Sketching People in Motion is Now LIVE!
January 28, 2015
Thanks to everyone who entered the draw for a free registration! We have three winners from 500 entries. One from here, one from USK:MTL, and one from Urbansketchers.org, It’s great to see that much interest in the new course!
For everyone who didn’t win – I can at least offer you a small Blog Readers Discount :) Approximately 15% off just for being a reader of Citizen Sketcher. Just click over to the new VIDEOS page, for the discounted registration link and details about the class.
Citizen Sketcher 
Reblogged this on Evgenia and commented:
That is great to learn to draw it brings out your inner self.
Aww, I enrolled to the class earlier today so I missed this 15%… oh well, it’s worth it. I’m enjoying the class so far.
Well, we’ll get you next time! Thanks though :) ask twice as many questions to get your money’s worth :)
I signed up for the class today. Watched the first chapter at work, totally love the Urban Sketcher concept. But the truth of the matter is I am very new to drawing. I have watched the other sketching class on Craftsy which I enjoy also. Want to become an Urban Sketcher in Los Angeles, CA. It is relaxing and one can take their mined off of the everyday madness. Because I am brand new to drawing and sketching might you have any suggestions to help me get over the nervousness. Thank you in advance. Oh by the way I have your Sketching on Location book, very interesting read.
Hey Richard. Great to hear from you. (Also – very cool you can work on your drawing at work!).
So yes, one of the great things about Urban Sketchers as a social group is the way it helps everyone get over that initial nervousness of drawing in public. If you go to a world wide sketchcrawl event, or a USK meetup, there will be all kinds of people at all skill levels having fun drawing. When the first person takes out their book, you’ll see suddenly everyone dives in! When you’re with a group, it doesn’t feel so strange drawing in public. Passersby just think you’re in a class, and they wish they had time to take a drawing class too :)
My friend Shiho Nakaza usually posts info about LA area events. Maybe stop by her blog and see what’s going on there – if you drop her a line I’m sure she’ll help out. http://shihonakaza.blogspot.ca/
But here’s my #1 advice for total beginners: Reward yourself for every page you draw. Give yourself a pat on the back for every single one. Aim to fill your books. Treat yourself to something special when you finally fill up a book (I go buy a really expensive brush or something :) When you fill up five books, have a huge party! When you fill ten books, reward yourself with a trip to an out-of-town workshop! Just convert your brain to rewarding yourself for the *very act of doing drawing* – not for the quality of drawings. Just for doing ANY drawing. No matter how big or small, no matter how quick, no matter even if you don’t finish them. Just get something on a page, and cheer. One drawing = one ‘victory dance’. Never evaluate the quality of your drawings – just count them. Keep score. It’s fun to watch the pages stack up. If you can build a leaning tower of sketchbooks, you’ll suddenly find you are drawing better than you ever expected, and you’ll have had fun doing it.
Thanks a lot. You respond quickly thanks for that too. Best advice I’ve gotten since started this journey. Gotta get busy!
Sir thanks for your reply and encouragement. I have a few questions trying to get clarification. Can you get 2 for the price of 1 using a fountain pen with a flex nib? How does water soluble ink differ from pigment ink? How does each interact with water colors?
Flex Nib – that is something I have not tried – will look into that :)
Water Soluble ink – well it’s a joy to use with watercolor. Because the black (or whatever you use) invades the color – you can work with some very unsophisticated pure washes, and get an old masters painting for free :) I love the effect myself. But I am a fan of grey.
Here’s a post showing the basic effect of ink and water: https://citizensketcher.wordpress.com/2013/10/29/the-watersoluble-pens/
and here’s the most basic example of how it interacts with watercolor: https://citizensketcher.wordpress.com/2014/06/28/next-week-figure-drawing-marathon/
If you use the ‘select category’ widgit down the side, you can dig up a bunch of posts on this topic : https://citizensketcher.wordpress.com/category/washable-ink/
Last thing – re: pigment ink – pigment in paints, being nothing more than ground up rocks, is more light fast than dye – which is based on I suppose even more microscopic particles. So water soluble ink is not archival. Don’t use it to write the Magna Carta. Since I scan everything, and since sketchbook pages rarely see the light of day, I don’t worry about this downside.
Signed up and paid for my class this morning… Rushed home to watch it this afternoon and… Craftsy can’t recognise my login and I now have to wait 2 days for them to get back to my plea for help….! very large sigh….:(
Boo :) sorry to hear!
Same problem as Pip.
I’m enrolled in this class…Fabulous! I’m so excited and impressed about your course content and how well you narrate what you are doing. I take a lot of online classes but have never seen the format Craftsy uses. I love it…especially like how the questions and art photos are right there in the right sidebar instead of having to go to a FB group page to post. Ordering your book next. I have always been nervous about sketching in public but I think you be the one to motivate me to do that. Thanks! Cheers-Darlene
That’s great to here Darlene! I love being an instigator, getting you out there sketching :) :)
Forgot to mention the price for the course was great and thank you for the discount.
My problems caused by my error in registering, nice lady at Craftsy helped me out right away, looks great marc.
Good to hear!
Reblogged this on Little Deduction.