I found an old 14×17 Canson drawing pad in a cupboard one day. I decided to skip out on my sketchbook for the evening and attempt a larger-scale drawing.
Up until then I had been drawing hunched over with my sketchbook flat. With this larger drawing pad, I needed to set it upright. I immediately noticed some improvements to my technique. My posture was better because now I was sitting upright. I could use my knitting needle to gauge relationships because I could now extend my arm out in front of me. I could see the reference photo and my paper on the same plane of reference.
I had just received a big order of blending stumps and was anxious to try them (I had never used them before). 9 hours later, I had a finished drawing…and I really liked it.
The only real problem I found with myself was that near the end – probably around 1am – I was working on the girl’s decorative shirt and I was rushing through it. In my mind I knew I could make it look better, but I just wanted to get it done so I could go to bed. I made a mental note to attempt to do better on the next one.
