Here are some sketchbook drawing ideas arranged by theme. Don't miss the great ideas for drawing landscapes, portraits and figures, drawing animals and other sources of inspiration, on the following pages.
Still Life Drawing Ideas
- Draw a traditional setup of dishes, fruit and tablecloth. Experiment with arrangements, doing thumbnail sketches of each.
- Arrange a few stainless steel utensils on a black background, and do a tonal study in graphite pencil.
- Arrange some kid's toys, especially wooden ones, and old storybooks.
- Clues to a narrative - let your drawing suggest a story that has happened or is going to happen. A bloody knife, a broken object, historical items and photographs, clothes on a chair - objects can be loaded with meaning.
- Play with contrasts - old/new, dark/light, spiky/soft using objects and fabrics. How can you make something look heavy or light?
STILL LIFE PROJECT
Tell the story of an object's life. For example: a mug in brown wrapping tied with string; Steaming on a cosy table with a beloved's teacup alongside; sitting alone on a draining board; sitting on a desk full of pencils, with a torn photograph; broken in pieces in the wastebasket. You might tell the story of a beloved teddy, a bunch of flowers, a bottle of wine, or a dollar bill. Need a challenge? Look for the most mundane object you can think of! Contemporary objects - such as a mobile phone - can be difficult, because we have no artistic tradition to refer to when representing them.
