Sketchbook Skool Week 6

Wow.  Where has the time gone?  Sketching, that's where.  Week 6 of Sketchbook Skool has now begun and it has been an amazing ride with six different instructors and their different ways of handling their sketchbooks and lots of information to share.  I've loved watching their videos, looking at their websites, and peeking into their sketchbooks as well as doing the assignments.  I was thinking about signing up for the next level class, but my brain may need to rest for awhile and just take in what has been offered.

This is an online class offered by co-founders Danny Gregory and Koosje Koene.  Each week you get a new instructor who provides demo videos and one or more assignments.  The students post their work to a website and can comment on their own and each others' attempts.  It's a lovely, supportive environment.

Although each instructor has his or her own style, techniques, approach, and favorite things to draw, they say several things in common:

• draw every day
• try drawing new things and new materials, stretch
• there is no right way
• have fun
• look carefully
• be nice to yourself
• mistakes are part of the journey, embrace them and learn from them
• you will improve with practice

Week 1:  Danny Gregory
Week 2:  Koosje Koene
Week 3:  Prashant Miranda
Week 4:  Jane LaFazio
Week 5:  Roz Stendahl
Week 6:  Tommy Kane

Roz Stendahl had us drawing animals, first ones that don't move and then live animals.  We did gesture drawing, contour drawing, and learned a lot about values.

Koosje Koene had us go outside and draw on location, getting over the anxiety about drawing in public.  We also experimented with colored pencil drawing.

Prashant Miranda had us focus on skies, washes, and silhouettes against the background.

A theme for Jane LaFazio was vegetables, and we used interesting layouts to learn about composition.

This totally simplifies what the weeks have been like, but it's been an exhilarating experience!