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Art on the Go: Art School Line Basics: Contour vs. Gestural vs. Implied
One of my goals this year is to kick off a new Art on the Go series called “Art School.” Although I attended art school many, many years ago, like any profession, it’s always great review to go back to the basics and brush up your skills. I hope in going through my journey I can also inspire you to pick up your pencil, pen, or brush and join in. There are so many wonderful things to draw either at home or on a trip, so time to get started! Today’s “Art School” lesson will be studying 3 basic types of line drawing; contour, gestural and implied. These lines are the basis…
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Art on the Go: Sketching on a Foreign Newspaper
Whenever I travel, I love to buy a newspaper or two in the country I’m visiting. Although I’m not much of a linguist, I enjoy browsing through the articles, photos, ads and editorials to try to decipher what is being said. My other reason for picking up a local newspaper is for the paper itself. Foreign newsprint can make a great background to a travel sketch. It adds dimension and a hint of context to the location you are sketching. The process for sketching on newsprint is pretty much the same as sketching on paper. You can easily just tear out a part of the paper and start to sketch.…
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Art on the Go: Photo a Day Travel Journal Using Over App
On a recent trip to Lake Tahoe, I wanted to try a new travel journal technique. Writing a travel journal can sometimes be so time consuming. I love the look of text on top of a photograph, so I decided to use this approach for my trip journal. I chose one photo from the day, and put some short highlights of that day’s activities on it. I used an app (for iPhone and iPad) called Over. It has a simple to use interface, and within minutes I had created a great memory of the day. If you want to share your trip with family and friends, after you’ve created the…
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Art on the Go: Quick Landscape Doodle for Fun Travel Memories
Everyone likes to doodle, right? Here’s a fun art exercise for those “down times” during your trip– create a doodle sketch of your surrounding landscape. You can do it while waiting for the plane, on a train, sitting at the beach or resting on a park bench. No fancy art supplies are needed, just a pen and paper… so let’s get doodling! Here’s a quick “how to” for creating your own landscape doodle – just 2 simple steps. First, take a pencil and create a very light (and quick) outline of the major portions of your landscape. Second, start doodling! Begin doodling the main portions of your landscape, then continue…
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Art on the Go: Free Printable Venice Journal and Sketch Page
Gondolas gracefully gliding up the canals, palaces glimmering in Italian splendor, a crowded St. Mark’s Square, a boutique mask shop… capture your memories of Venice with my latest free printable Venice journal page and Venice sketch page. Head to the Rialto bridge and make a quick sketch, or jot down a few notes about the delicious gelato you ate while people watching. Keeping a journal and making some sketches will make your trip to Venice one-of-a-kind. Free Printable City Pages: Venice Journal and Sketch Page Below are my Venice printable Journal and Sketch pages. To use, just select the link below the image and print out from your browser. Use…
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Art on the Go: Tropical Memories Inspired by Matisse Cut Outs
I can’t tell you how many photos I have from tropical vacations. I can never get enough shots of a gorgeous sunset, blooming hibiscus or the ocean. Unfortunately, like many vacation photos… once home they just sit on my computer as I get back to the “real world.” Well, here’s an “art on the go” assignment perfect for reviving those great tropical memories inspired by one of my favorite artists, Henri Matisse. Towards the later part of his life Matisse fell ill with cancer. After a risky surgery, he became confined to a wheelchair. This handicap did not hold him back, though. The last 14 years of his life he…
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Art on the Go: Scribble Sketches Capture Your Trip
You’ve always loved the idea of sketching sites while on your trip, but you’re not an artist. You’re drawings will just look like scribbles. Perfect, I say. No more “I can’t draw” excuses– here’s the perfect Art on the Go assignment for your next trip, Scribble Sketches. One of the best parts of this assignment is not only the wonderful sketches you get to take home, but most of these take well under 5 minutes. Definitely an on-the-go art assignment! Everyone knows how to scribble, right? It’s one of the first things we get to do in preschool… and, frankly, it’s easy! Well, this assignment is just that – very…
