The Joy of Sketch: A beginner's guide to sketching the everyday

by Jen Russell-Smith

Overview

Rediscover the pleasure you got from childhood drawing, before you became too self-conscious and self-critical to enjoy it. 

Most children draw. Before we can write, even, we scribble and sketch and create. But somehow that gets lost as we get older. We learn that Being An Artist is hard and complicated, and that there are technical rules to choosing colour and perfecting your perspective. This book is here to remind you of the joy you once found in creating, scribbling, getting something down on paper – and that it’s really about the process and nothing to do with how technically brilliant the finished ‘artwork’ is.  

In this accessible guide, largely self-taught artist Jen Russell-Smith takes beginners by the hand and breaks down the barriers we face around sketching, and shows you how to begin with quick, loose sketches building your confidence and skills to draw spontaneously, with nothing more than the things around you for inspiration. 

With simple exercises that anyone can follow, Jen shows you how to sketch the things and the places around you from life, using simple watercolour techniques to add vibrancy to your work. With simple exercises and step-by-step tutorials, Jen shows you how to sketch the places around you from life, and those further afield from photos, using simple watercolour techniques to add vibrancy to your work.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781446308202
Publisher:	David & Charles
Publication date:	10/13/2020
Pages:	128
Sales rank:	443,475
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Jen Russell-Smith is a Surrey-based illustrator creating pen & ink drawings and watercolours inspired by beautiful houses, homes and buildings, and occasionally other things. Her style is sketchy, informal and relaxed.

Table of Contents

Feeling Sketchy? 6

What Do I Need? 8

Materials 10

Papers and sketchbooks 12

Colour chart 14

Fill a page- doodles and scribbles 16

Getting Started 18

Practicalities 20

Sketching basics 22

Sketch what you love 24

Adding text 26

Quick drawing 28

What Shall I Draw? 30

Drawing the everyday, every day 32

Food 34

Fruit 35

Biscuit 36

Fill a page: macarons 37

Tea and coffee 38

Draw what you eat 40

Shopping list 42

Plants 44

House plants 45

Leaves 46

Fill a page: foliage 47

Flowers 48

Different angles 49

Trees 50

Animals 54

Pets 55

Birds 56

Fill a page: insects 58

Imaginary creatures 60

Feathers 62

People 64

People at home 65

Newspapers and magazines 66

Yourself 68

Hands and feet 70

Fill a page: people on TV 72

Furniture & Interiors 74

Favourite chair 75

Bed and bedclothes 76

Perspective 78

Fill a page: furniture thumbnails 80

Bathroom fixtures 82

Still Life 84

Cupboard contents 85

Bookcase 86

Fill a page: pockets/bags 88

Negative space 90

Collections 92

Products 94

Cereal boxes 95

Favourite product 96

Fill a page: make-up bag 98

Bottle of wine/gin 100

Morning or evening Items 101

Patterns 102

Rug or carpet 103

Bricks and tiles 104

Crockery 106

Fill a page: patterns in a single room 108

Curtains 110

Out the Window 112

Ram 113

Different times 114

Frame details 116

Clouds 118

Fill a page: view from the window 120

What Next? 122

Showcasing and developing your work 124

About the Author 126

Index 127