The moral of this post’s sketching lesson is that there are lots of different ways to approach how you sketch.
Does filling an entire sketchbook seem daunting?
In this short clip I have used a strip of spare paper (never throw away any paper you have!). I folded the strip in half and then in half again to get what’s called a concertina piece of paper with 8 sides in total. You could go as low as 4 or as many sides as you want. Keep your paper relatively small so that you can stick to quick sketching.
Remember my last post about how to build a sketching list so you never run out of ideas? (Read it here.) Once you have a list of items give the concentrated concertina idea a try. I used this method for a week as part of my daily sketching habit.
My theme for this particular week was Yorkshire landmarks. (I’ve already got my second concertina ready this time with 16 sides to continue this theme as the landmarks in the county I live is endless.) A 7 day sprint or rather 10 minute sketches that I blocked out with colour. I’ve documented each one on my social media pages (instagram; @emilymoncuit / facebook: Emily’s Notebook.)
…And the reason this was so much more fun than usual is that I knew my theme and had fun exploring the landmarks I wanted to include. You can spend as long or as little on one as you wish.
I now have a mini sketchbook to show for it at the end of the week.
Why don’t you try this if you feel stuck and daunted by a gazillion pages of a sketchbook. It will boost your confidence as you find a list of things to draw in short spaces of time.
Let me know how you get on!
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