Daily drawing is an essential to help you grow and learn as an artist. If you draw something daily, you will find over a period of time that your ability to see shapes and translate them onto paper will have dramatically increased. You will draw more quickly and more efficiently and will render what you see much better.

The traditional drawing class uses real objects to draw from, not references. To study an object in front of you shows you a 3 dimensional image whereas in a reference photo it is one dimensional. The benefits to drawing from life are enormous and so rewarding.

I am suggesting a weekly sketching challenge that will encourage people to sketch more quickly, to sketch outside and to sketch in public.

Now here's a little field trip so you can view some famous artist's sketchbooks to inspire you.

http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread...threadid=350863

Now here is the meat of the thread. This is a list of objects that you may choose to draw from.
You can choose one thing or 10 things.
They must be sketched from life, not imagination or photographs.
You can use any medium that you like.
When you've drawn your image, then post it here.
You have 7 days to draw items from this list.
There will be no commenting on sketches.

The next list will go up on the morning of November 17th. It would be wonderful if people would like to create their own list for this thread. Just let me know if you would like submit a list and I'll set up a schedule.

Have fun drawing!

Milk carton
Light bulb
Something transparent
Something wooden
Kettle
Loaf of bread
A clock
A knife
A vegetable
View from your backdoor
Your bed
Radio
Pickle
Bookcase
Cloud
Box/card of matches
Candlestick
A bridge
Chocolate
Paint brush
Crackers
Ice cream
Something you dislike
Coffee pot or tea pot
Your wallet or pocketbook (where you keep your cash)
a boulder or large rock

This is a wonderful idea. So far I have drawn mostly from photos. I really do need to learn to do something freehand. I will see what I can do without the photos to show me where the shadows go. LOL I needed this drive to push me out there to do it.
I am so glad you posted this. Thank you Jeanette.

Jeanette I think this is a wonderful idea. I haven't done any of the things you have listed but i do like every once in awhile to look for something small and unique around the house and sit and draw it. I think I am going to get alot of stuff done today. No kids this weekend!!! WOOHOO me

I would love to set up a list .. this is a wonderful idea and thank you for comming up with it .. with winter comming this will be so nice .
Kim

Jeanette,
This is a great idea. I immediatly jumped up grabed a sketch pad, pencil and eraser and went to it. After lifting myself off the floor. (I fell their laughing after I saw what my feet really look like) Icalled a doctor but couldn't decided if he should check out my feet or my sketch. So then I decided to post instead. At this point I walked up to the computer and found to my amazment that on your list there was no chair, no cat and no feet!
Not even a newspaper! I guess I'm starting my list for next week. In the mean time I'm posting these anyway so you all can see what was so funny. I'll then go back to read that list.
Paulette [attachmentid=742][attachmentid=743]
PS I started taking my picture of my drawing outside for better light. It looks 100% better to me, but my monitor is very dark(needs to be replaced) so I wonder if they look right to you guys compared to my old ones in past posts. ( these sketches are on the light side on their own)

Venue, no kids all weekend! WOOHOO indeed! lol That's a great break for you, I hope you enjoy your time.

It would be wonderful if you do a list Kim. I'd love to see one from everyone., its good to have variety.

Cyn, drawing from life really does make a difference and helps you 'see' much more effectively. I know you'll enjoy it.

Paulette, your post made me laugh. Your sketches are wonderful, keep drawing, keep posting. Anything and everything is fabulous.

Here's a sketch from me - my kettle. Done in pen and ink in my Moleskine sketchbook. Not the straightest kettle but I was standing up at the time. lol



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I was just going to ask you jeanette .. whats a kettle .. lol now I know thank you .
the list do you want it posted here .. or wait until this is done and just e-mail you the list ...wouldnt want to confuse people .

you don't have a kettle Kim? lol How can you make tea?

When your list is done, send it to me and I'll post it in a new thread next Saturday morning.

we drink ice tea .. lol ... we have a coffee pot lol .

Jeanette I don't have a tea kettle either. When I want a cup of tea I get the old sause pan out and boil the water in there for tea. I can never find one when I am looking for one. I want to do a list too. Just let me know when we need it.

Shaking head...no kettles...LOL I'd cease to exist without my kettle

Venus, wonderful yes another list would be great. You have two weeks to come up with one. Send me the list a few days before its due and I'll post it in a new thread.

I'll add a list of people who's list will be listed and when. That sentence doesn't make sense does it? lol

Jeanette that was funny--it does make sense i think. at least i understood it. i thought my words got tangled. but anyway what a great idea, i have been putting off sketching and now i guess its time to start. i think i might use pen on some too. i did buy one but have been to scared to use it. thanks.
Lori
ps great sketches so far.

[attachmentid=770]well here is my first sketch, ahhhh, it even looks worse on here!!! i did it in about 10 min, i think. i am going out later so i will be taking my sketch book with me. i did this with hb pencil.
Lori

Oh the hardships we put ourselves through....I went for "something transparent" for my sketch. I set up a pair of transparent drinking glasses for a still life. I lit the set up from above and slightly behind the glasses.

The thing that made these a bit ticky is that the bottoms of the glasses are very thick. They also have knobby bottoms....Something like having pea-size clear marbles embedded in the bottoms. From where I sat I could see the knobs through the bottoms of the glasses and I could also see a warpped image of the knobs through the thick bottoms AND the knobs also cast an unusual shadow on the surface they were sitting on!

Anyway, I took a stab at them. I actually draw more from life than I do from photos, so I enjoy this sort of thing.

Chris

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I like the chair Lori, it looks very comfy.

Chris, love the glasses, I think you've captured them very well, tricky bottoms and all! Draving from life is so rewarding in terms of learning and practice.

should we edit our first post when we do more than one sketch. let me know, here is another sketch i did of a milk carton. thanks jeanette, i am starting to loosen up a bit. being a little more free i think. it is addicting and fun.
love the glasses they are great/
Lori

Here's a clock that I sketched on plain ole printer paper with a regular 2 HB pencil. I love the shape of this clock & wanted to practice getting somewhat even circles but ----

The clock fell off my desk some time ago & the bezel (is that what the glass part is called?) broke so there are no glass reflections & the shading on the metal trim was beyond me to get to look anywhere near realistic.

Also, every time I looked at my paper, the angle changed when I looked back at the clock! How does one combat that?

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Paulette! Thanks for the good belly laugh! Your chair looks great & I see from your 2nd toe that you're the boss in your family! lol (Old wives tale)

Jeanette, is your kettle electric? We don't have one either & if we have tea, use a sauce pan also.

Lori! your chair looks good! Like that milk jug too!

Chris, great job on those glasses - I was glad my clock's glass front was broken so I wouldn't have to deal with glass at this point in time!

J

Lori good job ...I am doing more than one on a sheet . too save paper lol .
Chris freaking outstanding ... I cant even believe what a good job that is .
J ..your clock is great I was going to do my alarm clock ....saying this so quiet so Jeanette dont hear me .....shhh .. I dont have a wall clock either lol .
everyone is doing such a great job on these.

this post is a great idea. i much prefer drawing from life, all i need are a few ideas about what to draw

This is a sketch i did of a bridge in Shrewsbury, its a really pretty town in England, lots of old buildings and its all surrounded by the river. I'm only here for a year so i thought i'd try and sketch as much of the town as i can. This sketch was done back in the summer when it was nice and warm, and still light at 5 in the evening!!!! i think i'll stick to the indoor objects for a little while....

Kate

kate--that is a awesome sketch. i love it. thanks kim and everyone, i did two more on this one. i think i will do more on the next to. i just cant stop sketching now. everyones sketches look so good. this is such a fun challenge. this is my husbands desk lamp and a part sketch of our dog taking a nap. oh i dont think i have a clock either so i will have to do alarm clock too. and its digital!!
Lori

Wow! Everyone has done so well. As soon as this was posted I left for the weekend and while my cousin was fixing dinner I did this loaf of bread. Not the traditional bread, but it has a plastic wrapper, so I figured that it covers the bread AND the something transparent.

I used a #2 soft crossword puzzle pencil and her computer paper.

Jeanette, I'm here to save you, I have a kettle! You are not existing in your own little world. Not only is it a kettle, but it has ambiance as well. It goes on a gas stove and ...wait for this...it has a steam activated whistle to let you know when it boils!
My kettle is stainless steel with a blackhandle. It is reflecting everythig in the kitchen as well as two lights. I asked my husband if my sketch looked like it was reflecting. He said (as I was staring him down) "Yes! Well sorta, well no." He beat a quick retreat
[attachmentid=787]
Paulettte

No Lori, don't bother editing your post to add more sketches, just put them in the thread as you would normally. I'm glad you're enjoying the thread, it should be fun and you'll really see improvements in your drawing skills in a short time if you keep drawing. Great jug sketch!

J-Lynn, love the clock, I have one similar to it but broader - a Baby Ben I think its called with Westminster chimes. Yes, my kettle is electric.

Kim, Kim, Kim....writing down a list of household objects to send to Kim...kettle, clock...anything else? lol

This is a lovely bridge Kate, you've really caught it well.

Lori, good job on the lamp and dog, you're really getting into this!

Cyn, fabulous bread, I love it!

Paulette! Thank heavens, another kettle!!! I was thinking I was the only person in the world with one! LOL
Men - what do they know about reflections...

Here's the view from my backdoor. The fence was put up to keep my old dog contained but now is being pulled down as he's no longer around. Every one of the ducks, geese and chickens came by to see what I was doing as I sketched this, so a few got added into the sketch.

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Wow everyone is doing such a great Job on these .. wonderful idea Jeanette .
Kate I love the Bridge .....we dont have a bridge around here LOL no Jeanette you dont have to send me a bridge lol .
Lori i live your sketches I hope I do mine as well .
Cyn .. the Bread is awsome .. the bag is done beautifuly.
Paulette......your kettle is great ..even though i do not have one lol
Jeanette ....I wood like to set out in your backyard and you could make some tea and serve it out of your kettle ....or is it only made in a kettle .. lol ..
I have done my husbands pocket knife and a book of matches .

This is such a good idea. I have been promising myself for ages that I would freehand sketch every day so this is kinda fun. Everyone is doing such fabulous sketches. I especially love your little dog racedolls!! Jeanette, I too have a kettle - mine is white and black and electric - I couldn't do without it!

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Cheers.......Maire

Paulette, I love your kettle. I have 2 kettles in my kitchen. One electric that I use a lot but my favorite is the whistling tea kettle that I love to use in the winter when I'm wrapped up in a warm blanket , reading a good book and sipping tea..

Kim and Maire, you girls do incredible stuff. Everyone here is so talented. I am not good at sketching from life. I think the bread was just a fluke. Besides, I got to sit and watch my cousin cook. But trust me, I should have helped.

kettle, clock, bridge....will the girl ever have enough???LOL Come on over Kim, I promise you tea made with water from my kettle, served in a bone china cup. I may even throw in a biscuit or two. The matches are wonderful and that knife looks lethally sharp! Good drawing - even if you don't own a kettle

YES, another kettle owner!!! Wow you've been productive Maire! Excellent!!

Now for you non-kettle owners, do you know how much energy you waste using a saucepan to heat up water on the stove? Everyone ask Santa for a kettle...lol

here is my loaf of bread .. yes its white bread and no I dont bake my own ...LOL

Now that is some nice bread Kim. I took the easy way out with the unsliced French Bread. LOL

you guys are so funny!! we dont drink tea or coffee here. though i love the smell of coffee. so i dont have a coffee pot or tea kettle either.
Kim those matches and knife and the bread look fabulous. very real to me.
cyn--i think you sketch wonderfully--i have never sketched before either. i didnt think my stuff looked good at all but i think i am loosing up and being more free and it really helps. keep going.
Lori

Drawing everyday is something I always plan to do....you know how THAT goes!! Anyway, I'm going to take this challenge this week.

I saw this on Saturday when I was finishing a drawing of some milkweed. I'm pleased with it, even tho the fluff doesn't look that fluffy---maybe next time!

Then I saw Chris's glass drawing and I thought, "no way could I draw that well!" So, I knew that I had to try to draw glasses. I've never tried anything transparent before.

I was pleasantly surprised--the glass was better than I thought, altho certainly not perfect! However, I thought the easy part would be the shadow-ha! I re-drew that shadow three times and finally gave up!

All/Any comments welcome!

I always wondered what milkweed was. We have these black and red bugs that swarm the front of our house because it is protected from the wind and gets full sun. Every time the door opens they come in. I'm always vacuuming them up. We have a protected area out back, in the grasslands I see all kinds of milkweed. When I first moved in I called the nature center in a panic. I described the bug and asked ,"what is it? what does it eat? and why does it want in my house?" Luckily the only thing they eat is milkweed and they're just looking to stay warm. I don't always get them all with the vacuum. Can you picture the scene when a teenage girl sees one crawling on the window ...Yah...been there!
I tried the glass also and a milk pitcher. Everybody is doing an excellent job!
Paulette[attachmentid=810]

Paulette-- Your cups are nice, I really like the goblet--the reflections really makes it!

Kim- your matches and knife are terrific.

Cyn- I love that bread, nice job----now, I'm hungry.

Maire-- I think she meant to draw one each day, not all at once (haha)! I like them all, but the lightbulb is my favorite.

Thank you for your comments everyone ..
Jotoha...your glass turned out real nice ..I am worried to try one .. not sure if I can put that look on paper as well .
Paulette .. you glass is great ..you guys make me want to try one lol .

Excellent work everyone. Its great to see you all so actively sketching.

Glass always seems tricky to do but its one of those things that is a perception only. In reality, its no different than anything else you draw. Look carefully for areas of light and shade in the glass. Whatever it is near, you will see reflections of that object/colour in the glass.

Wow! I thought these were supposed to be sketches! You all are doing finished drawings here!

Really nice bridge, Kate, & I envy those perfect arches - that willow tree is a nice touch too!

Lori, great lamp & dog! The dog reminds me of some of the old hounds around here!

Cyn that bread is perfect! You even got the sticky tag exactly right! I'm boggled!

Kim! such detail in mere sketches! Wow, girl! Those are absolutely great!

Maire, how can you do such great work so quickly?

Paulette, neat kettle! Glad you & Maire have one so Jeanette doesn't feel so all alone! lol Nice work on the glassware too.

Jatoha, ditto on your glasses. I also agree that shadows can be hard to get just right. Seems as if it's always the thing that we think will be simple that trips us up, doesn't it?

Jeanette, I like the looseness of your sketch & your backyard looks very inviting. Well - minus the geese anyway! lol I've had chickens & other fowl before & sometimes they can get very mean. It's also the reason I won't go barefoot outside to this day! lol

J

I did not have a milk carton .. so I did a juice carton hope thats ok ..
Thank you everyone for the comments ... i really enjoy this thread .. cause I draw things I would have never thought to draw .
I also love seeing everyones work ..we have so much talent that chats here .

here is two more sketches, my hand and my husband bent over a table drawing.
Kim- i love the orange juice carton, you are wonderful with color.
love the glasses too. i am not too go with clear.
Lori

Great carton Kim, the colour and lettering is very good.

Nice sketches Lori. Just concentrate on light and shade in glass and you'll do well.

Here's some bread that I sketched in pen and ink with wash. There's a great bakery in town that has European bread that is heavenly. Its my indulgence occasionally as I rarely eat bread. I did this drawing a month or so ago, so its cheating a little.


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Very nice Jeanette what did you use ...you said wash ?

I used watercolour Kim - Winsor & Newton pans

i love that look Jeanette. i might try that if i can get the hang of pens. i have dabbled a little with watercolor. i really love a watercolor painting. i have worked with both pans and tubes. i think i perfer pans. but looks great.
Lori

Wow again, Kim! Did you do your carton with the cheapie colored pencils you mentioned in the open sketch thread? Very nice indeed.

All this bread is making me hungry! Yours is especially nice Jeanette (& hunger-inducing!) as I love those hearth type breads! I like the way you've done your ink & will study your ink & wash drawings more.

Lori, you are so good with hands! Both sketches are good but I love to see your hand drawings best.

J

Yes lori i did .. you can see the draw marks .. and now that I know I have a few nice pencils prismacolor sanford .. I will be getting more of those . thank you.
added are my wallet and my clock LOL...and thats not digital art

digital art!!! your to funny!! i just viewed your gallery kim, you do fantastic work. i just love the willy nelson and clint eastwood. but my favorite is the angel on the headstone. they are all just fantastic. here is a couple of more sketches (one is suppost to be my son when he was playing video games, it really doesnt look to much like him though)
Lori

Getting all serious when they play those games .. lol you did well on the pose of the head .. its hard doing it at that angle .

I came accross this website and it is just amazing what someone can do with crayons when I can't even use pencils..

Check it out and surf around. Breathtaking for crayons. my favorite is portraits. Especially Willie Nelson.

http://www.themastercrayonartist.biz/

Amazing! Thanks for the link!

wow cyn thanks-- that is amazing and inspiring. when i first went on there i thought they have to mean oil pastels or something when they say crayons. but no its crayola crayons. wow its awesome.
Lori

This fellow's work is amazing. And to think, crayons....

Chris