On a recent trip down south, I did the amazing. Okay, well, maybe it wasn’t so amazing, but it certainly was unique. I left my camera home. Which is something that I don’t usually do on family trips.
Although I did have a small camera with me that I was able to take photos with, it wasn’t my main camera. At first, it was a little weird.
But as I began to use my sketchbook (for that’s one of the reasons I left my camera home–to try to use my sketchbook more)–a new flame kindled inside of me, and I began to taste just a little of the same sensation I had had when I first got my camera. It was that sort of feeling where you want to take pictures of almost anything–that trying out of something new. It was such a good reminder to me and an eye-opener to help me realize that sketching from life can actually be really fun!
But just like so many things in our lives, studying from life can be hard to keep up with, and this leads to our first tip on practical ways to study from life:
Tip 1: Do it
Okay, so don’t laugh. :-) I know this seems pretty obvious. But if you’re anything like me, I need to be reminded of this important concept, constantly! :-) I found this after my recent “trip experience”. After coming home, I really haven’t keep up with my sketching from life.
And this is where I need to re-start. It really all comes down to one little word: do. The second part comes as “how”. How do we do it? Here are some ideas!
Practical Ways to Start
– Delegate a Sketchbook
Delegate a sketchbook as your “studying from life” sketchbook and leave it out where you can easily access it.
– Find Pockets of Time
Find pockets of time to work in your sketchbook, whether it’s while you’re waiting for lunch, riding in the car, or during your free time. Always be on the look out for “treasured moments” to sketch and draw what’s around you.
– See Things with New Eyes
Shut your eyes and re-open them with the mental purpose to “re-see” what’s around you.
If you have a practical way to get started with sketching from life, please leave a comment and let me know! I would love to hear!
