HOT SHOT 6- MAKE SKETCHING A DAILY HABIT
We are getting closer to the demos now and I have almost exhausted the preliminary intros, but just before we get into the demos and other great things ahead, I would like to share with you, my HOT SHOT number 6-Which is MAKE IT A DAILY HABIT!!!
If you missed HOT SHOT 4 & 5, please click HERE
HOT SHOT 6
Make it a daily habit!
Please this is what makes the difference between the casual and the committed.
One thing that has helped me all these years is a non stop habit of sketching people wherever I found myself and I have loads of sketchbooks over the years filled with people in different settings from different walks of life and from different countries.
Even though I loose focus at times, I have never stopped sketching on a constant basis and this is the real shot of the sketch- inspiration, you must commit to an everyday business.
Even if you stop. Just forgive yourself, pick up your pencil and start again! Those plain pages are begging for your creativity! Don’t leave them bare!
A homeless guy I sketched on Saturday
and the sketch below
Sketch of Homeless man around Kings Road
The sketch above was done on Saturday afternoon. As I was walking down Kings Road around Chelsea, I remembered I hadn’t sketched that day. I saw a homeless guy, someone I who I had sketched before. But I thought, he doesn’t have his Rasta hair again, I’ll try a new version of him. Click HERE to see my old version.
So, after asking politely and offering some help, I sat on the pavement and knocked this off! It was cold, but when I sketch I feel warm inside! I feel fulfilled for the day! And I strongly believe you can feel this way too.
Look, I didn’t even have my sketchbook on me that day but luckily I had my jotter! A life saver!! So, even though the paper had all sorts of problems, it was no hindrance to the daily affair!
So get at it everyday and make sure it’s something from life!!
You CAN DO IT!!
If you feel inspired and want to try it, please like this, share this or just drop a comment using the social media buttons below.
Tagged with: Adebanji Alade • Chelsea • graphite • Habit • homeless • London • pencil • people • sketchbook • Sketches • urban sketching
Filed under: Inspiration to sketch • Sketchbook
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I like what you say about the plain pages. That is much more encouraging than thinking of my sketchbook as something “sacred” I am afraid to ruin by a bad sketch. Thank you for this post!
Brilliant Anne! That’s the way I see it and I am happy you’ve got the gist! Keep it going and flowing!!!!
Great sketchbook, inspiring, you got me, going to get a small sketchbook anddo what you do!
Brilliant Don! Thanks for the feedback! I am glad you’ve got this one going!!!
Sketching! Something I’ve been so lazy about. I’m inspired by this! Will do as you said. Thanks bro!
Great Emeka! I’m pleased you’re in for this!
Hi,
i want to sketch to but i have never sketched before.Do you have an advice? Or should i just start to sketch?
Can i learn sketching by doing it?
cu Tascha
Thanks Tasha,
if you have never sketched before, just start! Get to read my other posts before this one (HOT SHOTS 1-5) they talk about getting the right materials, what to sketch and other start off inspirational tips!
YOU CAN LEARN BY DOING IT!
Am so inspired by your posts, thank you!! Got a sketchbook and am only nervous about one thing – people’s reaction to me drawing them! Hope they don’t mind 🙂 anyway, thanks again, you are an incredible artist and a wonderful teacher, teach us more!! 😉
Thanks Rufina!
From my experience people have mixed reactions, some are inquisitive, some get surprised and shocked, some can’t be bothered, others are bothered-and you can’t blame them-because they’ll be wondering why you are sketching them-To those, you have to explain-why you sketch and a little bit about what it does to your art. Others will love it, ask you to send the image to them, some will wink and smile and applaud your efforts! It’s pure fun! Just DO IT!
You are such a genius Adabanji! You should do sketching workshops, people will queue up to learn from the sketching and painting master – you!
Thanks Celia! Yes! I have taken that on board! Thanks so much for the positive feedback!!
I would love to learn to sketch from you. I am a great fan of your work. In my twilight years I am teaching myself to draw the human figure by following Gottfried Bammes book The complete Life Drawing Course. I haven’t got the nerve to sketch in public! How do you cope with people moving their heads constantly when you are a beginner and draw slowly?
Thanks Vil! I am happy you are ready to take this on. The best advice for someone learning is to start very simple, if you happen to use trains, don’t go for the moving heads, try the sleepy heads and people more stationary. The last thing you want to do, is to get yourself discouraged by taking on the complicated first. It’s always good to start simple and then gradually you’ll advance in your tempo.
But if you really want to take this on. Sketch- once they move- stop-start another one- once they move-stop! Make sure you are not sketching from memory, just sketch what you see.
I did this early in my career and I still do it now. Sometimes I can end up with a page full of uncompleted sketches. This is no problem as the most important thing is that you are giving yourself the rugged basic training of eye and hand co-ordination.
“Make sure you are not sketching from memory, just sketch what you see.”
Wow, this is invaluable advice. When sketching 30 second pics I often try to sketch from memory to get in a couple of last second jabs but they seem to ruin what I was doing. I am glad for this advice, it greatly helps me. Thanks for the Q&A.
Hello Adebanji,
i like your work but i’m thinking about art, is usefull to be an artist? i mean, making your portraits do you help someone? in wich way?
i think that the art in direct contact whit the reality is a way to celebrate reality, to make open our eyes about the beauty or the problems of the world…and the art feeds our soul, a immaterial part of our lifes…
let me know wht do you think.
by
luca
Thanks Luca, I agree with your points! It’s what art should be! I see art as a way of expressing to the world the way I see it! Everyone one of us has a unique way of seeing and that’s what is worth sharing!
Am loving your inspired to sketch site. This is another great post, really very inspiring – I carry a small sketchbook everywhere now!
I’m really happy to hear that Sharon!! That’s the way to go!
Sharon! That’s brilliant! Thats the spirit! You’ll never regret it! Enjoy the journey through its pages and have fun!!!
Whenever I stop sketching daily I find looking through my old sketchbooks very helpful in getting myself to start again. I can see the improvement that comes from the regular exercise, the sketches bring so many memories of what I did, thought and felt and somehow I’m much less critical of my old sketches than the one I just did.
This is true Zoya! It’s amazing how they can bring back those exact feelings and propel us to keep it going
. It’s almost like a journal or diary kept.
Very inspiring! I loved seeing page after page, and also that the sketches were sometimes unfinished. It’s really not the end product that counts, or any single sketch, but the daily process and commitment and the changes that accumulate over time. Thank you for posting all of this hot shots! I am enjoying them and learning a lot. :0)