Last week in small sketches

Working on large projects, especially when they’re approaching deadlines means you don’t get much other drawing done. That’s when I am really glad I have a book to sketch small, quick sketches in.

There’s always music practice to sketch. My daughter suspects I insist on 20 minutes of practice a day just so I can sketch her.

This week, she’s doing a fantastic music camp at San Jose State University called Summer in the City.  She’s so lucky to have a music program at her middle school where kids who have never played an instrument before can take it up and spend atleast an hour a day at school learning it and being a part of an orchestra. Isn’t that amazing? These are some quick sketches of the students at the audition this weekend. I wish I could capture the sound of a room full of kids all warming up for their audition, each playing a different piece!

On Saturday evening, a bunch of artists met up at home, to sketch. I mostly drank wine and did very little drawing. Still, it was a really fun evening. I drew some sketchers.

And this skull.

And my daughter who joined us for a bit…

There is a sport I watch but don’t sketch. It’s cricket. I don’t ever end up drawing during a game because I only watch ‘big’ games and then I’m too busy cheering to sketch. But this weekend was different. A really big game: Pakistan versus India, the Champions Trophy final. But Pakistan so totally walked all over India that it was easier to sketch and watch than to just watch.

In ‘other little sketches’: these below, while waiting to pick up my kids from camp. Same scene, but the one on the right is a blind contour, with a couple of peeks to bring my pencil back to where I wanted it to be. Blind contour is really relaxing. It also helps me look at both positive and negative shapes equally.

And finally, I went back to my weekly life drawing after a 2 month break. Taking a 2 month break is never a good idea, it really shows, especially in the fluidity of the work. Hopefully I’ll be back more regularly now. I always work on the quick sketches in charcoal, and just the feel of charcoal smooshing against paper and the blurry edged, dark masses it creates is so wonderful, I’m happy to be back to drawing, even if the drawings don’t work.