Artsy Crafty Library: Challenge yourself to a drawing a day

Taking on an art challenge can help you think differently, reset your creativity or just have fun. I recently started Creativebug's Inktober Daily Challenge: 31 Days of Drawing and Painting with Ink with Lisa Congdon. What a fun challenge this is becoming! Access Creativebug free by with your library card number and search drawing a day. There more than a dozen daily challenges there. A couple other of my favorites are Daily Portrait Challenge: 31 Days of Faces by Charlotte Hamilton and Daily Observations: Drawing Objects from Life Mou Saha.

All sketching benefits from working while looking at real everyday people, animals and items. Try a drawing of morning tea and toast, the cat or a pair of earbuds. Setup a collection of enjoyable items from around your home or neighborhood and each day sketch parts of it.

While looking at your subject draw anything, whether it’s a wild scribble, a value drawing in detail, a simplified doodle or even a deconstructed representation.

For drawing materials a simple pencil, water fast ink pen, watercolor wash, charcoal, or anything that pleases you works well. Use whatever paper is at hand, loose leaf or a simple notebook.

The main thing is to come to the page with a sense of play and put the pen or pencil to the page every day. The sense of accomplishment and growing joy in gained ability through practice and seeing 30 piece art collection is immeasurable.

Check Libby, Hoopla, and the library’s art section for inspiration too. An inspiration from this format is The Joy of Sketch by Jen Russell Smith. Happy drawing!