Lesson #11: Spice It Up!
The saying goes, “Variety is the spice of life!” And so it is with Art. Keeping a fresh view on Drawing Your Life demands that you vary your approach, switch up the “rules” (if you have any), toss the proverbial salad of your sketchbook.
Human nature has a tendency to get bored with repetitive activities. Yes, for a while, they can be quite meditative. And I did say, in the last lesson, that Limitations can be FREEING! But when you limit yourself to just one way of doing things for way too long of a time, you may find your desire to keep on Drawing Your Life waning and lacking the spark it once had.
When I feel myself lacking in zeal for making my beloved contour drawings of my Life, I’ll say to myself…”What would I like to try?” How could I express x, y, or z in a different way? What approach have I not done in a while? How might I combine this and that to create something new and different in my sketchbook? How would Van Gogh draw this? Picasso? Twombly? or Emil Nolde? Just go through your list of favorite artists and try a drawing or painting inspired by their work! I spent a few years making big watercolor paintings inspired by Milton Avery’s large-shape paintings. I wasn’t after painting his paintings…just letting his work be a catalyst for my own. I still do this in my sketchbook from time to time…
It has probably been evident in each of these lessons that there are SO SO many ways you can document, record, celebrate, and express your Life in a sketchbook…but let me just run through a few of them. Like spices on your Art shelf, you can throw in a dash of this and a sprinkle of that, or go heavy on the garlic…however you want to keep your sketchbook. It’s up to you!
Fine Liner Pens
Charcoal
Opaque Watercolor
Bic Pen (or any other pen for that matter)
Marker & Watercolor Crayons
Watercolor Crayons
Transparent Watercolor
Soft Pastel
Acrylic
Collage
And these are only the tip of the iceberg!! Once you start hunting around for art spices, there will be no end to your discoveries!
A Blessing: May your life imitate the spicy variety your sketchbook has!! May you find ways to add/discover/switch to little changes that add up to a lot of excitement! May you cast fear aside as you try new things both in your life as well as in your sketchbook!!
***Access all Mini Lessons for Drawing Your Life at the top of the home page on my blog! (OR just click the highlighted words in blue!)
