In my first two books, I focused on keeping an art journal, a very important tool for any mixed-media artist. Now I’m saying you need to keep a sketchbook too? Yes, I am! The kind of sketching I’m talking about takes anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes a day. Really. It’s not a finished-product kind of thing. It’s comparable to taking notes rather than writing an essay. Often it’s the only artwork I do just for me, and I look forward to it.
Keep sketchbooks stashed everywhere. I have them in my purse, on my nightstand, in my studio, on the kitchen table—really anywhere I may sit down for a bit and want to spend a few minutes doing something fun. I reuse these sketches in my journals as well as my other art projects. Even the bad ones can find a home in my art journal and morph into something cool.
Each face that emerges is like meeting a new person. They are who they are, and they don’t have to be perfect. Each of us has facial features that set our face apart from everyone else’s. We are unique and so are the faces we draw. Let them become what they become. Learn from each drawing and then move on to the next by turning the page. It can be tempting to rip out the sketches we don’t like, but I encourage you to let them remain as evidence of your journey.
As you look for your sketching style, you’ll want to pay attention to several things. Are you loose, edgy, soft, bold or something else? It’s important to go with a style that might be emerging rather than fight against it. Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in learning from another artist as you try to make your drawings look like theirs. You can forget to embrace your own style as it emerges. Don’t fight against it. Listen to it. Nurture it. Watch it develop. We aren’t on this journey to make work that looks like someone else’s. We are trying to find our own voice and distinctive look.
For the sketches in this book I’ve used a 0.9mm mechanical pencil with a soft lead. This book is about creating usable sketches for mixed-media work and journaling, so most of the sketches are rough ones using only one pencil.
