Here's one I like to repeat every two or three years! That's how important keeping a sketchbook and to make it your visual journal. Do you keep a sketchbook? A sketchbook can be your most important asset in your artistic growth. It can be your private world where ideas get recorded or arguments are explored or where you can play until your heart is content. Nobody but you need see what's
there. I'm sharing a glimpse into mine throughout this post. EXPLORE QUICK STUDIES WITH WATERCOLOR You don't need an expensive watercolor kit. One of those little Prang sets is adequate for doing watercolor studies in your sketchbook. Explore gesture, color, shape -- whatever catches your attention. PLAY WITH DIFFERENT MATERIALS Play with different materials or do quick, unedited responses. Make notes or just record your thoughts. BE SPONTANEOUS! DON'T HAVE A PLANPlay with different materials or do quick, unedited responses. Write down whatever thoughts come to your mind whether ideas about art or how you feel or just random thoughts. The space is yours to freely express
yourself. GESTURED DRAW! DOODLE! PUSH THAT PEN OR PENCIL WITHOUT FRETTING ABOUT GETTING IT RIGHT!Here is a place of no judgement. You can let your pen or pencil go wild and respond to movement or shape or whatever gets your attention. I like to chase baseball players with my pencil. Make your sketchbook a place of joy, a place where you can go to get away from other people's ideas, a place where you can do or say anything you want. When you can get comfortable doing this, you will be amazed how much freedom you will find in your
artistic life. Enjoy a fun weekend making your sketchbook your private, happy place!
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Happy Painting,
Dianne
dianne@diannemize.com
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During my Language of Painting series, I explained the role of our visual elements. If you'd like to review those roles to better understand the behavior of elements, here are the links to each of those
discussions: Color --Value -- Shape -- Texture -- Size -- Line and Direction
You can access the archive of all my newsletters (as well as the Quick Tips and other stuff) at any time by going HERE.
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