No. 26: Look Up, Look Down, Look All Around
A recent sketchbook page that shares an exercise I recommend time and time again.
I suggest in my book Draw Your World, in the travel section, that a nice exercise is to stand in one place and look up, down, and all around. From that one spot, find something you might want to draw. I believe that from any one place where you plant your feet firmly on the ground you can find multiple things to draw if you are looking from all angles.
Above is a recent page in my sketch journal that shares a few perspectives from a day in the city. It starts from my breakfast at a favorite café (shown on the left side of the page) and looks through the window from the second floor of the place down to the line outside below, while also looking down at my croissant on the table. Later in the day, there’s a look up at the windows in a restaurant we stopped in for lunch. And finally, on the right side of the page, is another look-up moment from a corner on the Lower East Side showing some shoes hanging from telephone wires. The page shares three different scenes that were not seen from eye level but from looking up and down. I really love playing with different perspectives all at once. This page was an experiment, and I was not sure it would make sense together on a single page, but I’m happy with the exploration. Not all sketchbook pages have to be print-worthy. The success is in the looking, the process and the play.
I encourage you to try this. Choose one place to stand, and from that spot, look all around for something to draw. Or take the challenge a bit further and draw multiple things from that one spot.
The “Draw Your…” book series from Ten Speed Press continues with Draw Your Adventures, coming in 2025. I am working away on the manuscript now and am excited to share more of my ideas about drawing adventures near and far from home with you very soon. If there is something you would like to see and learn about in the new book, feel free to comment below.
The Next Meetup on Zoom
My next paid-subscriber meetup is Wednesday, November 15, at 4pm EST. Be sure to check the subscriber chat for the link to RSVP.
In the next meetup, I am going to share a batch of my old work. Last week I pulled down a box of design samples from a shelf in my studio to look for some invitations I had designed for Seeds of Peace many years ago (turns out the invitation I found was from 2003, and yes, this means that peace in the Middle East has been on my mind for a very long time). This led me to think about all of the other samples filling up the box, like old friends I haven’t seen in years, and I’ve decided to share these samples with my subscribers—the work I did before my career shifted from designer to illustrator/artist. Join me. I think this is going to be a lot of fun.
Two-point Perspective Drawing and Painting with Derwent
My next FREE class with Derwent is on Monday, December 11th at 2pmEST.
In honor of the holiday season and gift-giving time, in this one-hour class we will be sketching and then painting a pile of presents stacked on top of each other. By first establishing a horizon line and then two vanishing points, we will be able to render the boxes with proper perspective. Once the first sketch is made, we will add some ink, erase some of the pencil, and then paint with the Derwent Inktense paint palette. Ribbons and patterns will be added as you desire. Watercolor or gouache paints are also fine to use if you do not have the Derwent paint pens. Feel free to follow along or simply watch and be inspired to create a pile of gifts in your own personal style. This is a great opportunity to learn some basic rules of perspective that you can incorporate into future work. Click here to book your free spot.
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Hi Samantha, maybe you can impart some wisdom for me. I draw many things I see when I'm traveling but I always get overwhelmed when I approach a scene and there is so much to it. I say to myself, how am I going to draw the intricate building or scene. Do you have any words of wisdom on how to approach this and not feel overwhelmed or a failure before you even start. Thanks
So many congrats on your new book project!