Whatever you choose, however many roads you travel, I hope that you choose not to be a lady. I hope you will find some way to break the rules and make a little trouble out there. And I also hope that you will choose to make some of that trouble on behalf of women.
Nora Ephron
A tiny treasure can be anything small that has meaning to you, and the fun thing is, that when you sit down to draw it, it becomes even more meaningful to you. The act of drawing slows you down, and gives you time to think. The object you’re drawing becomes more integrated into your world. You see it more clearly, and you fall in love with it even more… Maybe that is why so many people love real life sketching so much?
I am not a natural keeper of sketchbooks or renderer of real life drawings, but I’m giving it a tiny try in a small sketchbook, where I am capturing personal tiny treasures. The latest one is this pouch, that my friend Maria gave me a few years ago.
The pouch is formed like an animal, with wings, big eyes, and rounded ears. Now it is on the verge of falling apart, because I have been carrying it around in my handbag for years! But before I can manage to toss it I wanted to draw it… So I did.
Sipping a coffee I drew it, just like I learned from Jane LaFazio’s free Strathmore class Artful Card-Making Techniques. She is drawing first with a pencil, and then re-draws it using a black ink pen. I like doing that too, it helps me create something that is good enough instead of totally messed up.
Jane is always sketching from real life and coloring with watercolors, and I love her style so much. I try to copy the way she does not cover a surface with one wash of color, but instead leave white space and go back with shadow layers. Not as easy as it looks, mind you. Even the frame I made around my first drawing was inspired by her. For this project I’ve also been inspired by what Elvie shares on her inspiration mondays. It’s always pretty lettering, watercolors and some drawings from imagination or real life.
Here is Jane in the first drawing tutorial video:
Watch it, if you want to give drawing and watercolouring a try. I find it inspiring, and once I post this I am going to take out my Sketchbook and find my next tiny treasure to draw…
What are you filling your sketchbook with?
Oh, your images don’t show up in my feeder since I changed from google reader to feedly, and I can’t understand why. Such a shame, I miss the colour on my screen…
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Hi Aisling, maybe it’s just temporary glitch? I use Feedly too and images from my blog show up for me. Subscribe to this RSS feed and see if it helps. Let me know!
Now that I’ve downsized from a large purse to a smaller one, I bought myself a small 3.5″x5 watercolor sketch book. I have a travel watercolor kit from Sakura that fits right inside so I’ve been happily coloring and sketching away.
My drawings are far from perfect and further away from ‘good’. I’ll never improve if I never start, right?
I love your tiny little sketchbook and your cute drawing. I really like to draw from real life, you are right about how it helps you to slow down and I think it helps you appreciate the things around you. I’ve been meaning to check out the free strathmore class so thanks for the reminder :) I hope we get to see more of your sketches :)
“the object that your drawing becomes more integrated into your world” << This is exactly the way that I feel about writing; when I sit to journal about an area of my life, it becomes so much more fleshed out and clearer to me, and I understand things that I hadn't before.
Hanna, your mini sketches are very inspiring. I think I’ll try this. It’s less overwhelming than the masterpiece that’s in my head!
You are always inspiring, Hanna ! A great way to remember your little treasure.
Happy Tuesday !
I like drawing in pencil first then pen too! Right now I’m drawing birds and birdcages in my sketchbook. Pretty soon I’ll switch to flowers as they start blooming in the garden :) I like your sketch of your animal pouch – the pouch looks well loved.