Questions and Answers Beginnings Koosje Koene. The Inner Critic

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1 All Rights Reserved. Sketchbook Skool 2014 Questions and Answers Beginnings Koosje Koene The Inner Critic As for overcoming the fear of drawing in public, simply saying 'just do it may seem too simple for you. here are just a few more tips to give you a gentle push towards doing it anyway. -Maybe you can find someone to head out with, that can really help. Or join a sketchcrawl. When you join a group of likeminded people, it is very encouraging and can be so motivating and safe. -Maybe you can start by using just a very small sketchbook, so it is hardly noticable for people that you're drawing. -Ask yourself: what do you have to loose? You may fear the uncomfortable feeling, but you can also try to face the fear, and perhaps the awkwardness isn't as bad as you expect it to be.if you don t try it, you don t know it. -Take it step by step. Small steps are good. You may feel uncomfortable while you sketch in public at first, and maybe it will influence your drawing; you may not like the result. Still: you're doing it, learning, and the next time you know what to expect and you will feel better about it. Practice, patience and perseverance is what we need to get better at things. -Even when you fall flat on your face, your still moving forward. What do you do, when you re interrupted by people, when you re drawing in public? Whenever I'm drawing somewhere and people want to talk to me, I just stop drawing for a chat, and go on afterwards. If that's not possible because it will break my concentration or focus, I simply explain to people that I can't talk and draw at the same time (I really can't, I find it impossible), and that, if they don't mind, I want to first finish the most important part of my drawing and then will switch to the other half of the brain to be fully there to talk to them. On Materials Color pencils vs watercolor pencils If you don t have regular color pencils, but you do have a set of watercolor pencils; you can use watercolor pencils without adding water just as well. I learned from you too: Prismacolors tend to be quite brittle, which can be super annoying when you re trying to sharpen your pencils and the lead keeps breaking, while your pencil gets shorter and shorter. Because they are waxy, you can fix this by putting them in the sun for 15 minutes or so. If it really works? I don t know. It s worth a try at least! 1

2 Watercolor Pencils There are quite a few questions about the use of watercolor pencils. Sorry guys, I hardly ever use watercolor pencils, because if I splash around with water, I'd rather use watercolor paint. Depending on the kind of watercolor pencils, you probably can do the layering, but I suspect the result may become a little bit muddy. The effect will probably depend on the kind of pencils and the paper too. Why don't you try it, and let us know? I'm curious too! Please do leave a comment if you have experiences layering colors and then adding water. We re here to learn from each other! What if pencils keep breaking when you try sharpening them? Sometimes the lead is broken inside of the pencil and then the pencil will become shorter and shorter and the lead keeps breaking off Ugh, so frustrating! They say you should put it in the sun to 'melt' it back together. Not sure if it works, but it's worth a try. Here's a helpful link to a great tip on how to sharpen your pencils: Combining color pencils on a watercolor background: The drawing of the cherries here in the question section was done with color pencils on a watercolor background wash. Simply throw your watercolors onto the paper, splash it around and let it dry completely. Then you can start adding your color pencil drawing on top. You will notice the structure of the paper changes, and also, the watercolors beneath influence your colors of the pencils. Also, you can best use lighter colors to create the bright effect like in the cherry drawing. If you go to my YouTube Channel, in my Draw Tip Tuesday Videos, you can see how I play around with these washes: How to get intense colors with your color pencils Soft strokes and a lot of layers mostly does the trick for me. Try out different papers: smooth to coarse, to find out what feels best and gives you the brightest results with the kind of pencils you use. If the layering becomes muddy, you may also want to check if you're using the right colors: for example some red pencils tend to have a bit of pink or purple in them, which makes them already a mixed color. Make sure your primary colors are as 'pure' as possible. So pick the reddest red from your box (and leave the orangy red or pinkish red), the greenest green (not the yellowy or bluey ones), etc. 2

3 Creating depth and shadows by layering your color pencils By creating lights and darks, and the different shades and values you see in a subject, you will create depth, roundnes, a sense of volume in your drawing, Part of it is seeing it, but part of it is also knowing. When it comes to shadows, there's always a bit of blue in there, because that's a cool color. (it's cool in the shadow, right?) But to deepen and darken the shadow area, you mix the primary color of your subject with its complementary color. So if the subject is green, you mix green and red, and some blue. It's hard to explain all this in just a comment or a Q&A list, but hold on to the basic color theory of the three primary colors (red, yellow and blue) and their complementary colors (green, purple and orange). Google around if you want to learn more about color theory or find color wheels that may help you understand the colors and how they complement each other. For your subject, don't choose something very complicated, and to get the hang of the color mixing, choose something that is red, blue or green to start with - these are easiest to deepen and combine with their complimentary colors. Keeping track of the highlights Keep your attention to where they are and don't touch them with your pencil. And if you keep looking at your subject to translate all the values onto your paper, it will be hard to lose track of where they are. You could also lightly outline these areas, so you know you need to go around them. You really need to take a close look at your subject and then you will see darker and lighter shades and gradations, especially when you squint your eyes. A few more tips: -soft strokes, -many layers, -keep your highlights white, -squint your eyes to see the values and filter out details -don't be afraid to overwork things because it won't happen that fast, -have a lot of patience, -take your time, -keep looking at your subject, -practice -practice -practice. 3

4 Do you need any fixatives for color pencil drawings? I don't use any fixatives on my color pencil drawings. For graphite pencil, I do use a fixative though, to avoid it from fading and smearing. I buy it in a spray can at the art supply shop. Depending on the kind of paper and pencils you use, you may want to use it though. I don't really mind if a bit of color comes off onto the page next to it in my sketchbook. But if you do mind, it can help to spray some fixative onto the page. I use it for graphite pencil drawings to prevent fading and smearing. I buy it in a spray can at the art supply shop. BUT! Yes, there's a but: as I hardly ever use watercolor pencils, and never tried to fixate them, I really don't know what happens if you spray it onto a drawing you made with watercolor pencil! I would advice to first try it on a piece of scrap paper to see if the colors won't bleed. Getting frustrated with the color pencils you have? I have lots and lots of different color pencils, and some of them I love more than others. It could just be that the set of color pencils you have now is not the right set for you. If you love cooking, but you don't have a sharp knife and a good cutting board, the cooking becomes less comfortable and less fun, right? If you don't want to invest in another set, go get yourself a few samples of different kinds of papers. From smooth to more coarse. Then try the feel of the pencils and the effect of layering on all of the different surfaces. you may find out that your pencils work best on a very smooth surface on which the paper doesn't show through that much. or on simple sketch paper. Or you may find out that you want to try a different brand of color pencils. Maybe a different brand would work better for you. Again: try them out. Go to an art supply shop and try them all out to feel and see what works best for you. Pens Sometimes ballpoint pens leak or clog. It helps to not press too hard. My favorite ball point pens are bic-pens. They are light (and some people love the chewability of the plastic ) and the tip has a certain roundness that I like. Sometimes these too, tend to clog or leak. I always keep a tissue or piece of scrap paper nearby, in case an ink blotch is growing on the tip - I just smear it off and then go on. Small watercolor set many people ask where they can buy the small watercolor set I m using in the video of me sketching in the park. Well, it's very old. I think it's one of the most precious things I possess. It used to belong to my grandfather (who made the books). It's a Winsor and Newton box and unfortunately, they don't make them anymore in this tiny metal version with the thumb ring. I filled it with Van Gogh watercolours from tubes. 4

5 On Sketchbooking What are you aiming for? Of course I'd like each drawing to look fabulous. But my sketchbooks are for exploring too. I want to try out new things, challenges, different mediums and techniques. Sometimes that works out great, sometimes it really doesn't. So yes, there are pages in my sketchbooks that I don't like at all as well, and it's all good. Also, some days I have way more time than other days - so the pages really differ (more elaborate drawings next to very quick ones). I aim for one entry a day. Doesn't matter what it's about or how good or bad the result is. I enjoy the process and the art journaling moment each day. Picking your subjects to draw Some people decide in advance what they are going to be sketching when going outside. I don t. I always decide on the spot. Sometimes I do choose a particular destination that I think may be interesting, but then I could also end up just drawing the sugar dispenser in front of me when stopping for a coffee, or drawing someone s bike or trash can that I suddenly find intriguing. It of course also depends on the amount of time I have for a drawing. If I have 15 minutes, I won t be picking a subject with a lot of details. If I have more time, I can sit down and forget about the time and focus on details, scenes and concentrate to get them onto the page. What about when you're inside or at home, how do you get ides what to draw? Any subject can become very interesting. Both indoors and outdoors. Like I said: sometimes a sugar dispenser can be just as interesting to draw as a majestic architectural building. If you're afraid you'll end up with a boring drawing, you could give your page a colorful watercolor wash on beforehand. But actually, daily 'boring' stuff is not boring at all once you start drawing it. Once you sit down and really look at things, you will be surprised how you start seeing more and more details. How many details should you add? It really depends on how much time I have. If you squeeze a drawing into your lunch break (and also want to actually eat lunch) for example, you will have less time than you have when sitting down to draw on a free Sunday afternoon. I try to use these limitations instead of thinking of them as a barrier. So if I have little time, I won't focus too much on the details. First I will draw the important shapes and then pick just a few things to add (like in the outside video: the outline of a crowd of people, the negative shapes of a bike). A fabulous trick also is to create a lot of 'suggestion' by focusing on shadows and drawing these in, with quick strokes. The shadows will in fact make our eyes create the rest of the shape. (if you look at my drawing in section 2.5: I mainly focused on the shadows and drew them boldly using a black brush pen). When I have more time, I will focus more on details, but still: I pick my battles so to 5

6 say. A scene can be overwhelming and you may not know where to begin. Well it sounds simple and it is: just start somewhere. You don't have to add every single detail. Try what happens if you add just an outline, or a shadow. remember: it's not a photo your taking, it's a drawing, so you decide what's in there and what to leave out. Focus on the things that appeal to you, but also, don't leave out things that are really important to recognize the subject by. Can you work with photos for reference? I do work from photos sometimes. When I do self-portraits, sometimes I take a picture to use for reference. But when I draw on location, I finish the drawing there. I hardly ever take it home to finish there - that doesn't work for me. But I know artists who make a quick sketch and then take it home to finish it and/or make an elaborate drawing out of it. From memory, or with a photo for reference. So: if it works for you, it's the way to go. There are no specific rules, except for the ones you make for yourself. Sometimes you start a drawing but don't have time to finish it before either it moves or the light changes or your drawing time is up. Taking a picture then, to finish it later is not cheating, it s just giving yourself a chance to finish what you started. Although I don't love doing it (the angle is slightly different, and looking at a photo less fun than looking at the object), I sometimes do that. It makes you more flexible, for sure! Fun lettering in your sketchbook: Use rubber stamps, use letter templates, outline your own handwriting and color it in, experiment with a calligraphy pen or marker, study fonts that you like and try to mimic those... In my weekly Draw Tip Tuesday Videos, you'll also find a few handy hand letterng tips: Where do you get the rubber stamps you use in your journals? I once found a light weight set of alphabet stamps in an obscure shop and take that with me when traveling. Sometime I forget it and that gives me a reason to find an artshop or stationary shop and buy myself a rubber stamp souvenir Google around for alphabet stamps and you ll find a lot of great sets you can buy online. About perspective drawing: I never actually think about vanishing points or anything like that. I look at the directions of the shapes and lines that I see and try to draw these directions. (like: the top of a building in perspective, is actually just a diagonal line, right?) 6

7 Also, by seeing and drawing negative spaces, you will be able to draw foreshortened subjects much easier. About drawing buildings in particular: For years, I have thought I couldn't draw buildings at all. Told myself 'it just wasn't my thing'. Until a drawing buddy gave me a nudge and I took the plunge. I discovered that drawing buildings is just like drawing anything else: Find your basic shape by looking at the proportions, negative spaces, use the shadows that you see. You don't need to think about theory, vanishing points and that kind of stuff. Take good notice of the lines that you see: close one eye: the edges of the top of the building are now not going to a vanishing point, but are simple a diagonal line. Draw that line. Then the next one that you see. and the next. Then, when you have that basic shape or outline of a building, you can start adding details. I always look for landmarks and this way I find my proportions. 'that window is somewhere in the middle between the roof and the door, and that ornament is just below the middle of that' etc. The great thing about drawing buildings, is that you can 'suggest' a lot of shapes, just with a few strokes. You don't need to draw every little detail if you don't want to. For example, with just a few strokes you create the indication that there's a window. If you do that, you may feel a little less overwhelmed by all the details you see. And, like in my outside drawing: with a contour, I suggest a bunch of people or tree leaves. Also, try not to think too much about what you're drawing: look at the shapes rather than the individual things. (like: I'm drawing a triangle shape, rather than drawing a tower). Those shapes and elements will in the end combine into a whole. I can assure you that, even if you simplify and leave out details, you will at some point thing: 'what did I get myself into?' - for some people that thought feels like a crisis, for others, it's just a little bump to get over. Push through, because you're well on your way and giving up is not an option! Drawing People moving about, or moving abjects: It's not easy to draw moving people or objects. I like them to sit still, or at least for a while. Quick gesture drawings work best. I also 'combine' sketches; If I draw someone walking past, but he/she is too quick, I look at the next person walking past and draw another bit of the movement, then the next one etc. Same with cars driving by etc. Makes me think of this: A while ago, on holiday in Cambodia, I wanted to make a drawing of a motor taxi driver and his taxi (which is a little cart behind the motorcycle). When I was halfway through the drawing, he got a customer and left! Lucky for me, the place he had his cart parked, was a parking spot for tais, and within a few minutes, another taxidriver parked there, so I just went on in my drawing, sketching this next (different looking) motortaxi. When he left off, I sketched the one that parked next... I 7

8 ended up with a drawing of one motorcycle taxi, but 3 or 4 resources. All with slightly different angles and with different details. On deciding (how) to color your pen drawing: Color can add a lot to your drawing. I didn't want to go too much into detail with this one, because I hadn't actually draw that much detail either, more gestures and suggestions. So I kept the color simple. Try experimenting - each drawing may need a new or different approach, color wise. Some drawings will be great just in pen lines, others will become more vivid when coloring. You can also experiment with just one ore two additional colors, or color just a few details and leave the rest. there is SO much you can do! Any tips on drawing faces and/or self portraits? Lots of practice! Yup. Sketching faces is just as sketching anything else: look at shapes, proportions, find land marks, find negative spaces. Oh and did I say: practice? If you re drawing a certain facial expression and don t want to cramp up, you can take a photo and use it for reference. If you want a bit of an extra challenge: use a mirror. It s harder to do, as the angle changes slightly each time you look up and down again. What are negative spaces? Those are the spaces around the object, I point it out in the video where I draw the tomatoes: the open spaces between the tomatoes. How to make greens, like trees and shrubs look natural Greenery is never just green. Try coloring and mixing in some red and purple (doesn't matter if you are using paint or pencils); it will give the green a more natural look. There are always 'gaps in shrubbery and trees between the leaves, and dark shadows. You don't need to draw all that, but you can make the suggestion by keeping lighter areas, and creating darker ones by using those complementary colors. 8

9 On Sketchcrawling In case you want to host a sketch crawl yourself, here are some tips: You can make it last as long as you like. In my experience, most people are kind of done after 2 or 3 hours, but others can keep drawing all day. When I host a sketchcrawl, I do it in the afternoon, for about 3 hours. So far, I have simply picked locations with a bit of variety of things to see. The group can spread out a bit (or choose to huddle together if that feels safer) and choose different things to draw. Places like squares are great because there's things to see and sketch all around you. i like places like that, because you see your group around even when you're spreaded out a bit, and you don't actually need to 'crawl' to another location. It depends on the group as well. If you have a large group, it may be kind of a hassle to drag them along from location to location. But I have attended a sketchcrawl before, with a fairly large group, on which we chose three locations. We would sit down and draw for about an hour, then move to the next. Worked well and it was a lot of fun. It's really up to you, and what you're comfortable with. Also, probably people in your group may have excellent suggestions. Have fun! And please do share your experiences, photos, sketches, anything! Some of you asked for more lessons on drawing techniques. My 5-week online drawing course might be a great option. Check out my website to find my classes: 9

Block Sanding Primer Dos and Don ts Transcript

Block Sanding Primer Dos and Don ts Transcript Hey, this is Donnie Smith. And welcome to this lesson on block sanding primer. In this lesson, we're going to give you some of the do's and some of the don