HOT SHOT 14- LET WHO YOU ARE SHOW THROUGH IN YOUR SKETCHES
This is another great hot-shot! Here I’ll be sharing a little bit about the concept of letting who you are show through your sketches. Every artist has something special about them, something that makes them unique.
This part of us should be showing through in our sketches! My last post was about Squinting and seeing shapes, click HERE if missed this post.
HOT SHOT 14
“While sketching there’s something you mustn’t forget- you mustn’t forget to put a little bit of yourself in what you are doing. There’s definitely something unique about you and you want that to always shine through. Don’t force it! It’s by constant practice that it naturally evolves, but also, don’t be afraid to express your personality in whatever you do, it’s the spirit behind sketching, it the core idea behind what you do.”
The Demo-Let your uniqueness show in your sketches
The Demo pic
While sketching there’s always something about us that is different from every other person who sketches. I don’t believe two artists sketches’ can be the same or be executed in a similar fashion. Something is always in there that would stand out as different and UNIQUE!
Pelican sketch 1- look out for those things that make this sketch unique
Some of us like to sketch fast, others like to sketch slow, others are more interested in the network of lines, others are interested in shapes, and you’ll see that it’s the particular area that they are really passionate about, that would shine through.
Pelican sketch II- It's all about lines and movement!
You must discover that part that you are passionate about and you’ll notice more than often that this would be an area where you can almost fashion out yourself, having a very distinct way of expressing that area. It would come naturally to you and you’ll be amazed how it sets you and how your work, apart.
Train sketches- again, it's all about delicate lines and fliuid strokes!
For me, I am a someone that loves to move about, an active and energetic person and I love lines! Now you’ll notice in my sketches that my lines really express that side of me. Since I know this I also do my best to enhance this area, always looking for different ways to exaggerate this too. I want to enteratin with my sketches, I want tell stories with lines!
You don’t need to force it but the secret is something you already know I am going to say……Practice, practice, practice…..draw, draw draw…. you must cover the mileage or distance with your pen or pencil. If you keep sketching on a constant basis, you’ll discover somethings you just happen to do spontaneously and naturally.
Trees Study- Look at the animated feel in those trees- I constantly flicked my pencil up and and down and out and around to produce the feeling of those spikey leaves.
Always have a notebook to reflect and record your feelings and how you react to certain subjects too. Constantly look back through your sketches and think of three or four words that capture the way you sketch. For me some words that come up are delicate, fluid, energetic, sensitive.
The relationship between these words and who I am are not far apart. They show through in my sketches.
So, the goal here is to let it flow, let who you are shine through, don’t imitate, practice, reflect and record! Let this become a habit!
Horse Sketch- You can feel that movement in the sketch!
Ask yourself questions, like, “Why do I like to start this way?” “Why do I hold my pen this way?” “Why do I like to overlook this and enhance that?” “Why do I feel confident when it comes to this particular area?” “Why are my marks this way or that way?”
Question everything you do! It helps you to discover more about yourself and it also helps you to look inward and allow who you are to gradually come out and this would keep you sketching every day because you’ll always want to discover something new!
Pelican Sketch III
I love movement, I love to see how artists express movement. I love the network of lines! There are so many qualities a line can have- rhythm, pace, speeed, flow, interaction….Sometimes while sketching. I think of myself as a sculptor and sometimes as a designer, sometimes as a dancer! Sketching brings so much out from within, it’s pure expression and you should love every bit of letting who you are shine through in whatever you do!
Hope you enjoyed this post, if you have, feel free to comment, share or like with the social media buttons below.
Tagged with: A4 moleskine Sketchbook • Adebanji Alade • animals • ball point pen • London • oil base pencil • pelican • people • personality • Public Transport • sketch • Sketches • tombow dual brush pens • trees • unique • urban sketching
Filed under: Inspiration to sketch • Sketching Tips
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Thank you very much for this inspiring hot spot, Adebanji! I like how you switch between more “technical” stuff and this kind of posts that makes us think about why we actually sketch. Enjoyed what you said about sketching cows in one of your previous posts … I think my way of sketching is much less vivid. I often like certain details and enjoy to feel the three-dimensionality of the object while sketching it.
Thanks Anne! I am happy you know what interests you and the area of you feel while sketching….keep the discovery active and it will open up more avenues to develop your unique style!
Where did you get that bust of a child? I would love to get one. Yes, and thank you for the great posts! I have learned alot already and am a new subscriber. You have a cool studio!
Sorry, I wrote my question before watching the video. Very cool…and I so totally agree. Your style will come about with the body of work you create…it’s inevitable! Love your work! Going to look for some type of bust on Ebay now!! 🙂
Thats cool Nancy! They come in handy, it would be nice if you can get one. They help to train you to sketch 3 dimensional, it’s far better than sketching from 2 dimensional pics. Keep sketching, all the way!!!
thanks for your advices
You are welcome Fernando!
I would recognize your sketches anywhere. Dancing lines, I like that.
Cheers Margo- all our sketches should easily be recognisable, just like our handwriting!
I loved it, Adebanji. Even as a casual observer of art, I’m always impressed by the way I can recognize someone’s works so quickly. I see different sketchers who are detailed, some who are loose, some seem to shine by doing patchy value sketches, some who seem to concentrate on a few individuals in sketches of crowds, some who do fabulous things more with the architecture in the same setting, some who draw something like little vignettes with frames around the people, some who really bring the background into play, some who really seem to love the motion or actions of people, some who bring dramatic intensity with darks, some who do terrific things with adding the subtlest amounts of color, some who seem to capture the light or atmosphere in a setting in a phenomenal way (like in a Vermeer painting), some who seem to see rhythm in everything (like in a Van Gogh painting), some who like stylized figures while others let lines disappear everywhere, some curvy, some jagged, etc. It just seems to go on and on and I love just looking at the diversity of it all because it means the artist didn’t get there just by rote copying of techniques. I hope to figure out what that is in me, some day. Thank you again, Adebanji!
Jon!!!! Wow!!!! You are no more a casual observer! You sound to me like a powerful analytical critic! I was beaming with joy reading through your comment because, in this little comment you have captured everything I would have loved to communicate!
Thanks for taking out time to comment!
Thank you for the reminder, Adebanji. Lovely drawing – full of life.
You are welcome Glenis!!!
Thank you Adebanji; this is very helpful. While sketching today, some of your lessons from past posts were going through my head! Thank you for taking the time to teach and inspire.
You are welcome Denise! Everything we learn comes into our minds when we work, that’s why it’s good we keep learning from ALL the great sources we can, it all adds up to our inventory of knowledge and can be tapped into when we need it.
Thank you Adebanji for another great lesson. I agree with everything Jon says. So many unique and wonderful sketching styles out there. But be sure to develop your own! These Hot Shot lessons are very helpful. Thank you for providing them. You are teaching and I am learning!
Thanks for the positive feedback, Joel- this is highly appreciated. But don’t forget- I’m learning too, for there’s no way you can teach without learning.
Another great lesson Adebanji – thanks! I have no idea what my style is and hadn’t actually thought about it. But now I can start to ask myself those sort of questions and really think about it as I continue to draw draw draw. Love your lessons because I can always put them to good use. Thanks champ
Great Bronny- that’s the way to go!
I always tell my artists friends that the best teacher is the one who inspires others most. Also the way I look at it, an artist should be defined by the totality of his work, as a student and then as an accomplished artist, if one can ever be called that. Which includes all his sketches, scribbles, notes and paintings throughout his or her career and not the one or two paintings that win an award or accepted in a show.
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