If you’re wondering where to begin, here’s what I would do again if I were starting over. None of it is expensive.
What to get
- A small box of colored pencils, twelve or twenty-four. Student grade is fine at first.
- One graphite pencil, a soft one such as a 2B, and a plain eraser
- A pad of smooth drawing paper, nothing too precious to waste
- A good sharpener
- A lamp you can point where you need it
A gentle first week
- Day one: draw your coffee cup, and don’t fix anything
- Day two: fill a page with scribbled strokes in every color, just to see what the pencils do
- Day three: draw a piece of fruit, then draw it again
- Day four: copy a photo of a grandchild’s drawing or a postcard you like
- Day five: draw whatever is outside the window
- Day six: look back at day one and notice what has changed
- Day seven: rest, or draw for fun
Twenty minutes is plenty. The point is to sit down, enjoy it and come back tomorrow.
Questions about any of this? Write to me through Send Word.