Drawing Blogs and Journals

I've decided that daily sketching just doesn't work for me. I've done quite a bit, but half of them I really don't want to share. And a lot of the time, I'm just not inspired to draw. Now, I know I'm always telling you guys to practice lots - and so you should - I guess sometimes you do need to be inspired. You can't just draw because you ought to. Its possible, of course, to do a drawing exercise that you don't particularly care for, but I don't think you can do that on a daily basis. So if you want to draw more often, but find it hard, you might need to think about finding a subject that will hold your interest, or better still, really fire your imagination.

I wanted my 'sketch a day' to look like blogger Anthony Zierhut's. Anthony writes one of my favorite drawing blogs, and his sketches are a delightful insight into everyday life. Of course, the fact that he is a superb draughtsman probably helps. I'm a very visual person, and living in suburbia, I find there isn't a lot in my surroundings, day to day, that I really want to capture. Its a bit of a visual wasteland.

I also enjoy a blog called Puhiava's Journal, currently featuring some simple color explorations which are quite lovely in themselves, and some really nice pen-and-ink drawings with color wash. Puhiava writes rather self-depreciatingly of his ability but, while they might not be technically perfect, the drawings have a feeling of truthful observation, and are light and fresh in handling.

The daly blog is another artist's blog, with many drawings in a quirky, super-simplified line style. Blogger Donnachada is an animator who has some really interesting things to say about drawing, and the illustration / animation industry.

I'm hoping I might pick up some insights from some of these blog artists that I admire, and see if I can find some source of inspiration that might work to get me really drawing again.

Here's a few sketchbook ideas on various themes - there's five pages, each with a different theme. Of course, drawing doesn't have to be about your environment. I've always been interested in ideas and symbolism, so perhaps I'll find something to explore in my imagination.