Tip To Get Out of a Creative Funk
Are you in a bit of a rut?
Or do you inspiration but don’t know where to get it? First of all - don’t worry. We’ve all been there - staring at a blank page, unsure where to begin.
Here’s a simple trick to get started: draw frames first.
Sketch a few boxes or panels on your page. Right away, the blank page feels less intimidating, and you’ve given yourself a fun challenge: to fill those frames!
You could draw the things around you, but it’s totally fine to use reference photos. From your own photos, or find something interesting online.
Fill the frames in one sitting, throughout the day, or even within the week.
Choose a color palette that you’ll use for each drawing, for cohesion on your page.
For this double page below, I started by drawing panels.
Then I looked up a bunch of photos online that, to me, look typical Italian. I filled the panels one by one.
I chose a limited palette with my Daniel Smith watercolors, that almost represents the Italian flag, and added color to each drawing.
Materials used:
Hahnemühle Nostalgie A5 sketchbook
Sailor fountain pen with 55degrees Fude nib, the converter has Platinum Carbon ink in it, which is waterproof
Daniel Smith watercolors
Why the Italy theme, you may ask?
I am going to spend a week in Orvieto, May 18-24, to teach class every day at an art retreat organized by Adventures in Italy. It’s called Pens and Pasta, and together we’ll explore many ways to dive into the sketchbook, to capture moments, scenes and views. How to make your mark, be an urban sketcher, and be playful and courageous while filling your sketchbook pages.
There will be studio time, a lot of drawing on location (urban sketching), and time for exploring the culture, eat delicious local food, and to relax.
I’ll help you tackling the overwhelm (where to start?), and will challenge you to step out of your comfort zone. You’ll also be amazed how much you can learn from your classmates during the “show and share” part of the workshops. These fellow travellers will also become great friends!
We already gathered a bunch of enthusiastic artists, but there are still some spaces left!
This is a one-time opportunity for an art retreat with me on this unique location. Snag that last ticket before it’s too late! Sign up here.
