Ok, I got it wrong out of the gate. The novice that I am, I just assumed that a sketch was a drawing!🤪 So, I basically started out with the wrong book. (sorry Bob). While the book I first bought (Drawing for the absolute beginner) will be useful down the road, it proved to be not what I needed out of the gate. So, I went on the search for a book on sketching. I think I found a pretty good one.

I found this one and after an Amazon – Look Inside, I decided that this is better for me.

I basically learned that in the art world a sketch is a “rapidly executed freehand drawing that is not usually intended as a finished work”. I don’t intend to ever get to the stage where I take my sketches and turn them into drawings or painting, so I am no threat to Michelangelo, or all the “real” artists out there. Getting very truthful with myself, what I actually want is to be a good doodler. To be able to sketch/doodle things and have them recognized for what they are.

I like the idea from Liron Yanconsky that a sketch is more of a window into the artist’s mind than a drawing is. If I could only manage to draw (I mean sketch, they are different I now know) what is in my mind I might accomplish the impossible, as I have no idea of what will come out on the paper from my tangled mind.

I know the secret to becoming good at anything is PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. If becoming a good sketcher was easy, I’m sure I would get bored with it pretty quickly. I intend to put in the time to become a passable sketcher and maybe even an exceptional doodler. If I can manage that I will be very pleased with myself. ☺︎

The first book I chose goes into a lot of detail about perspectives, shading, and such that drawings demand. I eventually hope to get to that stage, but I need something now to practice drawing squares, circles and straight lines and how to put them together into a sketch.

I am running out of my 500 words in this post. So, next time we will be talking about how to sketch with your brain. I always thought that artistry in any of its forms is more about how you think. Everything is a brain game, isn’t it?

Now to the shaming part:

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I simply couldn’t wait until I have the basics down, to try out my sketching skills, so I humbly present you with my first “untrained” sketch and a photo of what I was using as the source. It is one of my favorite coffee mugs I got while visiting my now deceased brother in St. Pete Florida. It is from the Dali Museum gift shop. I can almost hear you laughing… 🤪 (me too!)

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