It is only when we are no longer...(― J. M. W. Turner)

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Weekend Watchlist:

Consider this: just because an artist is exceptional in their work doesn’t mean they are an exceptional teacher. Art is visual communication. Teaching is, primarily, verbal communication. Well, Jeff Watts, is an exceptional artist. But he has also been teaching successfully for years, and has clearly honed his teaching skills as well. He’s got a lot to offer…

He speaks about the fastest way to proficiency about half way through the video:

So I’ve included this next video because, one, HamRib is a great artist. But also because the drawing is inaccurate. If HamRib didn’t include the reference we would never know the difference, but she did, and this allows us to compare. The tilt of the head in the drawing is off. Take a pencil and compare the eye level in the drawing to the reference. It’s off. But note the drawing still works. There are a couple takeaways from this example. One is to measure and compare and never stop comparing. This mental comparison and measuring should never stop, from beginning to end of the drawing, train yourself to always compare. The other takeaway is why the drawing works. Its actually quite common to straighten out the angle of a head reference when drawing. It’s a habit we need to be aware of. But HamRib’s sketch still works because it reads true as a whole. The reference is a starting point, but the drawing needs to stand on its own merits. If your drawing starts to drift from the reference, you need to either rewind and erase, or lean in to the drawing as is. Pick those accurate parts of the drawing as anchor points and build from there. A mirror and turning the drawing upside down are some classic tools to help you do this.

I am such a sucker for sketchbooks. Every time I can peek in another artist sketchbook is like a time warp. I’m sucked in and time slows as I wander the world through the eyes of the owner of the sketchbook I am peeking in on…

News and Links:

• INKTOBER - DONT FORGET:) Prepare yourself now! Inktober is coming and a great opportunity for our community to really set the habit of drawing everyday. Inktober artists from around the world are focused on a routine of drawing, which is great motivation when our little drawing community becomes a part of the larger world drawing community - lets draw everyday!

• INSTAGRAM - Brush pen virtuosos are just so entertaining!

• PAID COURSE - Observe and draw the world around you. A course by illustrator Thomas Cian on how to experiment and grow as an artist (Sponsored).

• DOMESTIKA - Daily Sketching for creative inspiration by the talented illustrator Soria Kim (Sponsored).

Daily Sktchr’s Review of the Day: