ARTminute Ep. 03 "Ditch the Eraser"

Hello, my lovelies!
I am super pleased with today's video lesson! It's the first video with actual advice about drawing. The subject today is sketching. Since these lessons are so short I really have to segment everything that I have to tell you, which means that we're really just scratching the surface and you'll have to stick with me every week to get more and more into each topic as it comes up.

Okay! Here's the thing about sketching, it's like warming up for a workout. You're often stiff, uncoordinated, and awkward. Which is exactly how your sketches will come out, especially if it's the first drawing you've done all day.

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So often I get the impression that people assume that if you're good at drawing that means that every single sketch you ever do is amazing and that just isn't the case. It also means that they are sort of missing the point of sketching altogether.

What is the point of sketching? I'm glad you asked.
In my opinion, sketching serves 2 distinct purposes:

1) It is practice plain and simple. The only way to get good at something is to commit to spending A LOT of your time practicing and art is no different.

2) It is used to quickly (and usually messily) get an idea out of your brain and down onto paper. Just because something is in your head doesn't mean you know how to draw it and it also doesn't mean that it's going to look good. Unfortunately, the only way to learn how to draw it is to draw it, risk failing at it, then draw it as many times as you need to get good at it (this is known as sketching btw). Additionally, the only way to know if an idea works on paper as well as it does in your head is to sketch it out. 

Therefore! The main takeaway here is: don't worry so much about having 'perfect' sketches. Learn to enjoy the process and not be so hung up on the product. Above all, leave those 'mistakes' on the page so you can learn from them instead of obliterating them with your eraser.​

RECAP
Lesson: Ditch the eraser, leave your mistakes on the page, get comfortable with drawing stuff you're not completely satisfied with, and practice!
Homework: Do 10 sketches, with NO eraser!

Good luck my friends!
Kristy
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