The sketchbook

Last night as I was flipping through my sketchbook, everyone else in bed, I realized that it had been nearly six months that I'd been drawing every single day. Yay me! On the first page of my sketch journal way back in March I wrote the date in the book, a little one euro bargain bin find (originally bought as a scribble book for Little S) and then the next night after struggling through one or two awful sketches I wrote myself an enthusiastic little high schoolish note--"fill this book by Fall!" I crossed it out a few days later because it was hounding me each time I picked up the book, but I still keep it in the back of my mind, and I think it's helped me get into a routine of regularly drawing.



I've noticed a couple of things since I started drawing. First of all the subject matter which I never set out to create but which kind of just evolved, and all this coming from sitting in front of the book scratching my head about what I could possibly draw. I'll share all that in another post because there's this theory that what people are drawn to draw reveals their true psyche. Second of all and probably most of all I've noticed improvement in my drawing. My first few drawings are stiff and some are just really painful to look at! If you have a sketchbook you have to live with those early awful drawings daily as you open the book. It ain't easy especially if someone picks up your book and says "oh you draw! can I see?!" The first few pages are usually the worst. You really want them to start in the middle somewhere when you're a rusty sketcher. I haven't shared my book all that much. Only one or two real life people have seen it because it feels weird to open it to just anyone (another blog post in itself...). The one or two people who have seen it caught me in the act or saw it on a table. One person picked up her daughter at my house, picked up the book by mistake in the pile of her daughter's things and started heading out. I freaked and said "Umm, errrr oops you have my book!" and she opened it right up and said "Oh you DRAW!" and started critiquing each page which was really odd. Like I said it feels weird to share in the beastly real world.

I see myself improving slowly in all different directions and because of that the drawing is becoming more fun. I recently ditched all erasable pens and pencils and that's made me much braver somehow. The erasable pen was starting to make me a control freak. I'd draw a few lines then erase one. Then I'd turn the whole thing upside down and study it and then erase some more. Sigh.



I've added a few links in my sidebar to some great drawing sites I've come across in the past few months. They've been really inspiring and even if they do get me intimidated sometimes, mostly they make me realize that I want to keep drawing so I can be that talented and have that much fun looking back at my work. Right now like I said it's kind of painful to look back at my work, eeh gah but hopefully that will change over time.

If you have any other links or drawings of your own to share be sure and let me know in the comments.