Back to School: Drawing My Students During Presentations

My creative writing students know I am working hard to improve my drawing skills.  And since they are working hard to improve their writing skills, we bond over this working hard stuff.

Art is not for sissies.

Anyhow, they let me practice on them now and again, with the deal that I show them the results.

Since most of them can draw better than I can, we have some great conversations about "talent," hard work, developing skill, and the like.

All of these were drawn fast as the students worked.

St. John USVI Sketchbook Part 15

Heading home.  Travelling, especially time sitting around waiting in an airport, is never as boring as it used to be if you draw stuff.

And if you get searched THREE TIMES by the TSA, well, you can make a comic of it...

And if you get home to find out you are the victim of identity theft, well, you can make a comic of it....

St. John USVI Sketchbook Part 14

Last day...  fun with just my paints--no ink, at least for the sunrise.

St. John USVI Sketchbook Part 13

Some of this--the eel and the shark--I drew from photos.

St. John USVI Sketchbook Part 12

Happy Valentine's Day.  This gave me a great reason to use a lot of Daniel Smith's Opera Pink watercolor.

St. John USVI Sketchbook Part 11

This day we needed a break from the sun, so we headed into Cruz Bay to hang out, eat, shop, and draw!

St. John USVI Sketchbook Part 10

This trip back to our favorite Haulover Bay led to some of the best people watching of the entire vacation.  The man floating in front of the bar was the best.

St. John USVI Sketchbook Part 09

This spread includes the only map I put in my sketchbooks for this trip--I think in the future I may do more, especially in travel journals.  I kind of liked drawing it.

The first of these scribbles are with my normal pen and watercolor.  But later, when I was messing around with people and gestures, I went back to the Koh-i-noor Magic Pencil.  It is a fun tool for working with people because of the uncontrollable nature of it.  It keeps me loose.

Once again, you can see me drawing and then correcting and correcting my ink lines.  I don't mind that look--I feel like I can re-experience myself seeing and learning.  It makes the pages more energetic for me.

St John USVI Sketchbook Part 08

And another terrific day.  I played a little more consciously with design of my pages on this day.  And I did more fast gestures of people on the beach.  I keep hoping this will help me learn to draw people...