Sketch Challenge #1
Sketch Challenges are ubiquitous online, but most of them do not evoke an easy response. Most times, they are lists of words, and that is ok if the words are things. “Trash Can” - I know what to draw! But if they are feelings or adjectives, not so much. “Believe” - ?!?!
I “believe” that challenges have a purpose and that is to spark ideas for folks who are having a hard time thinking of what to draw. Ideas don’t come easily to everyone, and though the urge to draw or paint can be strong, its flame often burns out while someone tries unsuccessfully to come up with an idea.
My challenges are different because I put a lot of thought into them and always offer examples of how I interpret the challenge. A few years back, I ran a month long challenge in my Sketchbook Artists Facebook Group which turned itself into a major event that was enjoyed by all. But it was a LOT of work and a lot of time that wasn’t compensated. Now that I have given up my real world gallery, I can’t give away my time and effort so readily as I have for the past 22 years.
This first Challenge is for everyone - because I want you to experience what they are like. I will be publishing these all year (with a matching Chat Thread for show and tell), but these posts will only be available for Paid Subscribers, whose support means so much to me.
My paid subscription is as much as two Starbucks a month, and a lot less than two glasses of wine. The Yearly subscription saves $16 on that, AND yearly subscribers get a $25 credit to use on any of my online workshops. It’s small but it can add up to enough for me to justify spending the time on providing excellent art experiences.
And, now - ta-da! Behold our Sketch Challenge #1 . . .
This is the first of many creative challenges I will publish this year. There is no time limit, and the challenges will easily generate ideas to draw and paint. You will pull from your own life “story” for subject matter, so these sketches will be great for Save the Day type sketchbooks.
The original title of the challenge was 10 Things I Use Everyday, I thought it would be hard to think of 10 things (simple things I could draw easily). Once I got going, it went to 12 things quickly. Then I spent a day being conscious of everything I used - putting it through the “everyday?” filter. I found that I could have drawn twice as many things - at least.
So I suggest that before you title your page “12 Things” like I did, you start on the left page of a spread and see if you come up with more than that. You can title the spread later on.
Suggested Procedures:
Start with a small list of 4-5 things, so you can plan your pages. I think of the general shape of those things and scribble areas on the page for where they might go. If you use a light pencil, you will be able to move these around if necessary.
When you have a part of the page decided, go ahead and sketch and paint that area. I find that this sense of accomplishment along the way is really helpful. Sitting around planning for too long can put the brakes on the creative urge - so let the artist loose to lock in the decided parts of your layout. You will find that doing some of the finished art also helps when you go back to planning the layout. As available space declines, it is easier to put the remaining pieces in place.
As you may have noticed in my example, it is not necessary to draw the entire thing. Without all of it being there, you “get” the toothpaste and tooth brush idea, and the towels don’t need their whole rack to be there.
Have a good time with this and take your time. No time limits at all. No pressure.
As soon as I hit the publish button, I will start a new Chat thread for just this Challenge, so you can all share the experience.
To get to our Chat Room in the Substack App, tap the Talk Bubbles icon at the bottom of the screen. If you subscribe to other Substacks, you may have to tap on ours on the list (Santa Fe Art Cafe), and then find and tap the thread for Sketch Challenge #1.
On a computer, find the Chat Rooms at
See you there!
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