August 31, 2024

30 Day Drawing Challenge - Summary and Conclusions

 

Drawing Challenge -
Summary and Conclusions

 

The drawings below were done as part of a drawing challenge in Ian Roberts' "Mastering Composition" courseFor general information and explanation, please refer to the Foreword section of my Day 1 post here.


So, here we are, 30 drawings later... I must say that the challenge was definitely worth my time and effort. I definitely noticed that the process of drawing became easier and faster as time went on. Most of all, I found that it was much easier for me to visually express what I wanted. It is kind of like learning to write. After a lengthy process of practice, one no longer thinks about or pays attention to forming individual letters and words. Instead, one just uses them automatically, in order to communicate thoughts and messages.
    It was a great and rewarding challenge, and I highly recommend something of this kind to all, who want to up their creative game. Of course, there are is a great variety of art challenges out there, from individual, short ones, to ones done with a group of people and for longer periods of time. This article from Artful Pursuits not only lists some of the benefits of art challenges, but also gives a few examples of different types.
    If you followed my posts throughout these past 30 days - thank you so much for joining me on this journey. Your support and presence means a lot to me, and I really appreciate you stopping by. In the nearest future, I plan to take one more Ian Roberts' art course, to push myself artistically even further. See you in future posts. Wishing you a beautiful day.



*** Because I might use some of the images for future work, I kindly ask that you do not copy or use my drawings as ideas or reference for your own work, or re-post them elsewhere.


Link to my Instagram page here.



August 30, 2024

30 Day Drawing Challenge - Day 30

   

Cedar Path 2

 

This artwork was done as part of a drawing challenge in Ian Roberts' "Mastering Composition" courseFor general information and explanation, please refer to the Foreword section of my Day 1 post here.

 

I drew this from my own photo, which I took in Tooley's Mill Park, Courtice, Ontario. (Graphite pencil on Strathmore Bristol Smooth, 300 series).

 



*** Because I might use some of the images for future work, I kindly ask that you do not copy or use my drawings as ideas or reference for your own work, or re-post them elsewhere. 


Link to my Instagram page here.


 

 

 

 

 

August 29, 2024

30 Day Drawing Challenge - Day 29

   

A Bridge In The Woods

 

This artwork was done as part of a drawing challenge in Ian Roberts' "Mastering Composition" courseFor general information and explanation, please refer to the Foreword section of my Day 1 post here.

 

I drew this from my own photo, which I took in Tooley's Mill Park, Courtice, Ontario. (Graphite pencil on Strathmore Bristol Smooth, 300 series).



*** Because I might use some of the images for future work, I kindly ask that you do not copy or use my drawings as ideas or reference for your own work, or re-post them elsewhere. 


Link to my Instagram page here.


 

 

 

 

 

August 28, 2024

30 Day Drawing Challenge - Day 28

  

Forest Path

 

This artwork was done as part of a drawing challenge in Ian Roberts' "Mastering Composition" courseFor general information and explanation, please refer to the Foreword section of my Day 1 post here.

 

I drew this from my own photo, which I took in a wooded area in Southern Ontario. (Graphite pencil on Strathmore Bristol Smooth, 300 series).







*** Because I might use some of the images for future work, I kindly ask that you do not copy or use my drawings as ideas or reference for your own work, or re-post them elsewhere. 


Link to my Instagram page here.


 

 

 

 

 

August 27, 2024

30 Day Drawing Challenge - Day 27

  

Trees

 

This artwork was done as part of a drawing challenge in Ian Roberts' "Mastering Composition" courseFor general information and explanation, please refer to the Foreword section of my Day 1 post here.

 

I drew this from my own photo, which I took in a local park. (Graphite pencil on Strathmore Bristol Smooth, 300 series).




*** Because I might use some of the images for future work, I kindly ask that you do not copy or use my drawings as ideas or reference for your own work, or re-post them elsewhere. 

Link to my Instagram page here.



 

 

 

 

August 26, 2024

30 Day Drawing Challenge - Day 26

  

Country Road

 

This artwork was done as part of a drawing challenge in Ian Roberts' "Mastering Composition" courseFor general information and explanation, please refer to the Foreword section of my Day 1 post here.

 

I drew this from my own photo, which I took in Prince Edward Island, Canada. In the background is Confederation Bridge, an 8 mile long structure, which connects PEI with New Brunswick . (Graphite pencil on Strathmore Bristol Smooth, 300 series).





*** Because I might use some of the images for future work, I kindly ask that you do not copy or use my drawings as ideas or reference for your own work, or re-post them elsewhere. 


Link to my Instagram page here.


 

 

 

 

August 25, 2024

30 Day Drawing Challenge - Day 25

  

Sunny Day in Early Spring

 

This artwork was done as part of a drawing challenge in Ian Roberts' "Mastering Composition" courseFor general information and explanation, please refer to the Foreword section of my Day 1 post here.

 

I drew this from my own photo, which I took in a local park, in March. (Graphite pencil on Strathmore Bristol Smooth, 300 series).




*** Because I might use some of the images for future work, I kindly ask that you do not copy or use my drawings as ideas or reference for your own work, or re-post them elsewhere. 


Link to my Instagram page here.


 

 

 

 

August 24, 2024

30 Day Drawing Challenge - Day 24

  

Cedar Path 1

 

This artwork was done as part of a drawing challenge in Ian Roberts' "Mastering Composition" courseFor general information and explanation, please refer to the Foreword section of my Day 1 post here.

 

I drew this from my own photo, which I took at the Tooley's Mill Park in Courtice, Ontario, Canada. (Graphite pencil on Strathmore Bristol Smooth, 300 series).




*** Because I might use some of the images for future work, I kindly ask that you do not copy or use my drawings as ideas or reference for your own work, or re-post them elsewhere. 

Link to my Instagram page here.



 

 

 

August 23, 2024

30 Day Drawing Challenge - Day 23

  

Pine Tree in a Field

 

This artwork was done as part of a drawing challenge in Ian Roberts' "Mastering Composition" courseFor general information and explanation, please refer to the Foreword section of my Day 1 post here.

 

I drew this from my own photo. (Graphite pencil on Strathmore Bristol Smooth, 300 series).



*** Because I might use some of the images for future work, I kindly ask that you do not copy or use my drawings as ideas or reference for your own work, or re-post them elsewhere. 

Link to my Instagram page here.



 

 

 

August 22, 2024

30 Day Drawing Challenge - Day 22

  

A Tree Near a Path

 

This artwork was done as part of a drawing challenge in Ian Roberts' "Mastering Composition" courseFor general information and explanation, please refer to the Foreword section of my Day 1 post here.

 

I drew this from my own photo. (Graphite pencil on Strathmore Bristol Smooth, 300 series).

 



*** Because I might use some of the images for future work, I kindly ask that you do not copy or use my drawings as ideas or reference for your own work, or re-post them elsewhere. 

Link to my Instagram page here.



 

 

August 21, 2024

30 Day Drawing Challenge - Day 21

  

Still Life with a Lemon

 

This artwork was done as part of a drawing challenge in Ian Roberts' "Mastering Composition" courseFor general information and explanation, please refer to the Foreword section of my Day 1 post here.

 

I drew this from my own photo, of my own arrangement. (Graphite pencil on Strathmore Bristol Smooth, 300 series).



*** Because I might use some of the images for future work, I kindly ask that you do not copy or use my drawings as ideas or reference for your own work, or re-post them elsewhere. 

Link to my Instagram page here.



 

 

August 20, 2024

30 Day Drawing Challenge - Day 20

 

Calla Lilies 2

 

This artwork was done as part of a drawing challenge in Ian Roberts' "Mastering Composition" courseFor general information and explanation, please refer to the Foreword section of my Day 1 post here.

 

This is a slightly different composition using the same plant, as in Day 19 drawing. I simply couldn't decide which version I liked more, so I drew both of them. (Prismacolor Premier white and white charcoal pencils on Clairefontaine Carb'ON paper).



*** Because I might use some of the images for future work, I kindly ask that you do not copy or use my drawings as ideas or reference for your own work, or re-post them elsewhere. 

Link to my Instagram page here.



 

 

 

August 19, 2024

30 Day Drawing Challenge - Day 19

 

Calla Lilies 1

 

This artwork was done as part of a drawing challenge in Ian Roberts' "Mastering Composition" courseFor general information and explanation, please refer to the Foreword section of my Day 1 post here.

 

I drew this from my own photo, which I took in my own garden. (Prismacolor Premier white and white charcoal pencils on Clairefontaine Carb'ON paper).

*** Because I might use some of the images for future work, I kindly ask that you do not copy or use my drawings as ideas or reference for your own work, or re-post them elsewhere. 


Link to my Instagram page here.



 

 

August 18, 2024

30 Day Drawing Challenge - Day 18

 

In the Woods

 

This artwork was done as part of a drawing challenge in Ian Roberts' "Mastering Composition" courseFor general information and explanation, please refer to the Foreword section of my Day 1 post here.

 

I drew this from my own photo, which I took in the wooded area in Southern Ontario. (Graphite pencil on Strathmore Bristol Smooth, 300 series).

 


 

*** Because I might use some of the images for future work, I kindly ask that you do not copy or use my drawings as ideas or reference for your own work, or re-post them elsewhere. 


Link to my Instagram page here.


 

 

August 17, 2024

30 Day Drawing Challenge - Day 17

 

White Lioness

 

This artwork was done as part of a drawing challenge in Ian Roberts' "Mastering Composition" courseFor general information and explanation, please refer to the Foreword section of my Day 1 post here.

 

I drew this from my own photo, which I took at the African Lion Safari park in Ontario, Canada. (Graphite and white charcoal pencils on Strathmore Toned Gray, 400 series).

 


 

*** Because I might use some of the images for future work, I kindly ask that you do not copy or use my drawings as ideas or reference for your own work, or re-post them elsewhere. 


Link to my Instagram page here.


 

 

August 16, 2024

30 Day Drawing Challenge - Day 16

 

Path at The Green Gables.

 

This artwork was done as part of a drawing challenge in Ian Roberts' "Mastering Composition" courseFor general information and explanation, please refer to the Foreword section of my Day 1 post here.

 

I drew this from my own photo, which I took at the Green Gables Heritage Place in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada. (Graphite pencil on Strathmore Bristol Smooth, 300 series).

 


 

*** Because I might use some of the images for future work, I kindly ask that you do not copy or use my drawings as ideas or reference for your own work, or re-post them elsewhere. 


Link to my Instagram page here.


 

 

 


August 15, 2024

30 Day Drawing Challenge - Day 15

 

Cutlery 2

 

This artwork was done as part of a drawing challenge in Ian Roberts' "Mastering Composition" courseFor general information and explanation, please refer to the Foreword section of my Day 1 post here.

 

I drew this from my own photo of my own setup. A slightly different crop and take on previous day's drawing. Not sure which version I prefer. (Graphite and white charcoal pencils on Strathmore Toned Gray, 400 series).

 



*** Because I might use some of the images for future work, I kindly ask that you do not copy or use my drawings as ideas or reference for your own work, or re-post them elsewhere. 


Link to my Instagram page here.



 

 

 

 

 



August 14, 2024

30 Day Drawing Challenge - Day 14

 

Cutlery 1

 

This artwork was done as part of a drawing challenge in Ian Roberts' "Mastering Composition" courseFor general information and explanation, please refer to the Foreword section of my Day 1 post here.

 

I drew this from my own photo, of my own setup. (Graphite and white charcoal pencils on Strathmore Toned Gray, 400 series).


*** Because I might use some of the images for future work, I kindly ask that you do not copy or use my drawings as ideas or reference for your own work, or re-post them elsewhere. 


Link to my Instagram page here.


 

 

 

 

August 13, 2024

30 Day Drawing Challenge - day 13

 

Phalaenopsis (Moth) orchid

 

This artwork was done as part of a drawing challenge in Ian Roberts' "Mastering Composition" courseFor general information and explanation, please refer to the Foreword section of my Day 1 post here.

 

I drew this from my own photo, of my own household plant. Using black paper made drawing an easy and quick process, since the darkest tones are already present. It would be rather difficult to achieve such dark, rich black with a graphite pencil. Even with a very dark pencil, it would take a long time and several layers to do so. (Prismacolor Premier white and white charcoal pencils on Clairefontaine Carb'ON  paper).

 

*** Because I might use some of the images for future work, I kindly ask that you do not copy or use my drawings as ideas or reference for your own work, or re-post them elsewhere.

Link to my Instagram page here.




 

 

 

 

August 12, 2024

30 Day Drawing Challenge - day 12

 

Woodland Pond

 

This artwork was done as part of a drawing challenge in Ian Roberts' "Mastering Composition" courseFor general information and explanation, please refer to the Foreword section of my Day 1 post here.

 

I drew this from my own photo, which I took at the Toronto Zoo grounds. (Graphite pencil on Strathmore Bristol Smooth, 300 series).



*** Because I might use some of the images for future work, I kindly ask that you do not copy or use my drawings as ideas or reference for your own work, or re-post them elsewhere. 


Link to my Instagram page here.


 

 

 

August 11, 2024

30 Day Drawing Challenge - day 11

 

Swans

 

This artwork was done as part of a drawing challenge in Ian Roberts' "Mastering Composition" courseFor general information and explanation, please refer to the Foreword section of my Day 1 post here.

 

I drew this from my own photo, which I took at the Toronto Zoo years ago. (Graphite and white charcoal pencils on Strathmore Toned Gray, 400 series).

 



*** Because I might use some of the images for future work, I kindly ask that you do not copy or use my drawings as ideas or reference for your own work, or re-post them elsewhere. 


Link to my Instagram page here.


 

 

 

August 10, 2024

30 Day Drawing Challenge - day 10

 

Hydrangeas

 

This artwork was done as part of a drawing challenge in Ian Roberts' "Mastering Composition" courseFor general information and explanation, please refer to the Foreword section of my Day 1 post here.

 

I drew this from my own photo, which I took in my garden. (Graphite pencil on Strathmore Bristol Smooth, 300 series).

 



*** Because I might use some of the images for future work, I kindly ask that you do not copy or use my drawings as ideas or reference for your own work, or re-post them elsewhere. 


Link to my Instagram page here.


 

 

 

August 9, 2024

30 Day Drawing Challenge - day 9

 

A seat in the woods

 

This artwork was done as part of a drawing challenge in Ian Roberts' "Mastering Composition" courseFor general information and explanation, please refer to the Foreword section of my Day 1 post here.

 

I drew this from my own photo, which I took at Tooley's Mill Park in Courtice, Ontario. (Graphite pencil on Strathmore Bristol Smooth, 300 series).

 


*** Because I might use some of the images for future work, I kindly ask that you do not copy or use my drawings as ideas or reference for your own work, or re-post them elsewhere. 


Link to my Instagram page here.


 

 

August 8, 2024

30 Day Drawing Challenge - Day 8

 

Tea for Two

 

This artwork was done as part of a drawing challenge in Ian Roberts' "Mastering Composition" courseFor general information and explanation, please refer to the Foreword section of my Day 1 post here.

 

I drew this from my own photo, of my own setup. (Graphite pencil on Strathmore Bristol Smooth, 300 series).

 



*** Because I might use some of the images for future work, I kindly ask that you do not copy or use my drawings as ideas or reference for your own work, or re-post them elsewhere. 


Link to my Instagram page here.


 

August 7, 2024

30 Day Challenge - day 7

 

Charlottetown Harbour

 

This artwork was done as part of a drawing challenge in Ian Roberts' "Mastering Composition" courseFor general information and explanation, please refer to the Foreword section of my Day 1 post here.

 

I drew this from my own photo, which I took in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, back in 2019. I decided to simplify this one a lot, eliminating many objects and details, as this area is normally quite busy in the visual and literal sense. (Graphite pencil on Strathmore Bristol Smooth, 300 series).

 



*** Because I might use some of the images for future work, I kindly ask that you do not copy or use my drawings as ideas or reference for your own work, or re-post them elsewhere. 


Link to my Instagram page here.


 

August 6, 2024

30 Day Drawing Challenge - Day 6

 

Three simple bowls

 

This artwork was done as part of a drawing challenge in Ian Roberts' "Mastering Composition" courseFor general information and explanation, please refer to the Foreword section of my Day 1 post here.

 

I drew this from my own photo, of my own set up. Deceptively simple to draw - the background cloth took "forever". Should have used toned paper to make the process faster. 😆 (Graphite pencil on Strathmore Bristol Smooth, 300 series).

 



*** Because I might use some of the images for future work, I kindly ask that you do not copy or use my drawings as ideas or reference for your own work, or re-post them elsewhere.

 

Link to my Instagram page here.

August 5, 2024

30 Day Drawing Challenge - Day 5

 

Boats 2

 

This artwork was done as part of a drawing challenge in Ian Roberts' "Mastering Composition" courseFor general information and explanation, please refer to the Foreword section of my Day 1 post here.

 

I drew this from a photo taken by Ian Roberts.  This version of the boats was done on white paper, and it felt, as if it took forever to fill in the water and background trees.  (Graphite pencil on Strathmore Bristol Smooth, 300 series).
      Just for comparison, below you'll also find a vertical version of the same scene (done on Day 4 of the challenge). You can see how a difference of orientation, cropping and paper can affect the overall feeling/mood of an image. To me, the horizontal one feels more calm and somewhat introspective.






 

*** Because I might use some of the images for future work, I kindly ask that you do not copy or use my drawings as ideas or reference for your own work, or re-post them elsewhere.

 Link to my Instagram page here.

August 4, 2024

30 Day Drawing Challenge - Day 4

 

Boats 1

 

This artwork was done as part of a drawing challenge in Ian Roberts' "Mastering Composition" courseFor general information and explanation, please refer to the Foreword section of my Day 1 post here.

 

I drew this from a photo taken by Ian Roberts.  Because the mid-values are already present on toned paper, this drawing was easier and faster to do, than on regular white surface. I also found the surface of the paper to be rather textured. Consequently, a small drawing like this one (approx. 4x6") ends up looking very grainy as well. (Graphite and white charcoal pencils on Strathmore Toned Tan, 400 series).

 


 


*** Because I might use some of the images for future work, I kindly ask that you do not copy or use my drawings as ideas or reference for your own work, or re-post them elsewhere. 


Link to my Instagram page here.






August 3, 2024

30 Day Drawing Challenge - Day 3

 

Bust Sculpture 2

 

This artwork was done as part of a drawing challenge in Ian Roberts' "Mastering Composition" courseFor more information and explanation, please refer to the Foreword section of my Day 1 post here.

 

I drew this from a photo of a bust, taken by Ian Roberts.  Same bust as on Day 2, but different arrangement. Slightly easier and much faster to draw, since all the middle values are already present in toned paper. (Graphite and white charcoal pencils on Strathmore Toned Gray, 400 series).





*** Because I might use some of the images for future work, I kindly ask that you do not copy or use my drawings as ideas or reference for your own work, or re-post them elsewhere. 


Link to my Instagram page here.






August 2, 2024

30 Day Drawing Challenge - Day 2


Bust Sculpture 1

 

This artwork was done as part of a drawing challenge in Ian Roberts' "Mastering Composition" courseFor more information and explanation, please refer to the Foreword section of my Day 1 post here.

 

I drew this from a photo of a bust, taken by Ian Roberts.  Quite challenging, as human features tend to be, yet a lot of fun, as I enjoy this type of classic imagery. Pencil on Strathmore Bristol Smooth, 300 series.


 

 

*** Because I might use some of the images for future work, I kindly ask that you do not copy or use my drawings as ideas or reference for your own work, or re-post them elsewhere. 


Link to my Instagram page here.





August 1, 2024

30 Day Drawing Challenge - Intro and Day 1


Foreword

Earlier this year, I took Ian Roberts' "Mastering Composition" course.  I found it incredibly informative, interesting and enjoyable. While the focus was obviously on composition, the course also helped improve my artistic practice in general, largely due to a 30 day drawing challenge, held after the course ended. In the past, I heard numerous artists talk about the importance and benefits of daily (or at least regular), drawing practice. Hearing artist Andrew Tischler talk about his own Sketchendeavour (on his You Tube channel), got me intrigued enough to actually consider doing an art challenge. So, when an opportunity presented itself, I felt ready to dive in.
    Because this was not specifically a drawing course, the aim did not lie in producing "finished", high-end, best quality work, but rather something akin to good working drawings. The type one would do when still trying to work out general concepts, positioning, values, i.e. composition, prior to starting finished work, but past the stage of sketches and thumbnails. Such drawings give a good general idea and flavour of an image, without large investment of time, energy and money. Still, because they need to reflect the essence of the planned work, they do require some level of drawing skill and efficiency, and that is where regular practice can be very beneficial. I need to add that in real life, these drawings look more smooth and presentable. I photographed them with iPhone15, and the photos emphasize every single bit of texture and graininess (I'm not the only one who encountered this issue).
       All drawings for this challenge were done from reference photos, which were taken either by the course instructor, or myself. I will not include these photos in my posts, since the aim was not to copy them, but use them as reference, meaning lots of tweaks, additions, deletions, etc. However, I will still indicate whether an individual drawing was done using my or the course photo.We were allowed to draw the same subject as many times, as we liked, and I did end up with a few similar images. One reason is that I simply enjoyed some subjects enough to draw them again. Also, it was not easy to come up with 30 completely new images, edit and crop them, then do a roughly 4x6" drawing, and keep on schedule.  While we were allowed to do more than one drawing per day, I simply did not find the time to do that. In fact, to the very end I wasn't sure if I'd be able to complete 30 drawings in 30 days. This is one of the reasons why I post all of this after the fact, as doing so in real time would have been too time consuming, and the probability that I'd just quit mid-way would have been very high.

DAY 1 - Barn

At the very beginning of the course, we were tasked with drawing a barn from a given photo. As part of the 30 Day Challenge I decided to draw the same barn again, to see not only how my drawing has changed, but also how I would crop it the second time around. I must say, that even though the later drawing was done much more loosely and quickly, the overall flavour and character of the image has not changed that much. Lesson learned - that I can skip many details and nuances (and save so much time), and still get a reasonably realistic and clear image.

First barn drawing (on Denik, Heavyweight, Mixed Media Sketchbook paper):


Second barn drawing (on Strathmore Bristol smooth, 300 series):

 

*** Because I might use some of the images for future work, I kindly ask that you do not copy or use my drawings as ideas or reference for your own work, or re-post them elsewhere. 

Link to my Instagram page here.