My old journal and a charcoal pencil

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Ten years ago, I took an introductory drawing class with the idea of being able to use the skills later at my job, which called for me to occasionally create a graphic or illustration. I really enjoyed the class, and I learned a lot about creating depth and perspective with shadows.

I did some drawing in the months that followed, but eventually, my drawing journal wound up in a drawer amid my craft supplies, and there it's sat for the past eight or nine years.

Until this past weekend, that is.

An itch to draw again has been following me around over the past few months. I'll see a lamp post or desk or flowers in a vase, and think, "How would I draw that? What would I need to do to show the light? How could I show the reflection on the side?" etc.

So on Saturday, I took out my journal, grabbed a charcoal pencil, and attempted to draw my daughter from a photo.

I learned two things as I sketched: (1) At the time I drew the stuff that was already in my journal, I was way too critical of what I'd done. Nothing in it was great, but it all looked a lot better than I remembered. (2) It's true that if you don't practice drawing regularly, you're drawing will regress. I had a heck of a time trying to measure and get shadows right.

From my drawing journal,
probably drawn in 2008.

But I intend to start drawing again regularly, partly because I enjoy it and partly because I think it might help build my creativity as I re-educate myself on fundamentals like creating depth through light, shadow and line. I feel like I've been in an idea slump for a while now; I'm hoping drawing can help me get through it.

A drawing I did in August 2017,
the first in several years.

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