Apr 18, 2022

Learning to Draw with your Pen Joyfully - Painting & Drawing Tips

Are you planning your Spring Planting?  Looking at seed catalogues?  
Wondering in the Garden Shops?
Bringing home the bundles of Tulips from the grocery store?

POPPIES IN THE FIELD  - Sketchbook Practice 

Spring is nearly here. I am hounding the garden shops, checking out the flower beds on my daily walks, waiting for the colour.  

 I don’t have a big garden any more but I love to have a few baskets on the steps and patio.  I find I love the neat lines of colour as I set my pots in place.  But somehow as the weather warms and the plants grow, things become wild and free.  I love that look even more.

 Drawing with a pen is like that. . .

Do you find as you start to draw with pen there is a feeling of permanence. The marks must be exact.  It can not be changed. Lines are neat and orderly. 

But the lines can be like those flowers, once they begin to grow they can become wild and free.  Full of confidence and joy. 

 But, How you ask, can one get that confidence and Joy.

The answer is practice.  But of course there is more to it than that.  Meaningful practice helps.  But I find practice only works if I feel some success.  A sense of growth.  A feeling of confidence. Joy. 

A Joyful Way to Get Loose with your Pen

NB: There is a video version of the blog post with more examples - See "Get Loose with Your Pen Work" video.  

1.  Grab your watercolours and a brush - no reference - just put blobs of paint on the page to indicate where a flower might go.  5 blobs is a good starting point.  

 My 5 blubs of colour

2.  Loosely paint in stems and branches.  Keep you colour light so ink work will show later.  

Don't worry about making perfect leaves, have fun with the shapes

Working without a references helps gives freedom to your line work. It feels scary, I know, but you will see you don't really need one.  Drawing like this helps you move freely on the page and not feel any of your marks are 'wrong'.  

3.  Practice this simple poppy flower.  While your paint is drying practice making this simple poppy.  Make them all different sizes and facing in different directions. 

Draw the bottom 2 petals first, then add the 3 at the back

4.  Draw flowers, leaves and stems on your painting.  Don't worry about keeping the colour inside the lines.  You will see the lines will capture they colour as you go.  Also, having a bit of white space inside your shapes, creates a lot of interest. 

Drawing the flowers, stems and leaves

5.  Keep drawing until you are finished.  Don't hesitate to add more leaves and flowers to fit your scene, even if there is no painted area for them.  Note my finished picture at the beginning of the post,  has a leaf added to the left side and there is no paint there.  

6.  Try working with another shape.  I have painted a simple log and stump shape in my book. I did play with a few lights and darks but tried to keep it simple.  ( I did get a little carried away as I love painting and drawing old stumps. )

My simple log and stump  

2.  Adding line work.  Picture a log and stump in your mind and start some line work.  Don't worry about staying within the coloured area.  Note the bits of white on my stump where I enlarged it and reshaped it.  Add marks: light, dark, squiggles, dots.  Watch and see what they do.  Sometimes encapsulate the darker values and other times ignore them.  Let your pen move freely.  

Add a bit of foliage.  Stumps and logs always have leaves, sticks, and plants scattered around them. 

Note how my line work breaths life into this simple painting

3.  Adding more colour.  This is always an option after you add your pen work. I encourage you to do this after you add your ink work.  This will help you feel loose and free.  Too much colour detail makes you want to follow the lines.  Remember when you add the extra colour it does not have to fit into the line work.  In fact leaves for example with no line work add depth to your bushes. (Note my bushes on the left side of the stump)

A Simple picture but one that makes me happy when I look at it.  

This might be a new way for you to practice your line work but I think you will find it rewarding and helpful in building your confidence and finding your joy.  

You will find more examples and further information in the video version of the blog post - See "Get Loose with Your Pen Work" video.  

Outdoor Sketching Classes - Starting May 27!!!

Outdoor Sketching Classes are 2.5 hr sessions and located in parks in North Surrey and North Langley.  Beginners to Advanced are Welcome.  Mediums supported: watercolour, pen, pencil, watercolour pencils and coloured pencils.  You can sign up to as many sessions as you like.  Class Size: Max 3.  $50 per session.  

Class Dates: 
May 27: 10-12:30pm
June 9 & 16: 10-12:30pm
July 7 & 21: 10-12:30pm
Aug 4 & 25: 10-12:30pm
Sept 1 & 8: 10-12:30pm 

Arrangements made for inclement weather.  
You are welcome to contact me for help in organizing your supplies for an Outing.  

 I am available for booking special outings for you and 1-2 of your friends. 

Gift Certificates are Available

Contact Wendy to register 

 Move your work to NEW LEVELS?  

Contact Me for:

1. Private Drawing Lesson: (3 Sessions 2.5 hr each $250)  North Langley, BC (Walnut Grove) 
Do you want your animals to breath, your flowers to sparkle or your people to walk?  Whatever subject your like to paint or draw I can build a drawing program for you.  Private Lessons allow you to focus on the skills you wish to develop.  Wendy is a experienced teacher, providing a calm, relaxing experience as you learn how to use the principles of drawing.  Beginner to Advanced are welcome.  Special rates for younger students.  Contact Wendy for More info

2.  Online: Teaching, Mentoring or Critiquing Your Work - Don't live in the Fraser Valley,  I would be happy to tailor a program just for you online.  Drawing and Painting Lessons, Mentoring you on your Art Journey or Critiquing Your Work with an Eye to Move It Forward.  Drawing & Painting Lessons: 2-30 sessions $75.  Mentoring or Critiquing 30 minutes sessions $25.  Flexible schedule and sessions can be longer or shorter depending on your goals. 

3.  Available at Art by Wendy's Studio
Original work, Commissions, Prints and Cards of her Work, 

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Have a great Artful Day,
Wendy

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