Week 52- Done!
I did it! I somehow managed to draw on a page a day for a full year.
Surprisingly, it wasn’t difficult to do. I really thought it would be difficult to remember. To stave off some of my anxiety, I would doodle a spiral in the morning “just in case”, but nothing happened during the year that made me worry that I would forget to draw or forget to bring my sketchbook with me.
I probably should have set my goal to sketch once a day and not once a page. Coming up with a new idea everyday was challenging, and there were some sketches that could have really used multiple days to work on.
I have gotten more confident drawing, but I still have a lot to learn. I have already taken what I’ve learned into some of my printmaking projects this year, notably the Similodon woodblock that I did for this year’s Paleo Art show. I was really proud with how that turned out.
What I learned:
I like to draw trees.
When in doubt, draw spirals.
My cats are a constant source of inspiration.
Community : The discord chat for the 365 project was a joy to be a part of.
I don’t know what it is about 1600-1670ish woodcuts from Europe, but when I searched museum digital archives for references, I kept choosing that range.
I got more comfortable drawing. I’m a little better than I use to be but still have a long way to go.
I still prefer woodblock printmaking over just drawing, but drawing has made me better at printmaking.
I don’t like Micron pens.
It will be good to get back to more “regularly scheduled programing” in 2026. The last half of the year was dealing with being laid off, looking for work, and getting use to a new job. I also signed up to take a new certification for my career, and the exam for that happens in a few days. Sketching and studying will be done, and I will feel a bit more free to wander in my hobbies.
I’m excited to get a new sketchbook and not have to deal with my self-imposed rules. The 365 sketchbook has a lot of ideas that I need to extract and work on.
My last post will be of the 365 Art Show happening in mid-Jan here in Minneapolis.
