Why Sketch Everyday

Some people ask why I still sketch everyday. After all I've long graduated with my BFA. I am semi-retired, why do it? Yes picking up a pencil or stylus in most cases these days is like riding a bike, the muscle-memory is there at a moments notice if I have a painting I want to doÑthat landscape or portrait, or design of a logo. The steps are all deeply ingrained. I do it for practice, for play and learning new techniques, as an archive to look up what might work in a new piece, and lastly to keep my mind active and engaged.

Why practice, I thought you said the techniques were ingrained? Well, as much as I know about doing portraits, I have always struggled with how the neck and chin come together in extreme views, from the bottom looking up. Luckily, doing portraits, you are pretty much on the same level as the subject. I just didn't have to learn how that worked in order to start my art career. And there are quite a few things like that. So now I do study those things that I have gotten by without having to know.

I also sketch because it is just fun to do. It is play time. No one has to see my sketches if I don't want them to, so as a result I am free to play to my heart's content. And playing is especially useful in learning deeper parts of a photoshop. What would happen if I used the warp tool to do this? Sometimes the play actually leads to a finished salable piece.

Past sketches will allow me to go back and find new or different inspirations from a sketch. To use that sketch as a new piece or in a new piece of artwork. And again, keeping a sketchbook keeps my mind active and engaged in creating new works.