Drawing a blank on what to get her for Mother’s Day? This Mixed Media Mega Set by Art Alternatives includes everything an artist needs to create dynamic, mixed media artwork: 165 pieces housed in an attractive wooden box with metal clasps and a sturdy handle. The box folds outwards to reveal an extensive variety of supplies for drawing, sketching, painting and pastels. The set includes 30 oil pastels, 28 colored pencils, 24 watercolor cakes, 16 6ml watercolor paints, 16 6ml acrylic paints, 16 watercolor pencils, ten 9″ x 12″ activity sheets, eight sketching pencils, three charcoal pencils, three plastic palettes, two golden synthetic brushes, two natural hair brushes, two tortillons, one blending stump, one plastic palette knife, one 2-hole metal sharpener, one vinyl eraser and one kneaded eraser. Did we mention it’s ON SALE at 20% OFF? That’s $87.96 (list price $109.95). Mom will like that.
The real goal is PRACTICE. Not perfection. Every artist needs to sketch as much as possible, but we want to have fun and just stretch a little. To get 100 people in a 5-day week (we don’t like working weekends) you’ll need to draw about 20 people a day. But they don’t have to be more than a one-minute gesture drawing.
We just want everyone to see what it feels like to follow through on that advice ‘practice every day’. It’s a big commitment. But it’s possible to do without completely disrupting your life. Or at least you can choose how disruptive you want it to be.
Here’s how to participate: – You can do it any way you want – just have fun with it! – Sketch from life, or from any reference material. Use any media or size, as draw as fast or slow as you like. Whatever you’d like to practice most. – Post your work during the week of April 8-12, to the dedicated facebook group. – Please don’t post on other Urban Sketchers groups. We don’t want to flood the regularly scheduled activities. In previous years, there was a lot of art! – You can also post on your personal social media of choice, (Instagram, Twitter) using the hashtag #OneWeek100People2019. That way everyone can find your work.
Some suggestions on reaching that goal: – Aim to get to a 100 sketches. But don’t skip the challenge just because you feel you won’t get there- hey, 25 people sketches that week is better than zero – Maybe plan to swap out any ‘free time’ for drawing. Tivo your shows, skip the gym or video gaming night – just for one week. – Be prepared! Make a list of crowded places to draw people. Visit a park, the public library, go shopping, or to a sporting event. Maybe search out public performances. Live music at a pub, a lecture, or reading. – Go drawing in groups! If it looks like you’re a club or a class, people give you the benefit of the doubt. – If you don’t want to do it live-on-location, cue up a YouTube play list, sign up for Flickr, or download the iOS app SKTCHY. – Give yourself permission to succeed. Don’t overthink the results – just draw! I promise you’ll see results at the end of the week. No matter how fast you sketch, over a whole week, at least ONE will be amazing
Notebooks and sketch pads have been the place where artists let their ideas run free for years. Solid notebook/pad construction and quality papers are ideal for daily play and experimentation with dry media. A wide range of paper for different skill levels and a variety of formats means we have the right notebook and/or sketch pad for you. Here are a few of our favorites:
This Urban Sketch Book by Sennelier offers a highly functional design for the on-location artist. The 340g weighted paper and 6″ x 4″ dimensions provide a great surface for panoramic proportions, or enough space for several small sketches. On sale for $8.98 (list $17.95) while supplies last!!!
These 3feet Memo Pads by Maruman are designed to always be at hand — never more than three feet away. The cover is pre-creased so the top folds over easily, and a small cut-out in the back of the pads holds the cover in place. Pages are perforated for easy removal. These pads are one sale for 10% off every day.
These classic, soft-bound Leather Journals by Lamali are handmade in Nepal, tailored with a sturdy leather strap closure and filled with sheets of handmade, deckled Lokta paper. The espresso brown leather cover has a black stitched binding which enables the journal to lie flat when opened. These are perfect for recording your thoughts and memories. These Journals are 20% off, every day.
EcoQua Notebooks by Fabriano have wonderfully colorful covers and are ideal for writing and drafting in pen, pencil and marker. Made in Italy, they contain environmentally-friendly FSC certified 57 lb. (85gsm) paper that is chlorine-free, acid-free, and completely recyclable. Available with lined, blank or standard grid sheets, and on sale for 20% off, every day.
Small in size, big in scope, and on sale for 30% off every day. The ten panels in the accordion-fold Dream Catcher Journals by Pentalic allow you to create individual sketches or one long panoramic one. Expands from 4″ × 6″ to 6″ × 40″. The watercolor version has acid-free 140 lb. cold press surface for watercolor as well as pen and ink. The drawing version has acid-free 104 lb. paper that is perfect for all dry media as well as pen and ink.
Traveler Pocket Journals by Pentalic are on sale for 25% off, every day! Available in Blank Sketch, Midnight Sketch, Ruled, Grid, and Dot Grid formats. Wherever you go, capture life as it happens with this art journal designed to fit anywhere. We dig the Dot Grid Traveler Journal – 160 pages of acid-free, slightly toothy, recycled 74 lb. (120 gsm) bright white sketch paper with a 5mm dot interval pattern – perfect for sketching, bullet journaling, notes, and field work. Includes an elastic closure, ribbon marker, back page pocket and flexible, water-resistant Italian made cover.
All Vision Pads by Strathmore, including these Vision Mixed Media Pads are on sale for 40% off through Feb. 28th!!! These pads are our favorite bc they feature a versatile, medium weight, all-purpose paper in a sketching format – a good choice for dry and light wet media sketching. All sizes feature 70 sheets per pad, sturdy chipboard backing, and tear-off top sheets with customizable, steel blue mixed media covers below.
Strathmore’s FREE Online Workshops will be starting up again and we are so excited for their virtual classroom! First up, Realistic Drawing with Charcoal, taught by Kirsty Partridge, which starts on March 4, 2019.
Lesson 1: Materials and how to use them for charcoal drawings
Lesson 2: Still life drawing to learn basic techniques such as contrast, shading, blending, and layering
Lesson 3: Drawing realistic animals in charcoal
Lesson 4: Drawing a realistic portrait in charcoal
Not sure if you want to commit until you learn more about how these online workshops work? Workshops are self-paced. You participate when you want. A month prior to the start of each workshop (there are 3), you can visit the workshop page for a supply list. Registering is optional, but if you create an account you can get an email reminder, participate in the forums (where participants and the instructor can answer your questions), and share your artwork. Then, simply visit the workshop page for links to video lessons and instructions. The video lessons and instruction sheets will remain on the site for viewing throughout the entire year so you can follow along at your own pace, and reference the class all year long! If you’d like, you can read more about the Online Workshops. Hope to see you in class!
