Wednesday WrapUp More Sketchbook Squad

Lone male dancer on tip toes in a grey toned room in a stylized strokes of different colors

red teapot on doily on outdoor table with leaves in background, leaves on table, and a strawberry

Gallery of Last Week’s Sketchbook Squad Challenges

Welcome!

Each Wednesday check this blog for a strategy, process, or reflection for illustration with the iPad app ProCreate. This Wednesday Wrap Up, I share the challenge I’ve been participating in while I consider my goals for 2023.

The Challenge

Sarah Watts [ @wattsalot ] started a Sketchbook Squad challenge — to draw daily every day— choosing to do so in one’s own way, regarding style, medium, and time. Listen to her IG about it: Daily Draw Challenge. She works in analogy, but encourages digital as well. Prompts are by a weekly newsletter, which you can sign up for here.

My Response

Each photo prompt presents a unique challenge for me, a self-taught and novice artist. I’ve enjoyed the challenge because I need to interpret each photo prompt with the skills I have learned so far:

Dancer: People are difficult, but stylizing the dancer with a “rainbow” color changing brush allowed me a way to respond
Teapot: I started out stylized, but quickly returned to a painterly style. Each area is filled with nikku rull brush strokes using three analogous colors brushed and smudged as a painter would
Sunflowers: Because the background is so dark, I began drawing in the shapes in white and that resulted in choosing the “silk painting” style I learned from Jennifer Nichols– lots of texture and blend modes in this one
Hand: Another difficult one for me, but contour drawing fits– and I attempted a bit of stippling for shadows and added the hearts and frame. Cardwell and Ink has great contour classes.
Tower: Contour, urban drawing with shading and pattern brushes– another favorite style with elements of Cardwell and Ink, Peggy Dean, Lisa Bardot lessons.
Woman: Another difficulty for me, but contour drawing with pastel fills and shading seemed the best way for me.

Click the links for each post.

This challenge has helped me practice my learning and consider where to go next. I’m torn between stylized [abstract, contour, silk] and painterly. And, of course, patterns.

For links to mentioned artists, see Artists Resources page. I am ever thankful for their continued sharing of their artistry so others, like myself, can learn and grow.