49: Sketchbook Pages in Uncertain Times
Plus the re-release of the Draw Your World paint palette, and a new class
This past week, I’ve been drawing almost nonstop. I started with just scribbles, and then it hit me—this is exactly what I need right now. Drawing is my way of processing, even if the pages in my sketchbook don’t directly reflect current events. They’re more of an escape, a small refuge from recent developments that have weighed heavily on my state of mind. Scrolling through news updates, I feel the frustration and fear rise, so I turn away and return to what feels grounding: a pencil, a pen, my sketchbook, and the simplest things around me: a chocolate croissant, my son’s face, a little girl on the train, the details of my daily errands.
Faced with the election results, maybe not everyone feels the same pull toward escape. Some find comfort in staying engaged. Others might feel relief. I think it is fair to say that these recent weeks have brought forth a lot of feelings no matter what side you are on politically. Having an outlet is essential, but if drawing isn’t yours, and you’re looking for a way to reset, I’d encourage you to lean into your own creative pursuits. Whether it’s art, music, writing, or something else, those little pockets of joy and contentment can lead to new perspectives, a sense of peace, or even the spark for action.
I know there’s a lot to read these days, often too much, so here are some images you can simply look at. I hope it offers a little respite from whatever’s been on your mind.
I’m sharing the stages of drawing my son because I find it to be a good example of the new sense of freedom I’m feeling with my sketchbook. Starting with the original reference photo, I moved through the steps of drawing and painting his portrait. While the final piece doesn’t capture his exact likeness, I’ve learned to let go of that expectation. The essence is there. Portraits are so challenging; even the slightest shift in a line can completely alter the face. If I aim for an exact match with the photograph, I’m bound to feel disappointed.
I visited a few museums this week with good friends, and this also helped to distract from the temptation to scroll. I loved “Life Dances On: Robert Frank in Dialogue” at MoMA. Here is a piece in the NYTimes about the exhibition.
A post read this morning that I think is worth sharing:
The Draw Your World Palette is back!
Seventeen hand-mulled pigments
The Draw Your World Palette, from ArtToolkit, includes an assortment of seventeen hand-mulled pigments from Greenleaf & Blueberry in a Black Pocket Palette, with colors ranging from modern primaries and convenience colors to specialty pigments such as faux gold and faux silver. I selected my favorite and most frequently used colors and arranged them based on my daily illustration practice. The result is a unique and comprehensive palette designed to inspire you to capture the world around and within you. You can purchase a holiday gift set that includes my book Draw Your World or purchase the palette alone.
If you would like to purchase a set from me directly, I have a small amount to sell. Please email me and we can coordinate. I am offering free shipping within the US to my subscribers (first come, first served).
Sketch and Paint a Holiday Shopfront—My Last Derwent Class of the Year
Friday, December 13th, 2pmEST.
Capture the charm of a cozy, classic holiday shopfront. In this one-hour class, I will guide you through the steps of drawing a festive facade. Drawing from years of experience sketching beloved city shops, I’ll teach you techniques for building structure, adding holiday flair, and infusing personality into each line and brushstroke. Perfect for creating a piece to frame or to turn into holiday cards, this class will leave you with a keepsake to treasure and share. Note: unfortunately only people in the US and Canada can register for the live. Unless you have a VPN. If you are unable to join, the replay will be uploaded to YouTube a few days after the session.
Ambassador and Affiliate Codes
If you’d like to try out Blackwing pencils or just order some new items, please shop using this unique link: blackwing602.com/sdionbaker. When you purchase using my link, there’s no additional cost to you, and I earn a small commission. I appreciate your support!
Most of my Skillshare classes feature my favorite Caran d’Ache art supplies. My relationship with the US distributor, Creative Art Materials, started back when I wrote Draw Your Day in 2018, and they saw how heavily I featured their art tools—many that I have been using since I was in grade school. Click here to find some my favorites on the Orange Art website.
All Canvas lights and accessories are 10% off with my discount code: SDB10.
Very nicely done post, with appropriate and helpful words for right now. Thank you!
Interesting how your week unfolded, getting back to equilibrium. The concept of relief is indeed what I felt after the initial day of shock and anger wore its weary, unwelcome self off. Your expression of 6+7 was right on. The shadowy face hinting of Trump, the scribbles and chaotic arrangement of shapes and colors, the barely legible writing. I couldn't really decipher it. All of that composition spelled the feelings of those two days.
I'm afraid to say I was turned off to the Letter to a Friend post. I've heard so many people talk about change, from right-wing preppers who want to hide until the radiation cools to the left-wing social justice warriors who commit arson in the forest because they want to protect the environment. The ironies whirl around my head and leave me confused and troubled. So tell me, prepper, when you emerge from your hidey-hole, what kind of new world are you going to create? Have your even thought of where to begin? And you, ardent warrior, what did you accomplish by adding fuel to the wildfires? As you sit in your cell, think about how to change the world in a more positive way rather than lighting a fuse.
We learned a lot during the pandemic, didn't we? We came out of our hidey-holes having learned new ways to communicate, to teach, to entertain, from vast distances to the people next door. Now we're returning to the old, comfortable rhythms? The moldy methods of operation? Are humans really capable of making change and making it last? Any kind of change? I don't know, Samantha. I'm confused and troubled. But I thank you for your sketches that lighten my heart and show more about "the things that don't suck."
When I saw the photo of the woman standing by the water, the expression on her face turned me cold. I couldn't read any more. If I were to walk up to her and say HI, she looked as though she would take one look at my middle-class housewife self and write me off with the sneer. It's happened before and the tone of the article verified that would happen again. Maybe the thing to change is to rid ourselves not only of our egos, but also of our labels, ones we put on ourselves as well as on each other.
Okay, I'm stepping off my soapbox and backing away slowly.