8 Months into Daily Sketching

daily sketching
 
I am still doing daily sketching and posting over at The Sketchbook Blog. I’m actually sticking with it people! This is not that painful!
The whole idea of taking the time to sketch daily has been full of starts and fits for me, but despite that it has slowly turned into a new, daily discipline. Reminder to you all- I DIDN’T KNOW I COULD SKETCH BEFORE I STARTED THIS! I find myself heading over to the family room table I sketch at instinctively every day, usually in the morning, to get my sketch done when I feel fresh and the light is good.

daily sketching
 
If I have no idea what to sketch, I usually can find something in the mail, like a page of necklaces from the latest JCrew catalog…
daily sketching
 
 
or maybe a pretty liquor bottle…
daily sketching
 
Eight months into daily sketching has made me realize that I have created a bit of muscle memory in my hands and brain, just the same way sketching out lines and swirls over and over again in preparation to try free motion quilting them creates muscle memory.
daily sketching
 
Without a doubt, I am getting more confident in my sketching ability, and I am also becoming more aware of what I can and just simply can’t sketch in a short amount of time. Like, nice shading around anything takes time for me. Like, there are some things I simply can’t sketch at this point. Like, I realize sketching everyday things is fun. Like, the more I sketch, the more I realize I have a style that is mine alone.
daily sketching
 
It takes less time for me to complete a daily sketch. When I started this year-long process back in August 2012, some of those early sketches took hours (and I reluctantly admit that, they were not that great). And they weren’t “hours” great! These days, I don’t struggle as much to fill each day’s blank page, it doesn’t scare me the way it did. Also, I am willing to post a sketch that I don’t really love, understanding that the sketch process for that day yielded that particular image and it’s all a part of learning to to tackle this with confidence.
daily sketching
 
Many of you expressed interest in the idea of doing something like this on your own when I first blogged about it and I can’t recommend it enough. I tend to be a person obsessed with pushing my creative boundaries anyway, but it has been eye opening for me to expand this whole side of my creative life. My advice is to jump in and try any new daily challenge that expands and stretches you, everything will look differently because of it.

7 Comments
  • Betz

    April 9, 2013 at 6:27 am

    Good for you for putting yourself out there, challenging yourself and for sticking to it. I don’t think I do *anything* daily, except for maybe drink coffee, haha! I keep talking about sketching and then dabbling in it but not committing. I admire your drive!

  • Molly

    April 9, 2013 at 7:11 am

    Blair,
    It has been such a joy watching you work your way through this process, and such an inspiration, hearing your thoughts as its evolved. I have no such habit, just yet, but can imagine a place for it in my daily life.
    Thanks for keeping us in the loop, on everything from pen choices to sample outtakes to ups and downs. The honesty, as always, is what makes it so wonderful. Well, and the pictures. I do love your style 🙂
    Molly

  • Tara

    April 9, 2013 at 7:40 am

    This is so inspiring!! Love the sketches!

  • Sherry

    April 9, 2013 at 3:14 pm

    I like it. Great pieces. Congrats on keeping at your goal!

  • lisa s

    April 9, 2013 at 9:45 pm

    so great to see this blair. make me UBER happy. really. [and love the tin can one w/ the pens/supplies]

  • Kristine

    April 10, 2013 at 3:21 am

    thanks for this! I am challenging myself to once a week illustrations this year. but I might try daily next year. I really appreciate you sharing how it has helped specifically. Muscle memory, confidence, time required, finding your own style. These are real concrete reasons to take on a challenge like this! I’m glad to know it works.
    Keep it up!

  • Kaitlin Phillips Goodey

    April 10, 2013 at 2:38 pm

    LOVE IT! I too started drawing just last summer. Granted I don’t draw every day and I really should! I like to say practice makes progress! Every time I sketch I learn something new! You actually do real objects quite well. I’ve mainly been doing things from my imagination because I’m too much of a perfectionist to do real objects! I’ll be interested to see if you continue this after your year is done!
    Good luck!

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