Nicole Cicak

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February: Sketch

Nicole Cicak

Me sketching under a swan painting I created.

"Drawing is the basis of art. A bad painter cannot draw. But one who draws well can always paint.”
-Arshile Gorky

Things I love about February - not much. I suppose Valentine’s Day is always fun for us to celebrate because Ryan and I were engaged on February 13th. Other than that, things look pretty bleak here in Illinois. The weather is cold, the sky is gloomy, and it feels like winter will never end (despite us still having a few months left of this frozen tundra).

Luckily, bad weather is the perfect backdrop for making some serious art. What else is there to do, right? That’s why, this month, I want to focus on a very technique-based subject - sketching. And when I say sketching, I mean returning to our roots with one-color pencil drawings.

I took a lot of art classes in high school and a few in college (just for fun). I have many critiques regarding those classes. They were missing the practical skills needed to make a living from art - such as how to edit artwork, how to print your art, and how to create your own style. However, one thing they more than covered was sketching. For that, I’m grateful. Sketching is a skill I probably wouldn’t have taken the time to develop on my own. Mainly because the only way to get better is tons of practice. In these classes, I remember sitting for hours drawing from life - usually still lives set up by the teachers. I would have never taken the time to do that on my own. If you’ve loved art your whole life, it’s possible you practiced sketching in high school or college as well. Like me, maybe you haven’t spent as much time on it since.

Sketching is so important because it comprises the bones of every illustration. It’s the structure that props our work up and makes it beautiful. However, its importance is often overlooked.

This month, let’s drop all our other tools and just focus on pencil. There’s something really therapeutic to sketching. Removing the element of color makes it an easy activity to get lost in. Sometimes, I forget how much I love sketching because I’m so focused on making final art. This month, I want to give sketching the attention it deserves. I know our work will be better for it.

Video Product Links:

Watercolor Pencils | Light Box | Vellum Tracing Paper | Matte iPad Screen Protector

Journal Prompts:

  1. When is the last time I really sketched?

  2. What are some assumptions I have around sketching, both positive and negative?

  3. If I could improve at sketching one subject matter, what would it be?

  4. How could I use sketching to improve my work?

Sketchbook Prompts:

  1. Sketch a quirky character, one with a serious backstory.

  2. Sketch a collection of interesting objects from your home.

  3. Sketch an animal in 3 different positions, whether it be a pet or one you would find in the wild.

  4. Go outside and find an object in nature to sketch.

Assignment:

This month, concentrate on sketching 1 or 2 subject matters you need to work on the most. Pin up your practice sketches around your house.

Fun Finds: