Pretty Sketchbook Girl in 5 Minutes a Day

Leaning into what feels easy this week, I committed to showing up for a minimum of five minutes a day in my sketchbook to see what I could create. I have to say this felt like a beautiful no-pressure way to show up for my creative practice.

On day one I started with a simple pencil sketch. I used to draw and paint a lot of women and I do feel a pull back to this kind of creative work again. I didn't use any reference materials, I just used my memory of making many sketches like this before, focusing on details rather than form. Using just a pencil in this way is like a meditation, once you understand how to trust yourself with the process, relying on intuitive decisions and allowing forms, shapes and details to emerge. Of course, I can't say everyone starts being able to use their pencil like this. I definitely didn't. But over time it becomes so natural it's both relaxing and invigorating.

On day two I laid down a muddy orange with some watered down acrylic paint so that I could still see the pencil markings. It was important to let this layer dry so this was a really easy day.

On day three, I did the first layers of skin and hair. I used some unbleached titanium, which is like a beige, with some pink, yellow and blue that I already had in my palette.

On days four to six, details, and more details, choosing colors intuitively, building up layers, and letting the details just really emerge.

On day seven, finishing touches, taking a step back and assessing the whole page to bring anything lacking a little bit more life. This was a really fun daily exercise, and I'm looking forward to doing something similar this coming week. It's amazing how you can shift your energy when you look at tasks in a slightly different way

Take care, Sam x

 Sam Horton is a professional artist, passionate about the links between art, creativity and well-being.

Learn more about Holistic art practices for well-being

Sam's Art Studio and Studio Shop are based in Australia on the Sunshine Coast.

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