Hello 

Welcome to the FLOAT-YOUR-PIGMENT Newsletter #88, Sketchbook Challenge Part 2

What a great week it was last week, so many wonderful replies back to me about the Sketchbook Challenge.

Let me tell you how important sketching in a sketchbook is.....  very very important!
Last week I listed how helpful they are and this week I want to stress it again that everyone who wants to become successful at creating artwork, you need to start a sketchbook. This week I hope you already got that sketchbook bought and you are ready to start the challenge.

Tonight at the Northland Area Art League they will be having their meeting and will have Gary Wigman discussing his artwork and how he creates it. Definitely stop by, everyone is welcome. get info HERE

Thursday morning there will be the Lakes Region Watercolor Guild meeting and a Demonstration by Tony Armendariz. For more info go HERE.

Here is some new information by Dillman's on the January 22nd Marco Island Festival of Artist's.

On March 4th and 5th I am putting together an event  with my students and friends called SHOW-iN, a Pop-Up-Gallery and Expo in McHenry at the New Smith's Central Garage. Information HERE

I told students that the show was first going to be Feb. 25 and 26th but I had to change it due to problems with those dates. new dates march 4th and 5th.

Sketch!

David

Yes to Class at the Civic Center in Libertyville on January 12th
Yes to Class at The Studio in McHenry on January 14th, back at The Studio

Class starting February 6th at the Rivellino School of Art  in Long Grove. If you are interested let the Rivellino School of Art or myself know you would like to attend.

If you are anything like me you are taking your sweet time to start this sketchbook challenge. Did you decide like I did that you needed a new sketchbook and then you will start it once you get that new sketchbook. Don't feel bad because that is exactly what I did and I now have that new sketchbook and I will finally start sketching on Jan. 11th. Why the 11th.... because that is my favorite number and it always brings me good luck. It also kind of goes with the 22/66 days thing.

If you didn't receive or read last weeks 22/66 day Sketchbook Challenge you can get it here and give the challenge a shot. 

I would also like you to post on Facebook or send me an email if you don't want to do facebook, a picture of your sketchbook and if you want sketches or even a selfie with you and your sketchbook. I also would like to know the day you started the challenge. This is so I know how many of you are doing the challenge and I know how many days from the day you started.

Remember it is not important how long you sketch per day, what you sketch or what medium you sketch with, what's important is to open that sketchbook and create anything. It's not about how good your sketch is or how finished or not finished it is. It's not for showing off your skills or made for selling. It is about you learning and pouring creative ideas out onto the paper, it's practicing, trying new things, doodling, messing up, relieving stress, getting focused and just plain out having a wonderful artistic time.

This should be an easy challenge because all you have to do is open that sketchbook once a day and you can spend as little or as long a time as you want but it has to be for 66 days.... when you reach that 66th day, I guarantee you will have become a better creative artist

Start anytime you like, but start soon.... ready, set, sketch!

Here is my sketchbook that I chose, it only has 60 pages for my 66 day challenge, so I will have to use the back of 6 pages to fill it up. The neat thing about this sketchbook is it has a plain sheet of drawing paper followed by a watercolor sheet of paper so I will have the option of using most any kind of medium.
I could only find this Strathmore duel paper sketchbook Here and Here

Any sketchbook at any size will do, but I would have a few of them available so you are never without one.
Even a post-it pad can be used as a sketchbook.

I learned this type of sketching in watercolor from one of my mentors Robert Wade. He had his students divide the paper into 4 areas and then you would go out and sketch in watercolor4 different scenes. great practice and fun.