3. The First Sketches

Some sketches at last. The first image is a enlarged version of one of two sketches on the first page of the book. The complete page is shown below. One of my favorite things about looking through my sketchbook is to see my progression in style and skill. There are a few things related to this that I would like to note about these first sketches. First, the lack of faces. I was terrified that I would ruin the whole picture by getting the face wrong, so I just didn't draw one. I also struggled with hands, and I had a really hard time with feet as well. I do remember about this time though seeing a tutorial in a Klutz Press book in a store about how to draw feet for comic book characters, and that helped me out.

Lastly you will note the extremely tall and thin proportions. This will continue until I finally take a costume design drawing class in college that knocked a sense of proportion into me.

Ever since I was a little girl I have also enjoyed sewing dolls, and I started designing my own dolls and clothes for them around this time. I ended up sewing the dress shown in this sketch, and so the miniature sketch on the bottom right is one I added later as I went to sew the dress so I knew what the front would look like.

It is interesting to look back at this and remember how intimidating things like faces were. I draw them now without really even thinking about it. It just goes to show that with a little effort things we once thought were impossible can become very doable. I am glad that I didn't let my inability to draw those things stop me from drawing what I could.

How about you? Are there things that you do now that you once thought were too hard to accomplish?

2. Quotes

"People who like this sort of thing will find this the sort of thing they like"

-- Unknown

I once heard someone say that they didn't like quotes, they liked ideas. I think they must have meant they didn't like the endless quoting of movies, youtube videos, etc. that is common. However, when I initially heard them say this it surprised me because I love quotes. To me a good quote encapsulates an idea, usually in a concise and well worded way. For example, the quote that starts this post seems to nicely express what I think about this blog, my artwork, and any stories I decide to post.

 For a while on first starting my sketchbook I wrote good quotes I came across on the inside of the front and back cover (by the way, I do not guarantee the accuracy of the sources), One of my favorite from this front cover is "Limitations imply possibilities". I think about this a lot when I come up against barriers in daily life or art. Several years ago I started having a lot of health problems related to food and digestion, and I ended up on the GAPS diet which meant no grains, starches, or processed foods for a year. It was intense not being able to go to the store or restaurant and grab whatever pre-made food looked good, but because of it I learned a lot about cooking and I now eat better than I ever have and am much healthier and happier. So although the popular saying is to not limit yourself, sometimes limits lead to growth, improvement, and greater creativity in all areas of life.

What about you, do you have a favorite quote that has impacted your life?

Next post will finally be some actual sketches!

1. An Explanation of Purpose

The purpose of this blog is to essentially be a digital version of my sketchbooks. My plan is to start with my earliest sketches from when I was about 13 years old, and work to the present.

The title page of my first sketchbook

 Since I would also like to work on my writing, each post will hopefully also contain a related story or essay. As I am currently typing this with one hand while the other supports my sleeping 3 month old, I make no guarantees about length or regularity of posts. Being a mother is the most improbably epic adventure so far, so it takes priority, but I am excited to finally try my hand at a blog. Here's to an improbably epic one!

My Sketchbooks