I haven’t had a ton of time to sketch lately, but recently joined a small group of friends for an online Facebook art challenge for the month, each of us hosting a week of challenges.  I am considering doing that here.  Mainly because it’s fun, but also encouraging and inspiring, and I would love to see other people share their work.  Let me know in the comments if you would participate and I’ll start something up.

The basics of my week of challenges were to post a quick challenge each day, as well as a week-long challenge that started on Monday and ended on Sunday.  My challenges were as follows:

Week-long:  We will be drawing either the inside of your medicine cabinet or inside your fridge. This idea was taken from Art Before Breakfast by Danny Gregory.

Monday:  I want you to create a sketch of a pair of sun glasses or eye glasses. Use two different colors of pen or fine tip marker (or colored pencil if you don’t have pen… but no erasing!). Try sketching them from at least two different points of view (looking down, at an angle, turn them over, etc). Draw them first from one angle or viewpoint, then change it up and draw them again on the same page so that they overlap your first drawing. You can add as little or as much detail as you’d like.

Tuesday:  Sketch challenge will be to draw a crumpled piece of paper. Draw the crumpled piece of paper using whatever implement you prefer. It can be pencil pen, watercolor, pencil, whatever.

Wednesday: Draw an object from your bathroom (or several if you’re feeling frisky) using contour line. The twist? You won’t be looking at your paper!

The definition of contour line: “Contour drawing, is an artistic technique used in the field of art in which the artist sketches the contour of a subject by drawing lines that result in a drawing that is essentially an outline; the French word contour meaning, “outline.”

I remember a high school art lesson, where we would look at an object and draw one continuous line, imagining an ant was walking along the edge of the object, your pencil following along as the ant moved (not looking at your paper!). Don’t peek until you’re done!

Thursday:  Draw a stack of something. A stack of cups, books, bowls, plates, shoes, coins, cookies, folded laundry, etc. Uneven stacks are far more interesting to draw! Don’t worry about things being perfect. Just go with it. Try a new medium. Sketch faster, sketch slower. Use something from a child’s stash (thick marker, crayon, etc). Just have fun!

Friday:  Let’s have some fun today! Today’s challenge is entopic graphomania. Say what? (I used this link to show a video from the Creative Live blog where I got the idea)

Saturday:  Today’s challenge is to get outside! If you can, take your sketchbook outside today and draw something from nature, from your surroundings, from your point of view. If you can’t get outside because of the weather, or you know, a cast on your foot, then draw your view from a window. You don’t have to draw a scene or a landscape. Draw objects that catch your eye, or the skyline of some tall buildings, or even just part of a building, a child’s toy in the neighboring lawn, a car in the driveway, etc. Try to fill up your page with lots of little quick sketches. Challenge yourself more if you’d like by limiting yourself to one minute per sketch.

Sunday: Catch up day 🙂

Some of the sketches I did not accomplish, because, well, life.  I would like to keep this up of course.  I would like to fill up a sketchbook for once!  I feel like ever since having the boys, I spend more time coloring and drawing with them than my own artwork.  Dedicating myself to 15 minutes a day at least is a start.  Plus, well, I deserve it.

Try a challenge or two and share with me?

You can find me on my Facebook page here.

Or also on Instagram here.  <Spoiler: I post both Art AND Fitness related accomplishments here.>