Over the past few weeks I’ve gotten the chance every weekend to do something that has been really rewarding for me — and hopefully everyone following along!
Over on Facebook I’ve been hosting these short draw along exercises that enable everyone at home to watch me draw something and then do the same at home.
These exercises are exactly what we all need at the moment, a chance to indulge our creative sides but in a fun, light-hearted way that very much puts the emphasis on exploration and creativity! And, as a bonus, these are quick little exercises that can be done when you have the free time!
Underwater Hippo
First up is this draw-along of a Hippopotamus swimming. As you can see, we’re
able to keep the backdrop relatively simple, with just water and a gloriously coloured setting sun, with our animal friend enjoying a relaxing dip to get out of the heat.
When we’re drawing, especially for fun little exercises like these, it’s important to not get too caught up in the idea of perfectionism, everyone makes mistakes!
To prove that, check out the point in this video where the face goes a little wonky, but no matter, it just winds up giving unexpected character to the drawing!
Sleeping Fawn
Next up we have a draw-along that we were lucky enough to have the company of my daughter Bo for — and she was even kind enough to demonstrate her own artistic process!
This is one of my favourite draw-alongs, because the end result is serene and gorgeous, and it’s deceptively simple. Just remember this little tip for drawing longer lines: stare at the end point of the line and not the pen.
Koala
The inspiration for the next draw-along came from the great little book, The Koala That Could by Rachel Bright, and just goes to show how artists can find their inspiration anywhere!
And as an added bonus, if you watch this one, Bo provides some fun facts about Koalas!
Chameleon
This is one of my favourite drawings for its exotic vibrancy and for featuring one of nature’s most interesting animals, the Chameleon!
If you want to go that extra step and add colour to your drawings, you can either use crayon, or if you’re feeling ambitious, use oil pastels as I have.
Shaggy Dog
And finally, we wind up our recap with one of everyone’s favourites — a very good dog! This drawing of a dog shaking water from its fur was selected from my zoom classes by my daughter Bo for you to draw, and what a great choice it is!
Often, the best drawings are ones that capture a familiar moment, and anyone who’s seen a dog excitedly shaking water all over the place will recognise that scene instantly.
There you have it — and if you want to take part in our draw alongs, don’t forget to check out my Facebook page next Saturday morning!