awsome .

Cardinals ARE baseball and the pic looks like a Washington Redskin. My favorite team when I lived outside Washington DC. Still is I guess. Just not much of a sports fan any more.

The pic is great, Donny.

Danny (oops!), nice drawing and you captured the action so well. How did you get them to stand still long enough to get all the detail in? Ooops! sorry, it's probably a trade secret!

I almost thought you were putting out a root for the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team. That would have been quite dangerous considering all the Michiganders on the site and the Cardinals and Detroit Tigers battling it out right now in the World Series. Luckily, you were saved when those football helmets showed up.

GO TIGERS !!!!

Eric

Thanks! I use a lot of photos as reference material when I draw, as I did with this one.

Redskins are football. Cardinals are baseball. One team is doing great, and the other is not. Go Cards!

By the way, if anyone is inteested in reference photos, here is a site that I use. There are thousands of photos that are not copyrighted so you can right-click download them and save them for future reference.

http://www.dpchallenge.com/photo_gallery.php

And since they are not copyrighted, I beleive they could be used as reference on future challanges.....

Thanks for the link, Donny. Holy cow, they have a lot of photos. They're great! It will keep me busy for hours. Thank goodness they are catagorized.

Go Cardinals!! I'm with you. Speedo's a great guy (Eric), he just has the wrong team.

Cyn


OOOPS! I just looked closer at your avatar. Is it Danny and not Donny? Sorry Danny!

Cyn

Hey All, I think we need to be careful about using images from that site for anything beyond giving ideas, or personal sketches, as this is part of the disclaimer on the bottom of the site..."All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission."