Summer sketch book project

Having enrolled only days before the course started, I don't have much time to get started with the summer sketch book project.

Our theme is the natural world  - sketching using graphite, charcoal, pastels, watercolour - whatever we have at home.

I filled up a few pages and also looked at texture rubbing's.

The first day was interesting and we all got a chance to "show and tell" a bit about what we had done for our sketchbook project.  We have a very varied and talented group - looks like an interesting and exciting year.

We added to this sketch book project by doing our first task - sketching a multi-page, 360 outline drawing of the inside of our group art studio.  It was called "Take a dot for a walk" and raise much comment.  Basically drawing the very outside continuous outline with brief internal detail - all without lifting ones fine-liner.

We had to get back to our starting point after travelling 360 degrees around the room - within the time allowed which seemed very short.  We used a couple of sheets of paper as we ran out of space.

Interesting project with varied results among the students.

We also did sketches outside the building - a 360 degree - with the same basic speck and then went outside again to do close-ups of a handful of the items that had caught our eye.

Both of these outdoor tasks were challenging as the wind was blowing and there were odd spots of rain coming down.  Our pages were trying to fly off in the wind and it was a new experience, walking about sketching standing up and doing the 360 degree sketches.  We used long narrow strips of brown cardboard paper and it absorbed the fine-liner in a different way to the paper.

The variety within the group was interesting as were the different styles.

We then went on to quick sketches within the building using pencil and also a different technique of water-soluble pencil on one sketch.

It is quite a challenge to do the sketches in the time-frames allowed and it forces us to produce work without being "precious" and thinking too much.  Just observing and getting the sketch done as fast as possible.