This is my favorite time in the morning - kids are dropped off at school and daycare, the house is quiet, the fall air is crisp, the coffee is hot, and the view is lavish. This is when I usually fully dive into my freelance illustrator role and do some productive work.
One of my favorite ways to adjust myself after turbulent morning with two little kids (and to get those creative vibes going) is to do some kind of a warm up drawing exercise. Through the years I’ve gathered a hefty collection of them, so whenever it’s the right time, I just randomly pick one.
Today’s creative expertise is from the “Simple Drawing” - this new fantastic art book by the talented Dmitry Gorelyshev. I don’t believe the book is available in English yet, but if you speak Russian and live overseas, here it is in Google Books.
It’s a timed exercise for the landscape drawing. Basically, all you need to do is to pick a random place somewhere outside, pick your drawing materials (something that you can work in fast, I prefer ink and brush, get the timer, and:
Create 10 completely different sketches from that spot (you can slightly move around, turn, just make sure each drawing has a theme and composition)
Each drawing should be timed in the following manner: first one is 10 minutes, two next ones are 5 minutes each, next three drawings - 3 minutes each, and the last five - only 1 minute each.
It gets really intense towards the end. Dmitry recommends repeating this 45 minute set in few different places. Doing something like this is perfect for training your eye, your hand, and your editing skills. The time restraint also forces you to focus on the main elements, and make interesting decisions that can later be added to your main work.