I want to share my latest hobby. Artist Trading Cards!
I don’t remember how I discovered this wicked addiction, but last month I signed up at ATCs For All (www.atcforall.com) and began participating in swaps this month. The concept is that you create a card and exchange it with another artist for their card. The website is a non-profit, member-run forum for hosting organized swaps and trading one-on-one with other artists. They have a gallery where you can post your cards as well as peruse thousands of cards created by people from all over the world.
I am confessing right now that this is an addictive hobby. It has its challenges; creating a drawing in a 2.5 x 3.5 inch space is not easy. But I love putting the time into a little, unique creative design and sending it off to (hopefully) put a smile on someone else’s face. And I like receiving them!
Today the mail lady brought my first three swap cards. This swap was called “Word of the Year” and the goal was to choose a meaningful word and illustrate it. I chose Explore, Change, and Gratitude:
The cards I received were Simple, Happiness, and Growth:
Aren’t they great? “Simple” came all the way from Greece! How cool is that?!
Since that swap, I’ve sent off cards for two more hosted swaps and am eagerly awaiting the cards. I’m tempted to enter another swap, but on the other hand my time is pretty much occupied by my studies right now. I’ll have to see if I can squeeze more in…
Composition and Form
Last month I purchased a class on Udemy called “The Ultimate Drawing Course: Beginner to Advanced” by Jaysen Batchelor. I got it during one of their sales and saved a pile of money. The course is very similar to what I took in high school and a great refresher for someone like me who hasn’t tackled a serious drawing project in years. I’ve been through the lessons on tones and values, perspective, and basic sketching. Today the lesson was on architectural sketching.
I really should go outside and draw from real life, but today the weather wasn’t very good so I chose instead to use the picture that Jaysen supplied with the class. After a couple of hours I got about halfway and had to call it quits. But I definitely understand what he was teaching. He showed how to get the major buildings onto the page, sketch in the big stuff first and then go back and work in details. I think one of the things I did wrong was start detailing from one side of the page and work across to the other. I think the goal is to move around the page and do a little bit everywhere, then go back and add more. I have difficulties with that, though, and tend to focus on one area until I think I’ve gotten everything I can out of it.
This isn’t a good habit. I’ve already found it doesn’t work well with colored pencils because I have to go back and layer and layer and layer anyway. It’s likely that I’ll find the same problem with other media. So I really need to learn how to work a whole composition properly.
After the course work, I read a couple of books on Urban Sketching and found their website http://www.urbansketchers.org/. This is something I’d like to try. Their mission is
is to raise the artistic, storytelling and educational value of on-location drawing, promoting its practice and connecting people around the world who draw on location where they live and travel.
They have a Facebook group, too. I couldn’t find a local chapter near me, but I don’t need to belong to one in order to do my own urban sketching. If I like it I can create my own Facebook group and find some locals who are also interested!
That’s all for today. Until next time!
originally posted at stillroundthecorner.com
