Cathy Johnson’s Mini-class // Quick Sketching 1 – Lesson 4 and wrap up

It took me even more time to go through lesson 4, than to go through all of the three previous lessons. I lost focus and got distracted by so many other things lately that this mini-class got to the bottom of my to-do wishlist. But here I am, finally.

The last lesson focused on tonal values, big shapes and shadows to just give a quick impression of your subject, capturing the atmosphere without going into too much detail. And this is something I have been lacking.
Recognising tonal values has always been difficult for me. It is easier if I’m looking at a black and white picture, but when working on the spot, recognising the value of the colours has proven a real challenge. I can narrow my eyes trying to see the simple value pattern, but it doesn’t always work, especially if I’m looking at a landscape and there are a lot of colours. Doing a quick tonal sketch and adding a value scale can help, but really doesn’t solve my problem; I guess practice will improve my observational skills. In the meantime, I had the chance to test different ways to create tones using different tools and techniques.

My favourite so far is using a water-soluble pen or pencil and a water brush to dissolve the colour and create a shaded wash. Even the most boring drawing can become interesting when adding tones.
Capturing the direction of the light by adding shadows it has also proven to change the mood of a drawing. And one of the best tips I must remember is to always leave some white paper for the lightest lights.

So this is the end of the first of the Cathy Johnson’s online mini-classes! The overall course was good value for money, probably a bit too basic for me, but I am one of those people that forget things easily, so it was a good way to return to the basics and take on board all the tips given in the lessons.

I put together a summary list of all the tips that I should remember when doing a quick sketch, but also of some of the things that I discovered about my tools.
Favourite tools for quick sketching //
  • Faber-castell PITT artist pen sanguine – brush size (waterproof) + watercolours
  • Staedler fine liner 0.3 black (waterproof)
  • Derwent inktense peacock blue (watersoluble)
  • TOMBOW ABT Redwood 899 (watersoluble) brush and fine point + watercolours (THE BEST)
  • Eraser Faber-Castell

Best tips for quick sketching //

  • Consider the time available when starting a sketch – start with the big shapes and add details later on as you have time
  • Consider gesture sketching when trying to capture movement
  • See objects as basic shapes
  • Use thumbnail sketches
  • Develop your own visual symbols
  • Identify tonal values by squinting your eyes
  • Choose/identify light direction
  • Leave some white paper for lighter lights

 I am planning to start the next mini-class, Quick Sketching 2, soon, so watch out for this space!
In the meantime you can have a look at all my sketches from the previous lessons here.

More info about Cathy Johnson’s online classes can be found here.

Cathy Johnson’s Mini-class // Quick Sketching 1 – Lesson 3

   
 
  
It took a bit more time to go through lesson 3, compared to the previous lessons.
The first part focused on sketching from memory, which can be a good exercise as it makes you look harder at your subject and with practice you can learn what to look for, what is essential when trying to do a quick sketch. I must confess I didn’t practice enough on this subject as I was more interested on what was following, meaning thumbnail sketches, visual symbols and big shapes. I think these last three points are the key to quick sketching, and also the points where I lack confidence. I’ve always used thumbnail sketches as a preparatory exercise before tackling a painting. But never realised they can actually be quick sketches on their own. I also learned that it’s a very good exercise copying visual symbols from somebody else’s work. I’ve been recently obsessed with John Lidzey sketches, and looking at the way he drew things, and copying it, made it easier for me to reach a similar effect in my sketches.
Working from a big shapes and adding more details later as time allows has also proven to be a very good tip. When I’m out sketching I don’t always know how much time I’m going to have. Most of the time a big shape is good enough to suggest a view or a movement.
The winter robins demo was an enjoyable exercise, and adding colours to it was for me the most rewarding part!
Sketches from Lesson 1 and 2 can be found here.
More info about Cathy Johnson’s online classes can be found here.

Cathy Johnson’s Mini-class // Quick Sketching 1 – Lesson 2

Can’t really see much here!

Lesson 2 has been all about sketching a moving object and capturing the essence of it (it’s called gesture sketching, something I didn’t know). I was a bit afraid to start with the exercises. People and animals are not really my favourite subjects, let alone if they are moving. But after watching some of the demo videos included in the class, I geared myself up to the challenge and with some courage I gave it a go.
Drawing using a kitchen timer was one of the many tips given in the lesson. I have done this type of exercise before, but I had forgotten how useful it is to know how much time you have before you start drawing. It helps to decide if focusing on the big picture or looking at details. And this is a problem I always have. I tend to focus on the details when I sketch, and that sometimes overwhelms me, especially when I suddenly realise that I don’t have enough time to draw everything (which happens very often if you try to sketch when out and about with a 16 month old!).
Seeing an object as a number of basic shapes (circles, triangles, etc.) also helped quite a lot, especially when drawing animals. I had learned this technique at one of my botanical art classes, but never really put it into use.    
  
The results are far from great, but I’m hoping that with practice, and a lot of it, my drawing skills will improve.
My sketches from Lesson 1 can be found here.
More info about Cathy Johnson’s online classes can be found here.

Cathy Johnson’s Mini-class // Quick Sketching 1 – Lesson 1

 
I have been meaning to try out one of Cathy Johnson’s art workshops since I discovered her work a few years ago, but never really found the right time for it. Then a few months back I found myself going through her online art classes and getting more and more excited at the thought of signing up for one. I talked about it for a good couple of months and finally on March 31stI signed up.
The format of these mini-classes is quite simple. Each class costs $30 (which is less than £20) and consists of 4 weekly lessons. Once you’ve signed up, an email containing a link to the lesson (in pdf format) is sent to your address every 7 days. It is up to you to do the rest; the reading, the exercises, the more practicing.
I have been a bit geeky about this mini course and, although I have been sketching for years now, I decided to sign up for the first of the online mini-classes: Quick Sketching 1.
The first lesson included some very basic info and tips, and my first thought was that maybe I should have enrolled for a more advanced class. Much to my surprise I found the lesson very useful to help me get into the idea of what really a quick sketch should be about and also to re-discover some of my old tools.
Here is my sketchbook after week one.
More info about Cathy Johnson’s online classes can be found here.