👀 A new practice to improve my art

#17 How to draw everyday without burning out

Apr 17, 2023

Dear little demon,

Welcome to the edition #17 of the Art Missive! We are now 2, 936😈 in this newsletter: thank you sm for reading ❤. The Demon Family says “welcome” to all precious newcomers.

Lately I’m fine. Spending most of my days in my studio. Sometimes my life is so busy that I forget to make art, that is why I decided to go back to drawing every day again.

If you haven't already, you can also:

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In this Art Missive

1. Drawing your world

2. Why do all artists agree on this?

3. Making it an habit

4. Valuing simplicity

5. My process

6. Substitutes

7. Ask me your questions

Drawing your world

If there is one thing about all artists agree on, it is this statement:

Drawing from life is one of the most valuable practices you can incorporate in your life as a visual artist.

I am telling you this because a few days ago, I decided to make it a daily habit.

You know that on my path to become a full-time artist, getting to a pro level in art is one of my top priorities? Well, the habit of drawing appeared to be essential to reach my goal.

Aside from that, I have always dreamed of being able to draw what surrounds me. If we think about it, isn't that what an artist is made for?

Today, in the edition #17 of the Art Missive, I’m going to explain to you how drawing from life can improve your art.

Let’s dive in!

Why do all artists agree on this?

No matter what kind of visual artist you are, drawing is an essential skill for your craft.

1️⃣ You’ll explore. Drawing from life gives you the opportunity to do something other than what you usually do. It gets you outside of your routine and helps you explore new things.

2️⃣ You’ll improve your observation skills. Unless you’re an abstract artist, the most important skill to create successful art is being able to see and understand what you’re drawing. It trains your eye to notice details, shapes, and colors that you might not have noticed otherwise.

3️⃣ You’ll Improve hand-eye coordination. This is because you have to look at your subject and translate what you see onto the paper with your hand.

4️⃣ You’ll Increase your understanding of form and perspective. Drawing what surrounds you can help you to understand how things are constructed and how they fit together in space.

5️⃣ You’ll have fun and you’ll be proud. The more you draw, the more you’ll get good at it. You’ll be able to see improvements really fast, which is very motivating. But most importantly, you’ll find the joy of drawing simple things back. You know? Like when you used to draw little doodles in your school books! Drawing from life feels a bit the same: nothing sophisticated, nothing too intimidating… just a pen, a sketchbook and a lot of fun!

Making it an habit

I know it can feel a bit uncomfortable to start drawing from life.And your first sketches probably won’t look good.

But remember that in drawing, quantity is key to quality.

Indeed, drawing from life get’s really valuable only if you make it a habit: constant sketching will sharpen your drawing skills.

👉 The first step to take is to make sure to always have one or two sketch pads at your disposal. For example, I have one that I always leave in my bed and one in my studio.

We are able to always keep our phone with us, so why can’t we do that with a little sketchbook?

👉 You also want to use them as often as possible. Lunchbreak? A 20 minute ride on the bus? 10 minutes before going to sleep…

You have multiple occasions to draw from life, every day! At the beginning, you’ll have to make a mental effort to force yourself to draw often. But as all habits, it gets easier once you get used to it.

👉 Finally, draw a diversity of subjects: objects, people, landscape. You can really draw everything that you see!

Start with simple objects like a jar… but once you get used to it, don’t be scared to push your boundaries and try more complex things. Struggling or failing is the ideal path for improvement.

Valuing simplicity

While I’m working on making drawing from life a habit, I realize that I to put my focus on simplicity.

Drawing from life used to be a real struggle for me because I was always trying to draw the complex shapes I was seeing, without breaking down my process.

👉 Something to remember is that successful drawings do not depend on how sophisticated they are. Quite the opposite, a successful study derives from a simple and minimalist approach.

Now, I always make an effort to keep my shapes basic and simple.

My process

👉 STEP 1 : I start with building up from very simplified shapes. Noting the basic shapes and using simple 2D and 3D shapes. It sounds basic but sticking to this process prevents me from being overwhelmed and helps me keep it simple.

👉 STEP 2: I work a bit more the outline and correct as I go. Often, I hold on to the drawing so I can see it and the object I’m drawing. I try to correct everything that needs to be corrected. I often redraw over the incorrect lines without rubbing out until the drawing starts to look like an object. It doesn't really matter how messy my lines are because I want to focus on observation and reproduction.

👉 STEP 3: I identify the source of the light. This is a requirement to be able to correct values for the shadows.

👉 STEP 4: I draw the shadows. I often hatch in one direction to represent the shadows. But you could also use a group of lines in small patches or you could smudge the marks with your finger.

Concluding, I’m not looking for sophisticated linework or a pretty rendering. My goal, when I draw from life, is to go for simplicity and accuracy.

Substitutes

Drawing from life allows you to capture the energy and true atmosphere of the object/subject/landscape you are drawing.

Photographs and other representations are inadequate substitutes in that sense. But you could use them as a last resort if you cannot draw from life.

In that case, use your own photographs. It’s better than relying on other people’s shots because your visual record will remind you of what it was about that image.

Take action!

Now you are ready to start drawing your world.
Grab an old sketchbook and a basic pen, and draw your world!

Welcome feedback but avoid judgement (I know, it’s hard).
Remember that the idea is not to make pretty drawings!

This sketchbook is the space where you can experiment and learn how to keep it simple and accurate.

So let’s get started!

Ask me your questions

Next week is the last Monday of April, so it's QaA day!

Ask me your questions by replying to this email.

I'll select the most interesting/most requested ones.

That's all for today 😈.

Léa's Portrait Gems

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