Hello dear reader! I know I promise delivery every Thursday, but decided to give myself a little grace because I finally turned in my book manuscript! I know you’re dying to preorder, but as of now it is still a Word Doc ready to be edited to death. I certainly won’t be subtle when it is time for you to know all about it.
Today I’m going to share a few exercises to get you drawing and hopefully revealing more of your personal art style. Thumbing through my early sketchbooks, it is mostly observational drawings. And that is ok! Usually you need to draw as much as possible from life before your skill set is ready to take on more meaty, conceptual work.
IDEA 1: Illustration Mad libs
Play is an essential part of my daily creative practice. When I moved to France, I was a sponge for new forms of expression, especially since my language skills were lacking. The more I learned about the culture and its many nuances, I was able to start playing with the language. I thought it was so charming how a truffe was not only an exorbitantly expensive mushroom, but also a term for a dog’s nose. To warm up in our first exercise, I’d like you to find a little fun in visualizing oxymorons or idioms and what pops up in your mind when you hear each term. This isn’t to create a New Yorker cover, but to really loosen up and sketch the first thing at the top of your head. These you can flesh out into the medium of your choice or feel free to create a running list of terms that could ignite your visual thought process. Set a timer and sketch each one in 1-2 minutes.
Examples of oxymorons to sketch: beefsteak tomato, jumbo shrimp, working vacation, old news, bittersweet, icy hot, open secret, unbiased opinion, sound of silence
IDEA 2: Dream gig
The best way to create engaging work that will attract art directors and start getting you commissioned work is to work with purpose and a strong point of view. Art directors, the people who commission illustrations, usually only want to see personal stuff in an intro email. When I was just getting started over 10 years ago, I saw Garance Dore speak at an event in Paris. Her advice to young illustrators was to give yourself a dream assignment. Say your favorite brand commissions you to draw an ad campaign of your favorite product?
This can already be an overwhelming prospect. Let’s break it down into some actionable steps:
-Identify the brand. What do you think of when you think of this? A certain color palette? A logo? A vibe? Do your research. Who frequents this brand? How do those people dress? Write out a list of everything you associate with the identity of the brand.
-Identify what you’re selling. Remember that this needs to be front and center because it’s the product. Is it an editorial concept? Or an ad in the magazine? If you’re drawing a butternut squash, make it the star.
-Identify the creative direction. This could be a moodboard on Instagram. A movie. A color palette. The feeling you feel when you look at a favorite painting or piece of art. Think The Wizard of Oz, a Wim Wenders movie, Film Noir, Louis XIV.
So if your prompts were Chanel, butternut squash and The Wizard of Oz, how would you draw this? I know it sounds a little nuts, but this will get you thinking more like an illustrator and being your own art director.
IDEA 3: VISUAL SCAVENGER HUNT
Go to an interesting place for an hour. It could be a museum, a local hangout, a big box store, a park, a cultural institution. It’s up to you. Sketch as many of the following prompts as possible. Make it as specific as possible to you and the moment you spent at this place. Hopefully your humor will be revealed by what you choose (see an ode to the giant nose of Rodin at his namesake museum in Paris above). Think of yourself like a visual journalist while you’re sketching. Drawing in the moment, in the wild, will also make you hyper-aware of your surroundings.
Draw something peculiar.
Draw you expressing your current emotion.
Draw something masterful.
Draw someone looking at something
Draw something problematic.
Draw something monumental.
Draw something surprising.
Draw a piece of artwork in its space.
Draw something from the perspective of a fly on the wall.
Draw someone’s shoes.
Draw someone who should know better.
Draw an animal.
Draw yourself at the end of this visit.
Take care good care, dear reader. And don’t drink the watercolor water.
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