Art John Hayes Art John Hayes

Small Building Blocks - Abstracts

Breaking down any task into its components helps you develop.  It is no different with sketching.  Today I built upon the elements of drawing, the five ABCs to copy abstract designs.

I wasn’t trying to draw a portrait or a landscape but rather build my skills and confidence by focusing on lines, circles, and angles—small building blocks.

The two blocks on top are my copies of the abstracts.

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Art John Hayes Art John Hayes

Coaster Art

Today’s art was of a coaster sitting on my desk.  The theme was why it is good to start drawing and sketching with ink.  You can’t erase, and there is a permanence to what you are drawing.  The key takeaway is that you can learn from what you are sketching.    I’m enjoying the process, and hopefully, you are too!

 

Let me know in the comments if there is a skill or passion that you are starting to develop or are returning to.

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Art John Hayes Art John Hayes

Art and Sketching

I am developing an art skill, drawing. To this point, I have no sketching or drawing talent. Hopefully, this will inspire you to create a creative outlet and talent.  

I came across Danny Gregory from Sketchbook Skool on YouTube. Danny has a wonderful way of demystifying art and sketching. He builds your sketching and art skills by focusing on increasing your confidence and a positive inner voice vs. the technical drawing skills/techniques. 

 To sketch better, you need to sketch.

 I am taking his course How to Draw Without Talent, A self-directed course that'll get you drawing in 26 easy, fun steps. I have phased the 26 videos into daily chunks. Danny also takes you through technical discussions and drills during the course.

Each video works on your confidence, repetition, or a specific sketching skill. If there isn't a particular assignment, I pick something to sketch.

I aim to draw and post something for the next 365 days. 

Consistency and Self Discipline

Sketching every day and the accountability of posting online drive improvement. 

Patience and consistency are essential for improvement and transformation regardless of the skill. Works for everything from public speaking to running and sketching. I'm using self-discipline to bring consistency and improvement to my sketching. 

Here is my first sketch – My Left Hand




Danny considers this a benchmark drawing. 

It is where I am now and provides a benchmark for me to build on.

The key is that I am not striving for perfection, just using self-discipline, consistency, and deliberate practice to develop and improve my drawing skills—no burst or bust, as Ryan Holiday states. In "Tiny Habits," BJ Fogg indicates, "Consistency helps scale your habits/behaviors from small to large."

What creative outlet can you develop through consistency?

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