365 Days of Sketching Challenge

Yep, I'm crazy.  I just started a

365 Days of Sketching Challenge

(Here's my loose schedule.)

I have wanted to start a daily sketching habit, but it just hasn't been happening.  I thought this sketch-a-day challenge would motivate me to actually follow through with it!  I have seen other artists do it before and it is encouraging to see that merely from day 1 to day 30, they have improved tremendously already!

The ideas in the article, How to Do a Sketch 356 or Sketch-a-Day Challenge, were very helpful to get started.  I loved one tip in particular that I decided to use: have a theme for each week.  I think having a theme rather than one idea every day helps to keep things flowing, connected, and not to mention a lot less mental work.  At first, to build my skills and confidence, I plan to do studies of other artists and draw my way through some sketching books.  After I feel stronger with a pencil, I'll mix it up with some drawing from life or reference too.

As a bonus, I thought it would be fun to give myself some rewards with each milestone for extra motivation!  I am thinking some new drawing supplies or an art book might be a good idea.  365 days is a long time after all, so it seems that rewarding each milestone will give me small goals to look forward to!  I'll be posting one sketch from each week on Instagram if you want to see some of my progress.  Feel free to join me on this journey too!

Although any single pencil or pen and any kind of paper will do just fine to start, here are my materials of choice:

MATERIALS

Moleskin Sketchbook (240 Plain Notebook Pages, 8.5 x 5.5)

2H, HB 2B, 4B, 6B Pencil, Staedtler Brand

Mechanical Pencil, .5 size lead

Fine Point Ink Pens, Staedtler or Faber Castel Brand 

(I'd like to try some more and different pens later on too!)

Pencil Sharpener

Staedtler White Eraser & Kneaded Eraser

Let the games begin (and the skills improve)!