SKETCHBOOOK
CHALLENGES /
SKETCHBOOK BUILDER GROUPS
Sketchbook Challenges/Builders are great for improving your art, growing your art practice and process, focusing your mind, and can offer a beautiful insight and beginning into understanding the benefits of daily creativity. Even just ten minutes of creativity a day is thought to improve emotional well-being. I design each prompt with the artistic journey, self expression and individual interpretation in mind. These challenges or groups are also excellent if you are trying to build a portfolio of work for interview or for your own personal art journey.
I run a weekly Sketchbook Builder Group in Stroud, Gloucestershire. I also run an online course alongside it. If you miss a session or are not local and would like to access my online course, or find out more about it, please contact me here: send message
If you would like to join our weekly group in Stroud, please send me a message here
"My life has improved dramatically from attending the group. I have a regular space that is just for me, and that alone gives me so much. Plus the added benefits from the meaningful prompts and art activities" Member of Sketchbook Builder Group
Below is a free 7 day challenge...
If you would like to journey more into the benefits of daily creativity, and learn about further Sketchbook Creativity Challenges-
"I enjoyed the challenge loads. I've not spent time doing art for me since having children. The prompts were good and I liked interpreting them in my own way." Member of a '7 days of Sketchbook Creativity' online group.
7 DAYS OF SKETCHBOOK CREATIVITY
This challenge was designed for adults or older children but includes prompts for younger children too
Day 1
Flora / Fauna
Fauna is described as all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is Flora. Flora, fauna and other forms of life such as fungi are collectively referred to as Biota.
Interpret as you wish.
Plant(s) and/or animal(s).
For young children ask them what their favourite animal or flower is and if they can draw or paint it. Or create a page full of favourite plants and animals together.
Day 2
Mixed Media
Mixed media is a piece of artwork in which more than one medium or material is employed.
Fill your page with a combination of media – for example: paint on collage; draw half a face, collage the other half; paint, charcoal and ink on material, find a photograph and paint on it. Stay 2D or build out from the paper.
Children could paint, then when dry, could draw on top, draw on a photograph, or collage over a painting or drawing, or simply build a collage.
Day 3
Continuous line
Make a sketch or drawing of anything, without letting your pen/pencil/brush etc leave the page.
Draw from imagination or draw something/someone you can see.
For children, see if they can do a big doodle or scribble without taking their pen off the page - or if they can draw a flower/fish/circle/face/spiral without taking their pen off the page (alternatively draw one for them to copy or colour in).
Day 4
Love
What is your heart’s desire, who or what do you love? Depict a place, an animal, a thing, a symbol, a person, the feeling that love gives – how could you put that onto paper, think about how you really could express that particular feeling through images. What does love mean to you, how would you like to express it today? Use words and/or images. Paint or collage can be useful media for this one. Really think about what love means to you and how you can express that on paper.
For children, see if they can draw, scribble or paint a positive feeling, like happiness or love, (paint can be useful).
Day 5
Fill a page with pattern and colour
Enjoy spending some time on creating a page filled with colours and shapes/patterns that bring you pleasure. Really allow yourself to play, express and let go with colour(s) and/or pattern/shape. Do not worry or think about the end result, just enjoy the process of ‘doing’. Get lost in the picture, the shapes and the colours, let it take you where you need to go.
If you are doing this with a child, draw together – create a shared picture. Draw a large shape and colour and pattern it together.
Soft pastels are lovely to use for creating strong and satisfying colours, and blending where the two halves of the picture meet.
Day 6
Is there something you have noticed today that is your obvious B? Is there a B in your life, in your kitchen, in the garden? Do a page of things beginning with B. What does this mean for you?
For children simply say 'something beginning with B'...
Day 7
Reflecting
What does this word mean to you? How can you express this as an image? Use any media that suits your expression or your image. Try a medium that you haven't used before?
For children explain the different meanings of the word.
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