“Drawing is the artists most direct and spontaneous expression — a species of writing. It reveals better than does painting, his true personality - Edgar Degas

I once read somewhere that drawing is our immediate and emotional response to our subject. I wish I could remember where I read it, but the words are now embedded into my brain in a way that has made me much more intentional about drawing.

Most drawings usually begin with a mark on the page, a line. When I look at a drawing, I look at the type of line it possesses independently of the subject. They may be sensitive, scribbly, bold, delicate, thick, or thin.

As artists, we must not overlook the importance of the line and how it reflects our subjects' beauty. Lines help us describe what is important to us as a result of sifting through information unique to each of us and an honest reflection of what we see and feel.

How we hold our pencil or pen can make all the difference in our drawings. If our pencil is held like we are writing, the movement will be from the wrist, resulting in a tight and controlled drawing. If we loosen our grip and engage our elbow, the line work becomes looser, and when we engage our shoulder, we will have more sweeping lines. Using a combination of these movements could bring exciting results to your drawings.

In this week's Summer Sketchbook Series, I share a few of my sketches from the week, discuss different types of line work, and a few fun drawing exercises to add to your sketchbook. I encourage you to experiment with your line work and chase the beauty you see in your subject.

I would love to hear from you and how you’re progressing through your sketchbook.

Enjoy the video from last week’s demo.