Field Sketching Basics

So you want to draw but have not picked up a pencil since elementary school? This workshop is geared for the raw beginner who is terrified of sketching and is convinced that they can not draw. You can learn to draw and this workshop will show you how to begin. In this workshop you will learn:
• How to look at a subject as an artist so you can draw what you see.
• Where to start and how to make your first lines.
• The drawing “order of operations”.
• How to simplify shapes, values, and colors.
• Key drawing tricks that many any subject easier to manage.
• How to use a small set of colored pencils to get infinite hues.

[@traceyelliott6891]

This was absolutely brilliant. I started just listening then ended up taking notes and I'll definitely be watching it again. Can't thank you enough.

[@terenceadamson4849]

Thank you John, that was brilliant. It was everything you needed to know and nothing you didn't. There's only one thing left to do - put it into practice!

[@gailaroonie]

I’m loving the idea of a nature journal Thankyou. Page 1 started today. What a great summer activity.

[@kodda4un]

Now i gonna do 15 drawings and only THEN watch another your video. Thank you so much and really great classes.

[@Midztoyz]

The part about Cyan and Magenta as primary colors for mixing blew my mind. Thank you.

[@davidphilipsmusic]

Just discovered your videos and bought your book today. Such great lectures. Just 30 mins in to the bird video and I already doubled my knowledge of bird anatomy. Thanks!

[@silviadamarradvansky1702]

Thank you so much John, you are a dynamic and generous teacher. you give me a good motivation for sketching.

[@ChromatophoneNature]

Thank you so much for posting your lectures. This stuff is so fascinating and helpful.

[@MarceloJost]

Hi John... you forgot to put the link to the illustrator in the notes... you got me curious :P I really like the way you explain things. Quite a gift for teaching. Thanks for sharing.

[@Lesimages2Renata]

John I love your videos I agree 100% Thanks for all what you do

[@forjazznjava]

This video was worth every minute. Loved it. Thanks for posting.

[@miyagi_draws]

Thanks for making me look insane in front of people! Just kidding! The part about speaking my observations out loud was a game-changer for me. I was able to remember details in a lizard long after he left his hot rock. You're an amazing instructor and illustrator, thanks for posting your videos!

[@TheBicycleLadyThings]

I just discovered your videos and have really enjoyed them and has inspired me to get out there and sketch. I also looked for the Prismacolor copy-not pencil and my local art store only had colorase blue or Staedtler non-photo-blue pencil. It seems work very well like you showed with the prismacolor the only this it erases well with white vinyl eraser. Do you have any opinion or thoughts on the pencil

[@Natalia-cb5gf]

I wish I lived by you so I could go to your classes

[@jimpyre5038]

Thank you so much for this...

[@415mazer6]

I have more of a question than a comment. I understand there is a distinct difference in Journalling with drawings vs detailed drawings - which obviously take more time and discipline. When do you choose one over the other and which is harder. I find sketching in the loose fast way is requiring more discipline and is harder for me to achieve Any tips on how to loosen up more?

[@connerr8742]

Beginner here, how do I do the pencil sketch and not smear my page and drawing? The blue was fine and then as I worked in the graphite I made a huge mess.

[@PalmDreams]

you can use a small piece of note paper, a oversized index card ...just let that be under your palm as you work...some people use a full sized sheet...whatever works for you

[@AmyEarls7683]

The problem or challenge with mixing paint colors is rooted in the fact that your eye is seeing a range of visible light, but your paint is made of pigment, not light. This seams rather obvious now that I've stated it, but how we describe and categorize color, it is not often thought of as light energy. Painting is an effort to replicate a visual interpretation of light entering the eye. Consequently, paint colors are limited by the pigments that you start with. This is especially true of watercolors. A palette of red, yellow, and blue is very limiting and not very natural looking. As you mentioned in regards to red, I had to go buy a madder rose watercolor in order to get the final hue I was searching for. No amount of mixing with red produced a bright pink.

[@darksouth2607]

Speed speed speed! I do birds from my backyard .They grab seeds from my feeder and fly off . I think they know what I'm doing.

[@Winwild3]

Where are the notes on the digital illustrator?

[@heatherh3457]

And that is why people talk to themselves.:)

[@hArtyTruffle]

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