Drawing on Vacation

I've used some of the free time during my school Spring Break to work on some large charcoal still life drawings. Drawing is an ongoing exercise in learning to observe carefully and record what you see. When kids ask me how to become better at drawing, I usually say, "Draw, Draw, Draw!" The more you draw, the better you train your eye to really see.

You can keep a small sketchbook, pencils and an eraser in a backpack, or in the car, and sketch scenes you see, places you visit, or things you imagine. These drawings can be developed in more detail later on, or simply stand as a record of your ideas and experiences.

Sketchbooks keep your work neat and organized, whereas loose papers tend to get lost or discarded. If you don't own a sketchbook, you can make a simple one by stapling together a small stack of recycled white paper. You can even make covers for your book, by using colored papers for the top and bottom of your stapled stack. Keep drawing...