Keeping it simple

Lately I’ve been keeping it simple, taking only the bare minimum of tools with me when I go sketching. It’s freeing to do this, and I’m seeing myself pull out my sketchbook more often for a quick sketch.

This spread is drawn with my Sailor Fude pen and a blue ball point pen. Sire, I could sketch with just one tool. But I tend to enjoy the contrast and color/value variety of two.

This spread of little observations was made at the airport using a fude pen and graphite pencil. Since the pencil happened to be water soluble, I mushed up some of the strokes with a waterbrush.

The sketch below is as minimalist in its use of media: still, a few colored pencils and a pen are all it took.

I find a minimalistic approach particularly useful when I am out drawing people in public: a small sketch kit is one way to be more nimble, less self-conscious, and less conspicuous. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

If you love the idea of drawing people but aren’t confident about sketching them. Or if you’d love for the people in your sketches to look less wooden, you might want to sign up for my 4-week online class “People Alive! Sketches Full of Life” which starts in November.