14 DAYS OF MAKING ART
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
You can use any materials to complete these activities. You might want to try these…
Cartridge paper or a sketchbook Drawing pencils Colouring pencils Paints (perhaps watercolour or acrylics) Coloured paper Scissors Glue Coloured pens or pastels DAY 1
Grab a pencil and paper or sketchbook, and make some quick sketches of objects around your home. Remember there is no ‘bad’ drawing, so just enjoy loosening up and getting into the habit of drawing. Spend less than 10 minutes on each sketch, and try to draw at least six different objects around your home, working as quickly as possible to capture the shapes. Don’t worry about tone (shading) or colour – simply focus on the outlines. What are the angles like between shapes? How big does one part look compared with another? Forget your preconceptions of what the objects are and really look at them – you might be surprised.
DAY 2
‘Doodling’ and free-flowing drawing can be a great way to unwind and switch off. Put on some relaxing music, and aim to fill a whole page with patterns and doodles. Allow your mind to wander, drawing shapes and abstract marks.
DAY 3
Look through a window and paint the sky. Is the sky really just blue? What other colours can you see? Perhaps choose a time of day when the colours are changing quickly, such as sunrise or sunset, to encourage you to capture the scene without hesitation.
DAY 4
Focus on something outside, such as a tree or a flower. Draw it once, then do another drawing based on what you can see in your first drawing, but in a slightly more abstract style. Then make another drawing, based on your second drawing, making it even simpler and more graphic. Repeat this until you have a total of four drawings.
DAY 5
Create a ‘blind drawing’. This is when you draw an object without looking at your page. Choose a subject, such as a vase of flowers, and focus entirely on this object, following the shapes you see with your eyes while moving your pen or pencil at the same time on the page. If you can, use a continuous line, so draw without lifting your pen or pencil from the page. This is tricky, but fun. Your end result might look silly, but that’s okay!
DAY 6
Find a photograph of a face, and rotate it so that the face is upside-down. Draw what you see using tone – and colour, if you like. When we look at an image upside down, we see the ordinarily very recognisable features as just tone and shape instead. This is a useful drawing technique, as instead of drawing what we think a face should look like, we draw what we actually see. Your drawing will be upside down once completed, so rotate the page around to have a look at what you’ve drawn.
DAY 7
Look around your home or garden for interesting colours. Perhaps you see them on tins in your storecupboard, in plants, or a striking book cover or even a sock drawer! Using acrylic or watercolour paint, mix colours together to create swatches of the palettes you see. Some colours may be very muted, and some bright. Consider how you could use these colour palettes in other art projects or home design.
DAY 8
Draw a friend from memory. It can be tricky to draw somebody without reference, so perhaps create an abstract drawing, where you rely less on accuracy, and more on emotions and expression. Be bold and playful. How does the person make you feel? Are there certain colours, shapes or patterns you associate with them? How could you represent their personality and interests?
DAY 9
Sit somewhere comfortable in your home and draw your view through a window or doorway. Start by drawing the frame of the window or open door, then fill in the space.
DAY 10
Draw a hedge or flowerbed, teeming with life. It can be overwhelming knowing where to begin when there is so much to look at, especially in nature, so start by focusing on a small detail that interests you, such as a flower or leaf, and allow your drawing to grow from there.
DAY 11
Drawing doesn’t need to be realistic. Choose any object that sparks your interest, such as a perfume bottle or piece of fruit, and fill your page with abstract drawings of it, using a variety of materials. Try a fast, expressive drawing. Perhaps do another where you look only at the negative shape around an object, or use paper and collage.
DAY 12
Create an image of the sea. You could use collage to create a wild scene, using torn white paper for the foam. Or you could draw an abstract sea with paint or pencils. Consider the mood. How does the sea make you feel? How could you express this with mark making? Quick marks with pen or pastel help to create a sense of energy and movement, whereas slow, long brush marks conjure feelings of serenity.
DAY 13
We get so used to the furniture and items in our homes, but sitting and drawing them can help us see them in a new light. Find a comfortable spot and draw what you see – perhaps a bookcase, chair or lamp. Consider where there are highlights and shadows. If you are adding tone to your drawing, it can be useful to work from light to dark, so identify the lightest area of your scene first. Perhaps you leave these very light areas completely free of paint or pencil, using just the white of the paper to show highlights.
DAY 14
Paint some fruit. This is a great way to test your skills, as they are bursting with colour and tone. Spend some time looking carefully at the fruit, and try to notice every colour. Begin by creating swatches of all the colours you see. This will keep you focused on the colours when you begin to paint. When you start painting, keep your brush marks loose and free. Rather than drawing outlines, you could build up the drawing using blocks of colour. Perhaps add detail and crisper areas of colour using a coloured pencil.
Now you’ve completed the two weeks, look back at all the art you have created so far. Work out which activities you enjoyed the most and use this to inspire even more creativity in future. 365 Days Of Art In Nature (Hardie Grant) by Lorna Scobie is out on 20 August and is available to pre-order now.