Advice for new older sketchers

I post in several Facebook sketching groups most days. At the moment I’m posting one of my bridges each day until I’ve posted them all. I had a lovely comment on one of my groups from a 63 year old chap who wants to learn how to sketch like me. This is what I told him - 

I hesitate to give you any advice because it would probably be wrong. I gave up Art at school when I was about 13 and haven’t had any lessons since. Whenever I’ve looked at online lessons and tutorials it fills me with the feeling that I do it all wrong. But I was always drawing as a kid and I found my own way of doing things, so much so that when I’ve had the opportunity to learn how to do it properly I just can’t get rid of my ‘bad habits’. But on the other hand, I do quite like the results I get much of the time, so I can’t complain. So, with that warning, here’s my advice.

By all means take classes. Just accept that if they don’t work for you it may just mean you have your own technique to develop, not that you’re no good.

Look at the work of people you like. Try to deconstruct it a little in your head. It’ll help you to develop your own sketching vocabulary. You see something you like? Take it and make it your own.

Draw, draw, draw. Try to draw every day. Join an urban sketchers group if there’s one near you. Like a lot of people who love their sketching I don’t tend to go out of the house without at least a basic pen set and a small sketchbook in case I get the opportunity to use them. There’s nothing like getting out in the open and drawing from life but even if you can’t get out there are loads of websites with free images like pixabay which you can copy.

Be self-critical in the true sense. That is, look at what you draw. Yes, think about what you could have done better, but more importantly ask yourself HOW you might have got better results. Just as importantly, think about what you’ve done well, and HOW you’ve done it well. If you know that then you’ll be able to reproduce the effect in other pictures. 

Share your work. Most Facebook drawing groups I’ve joined are really supportive. They are a great place to pick up inspiration and tips.

Start today. Start now!

Hope that this all helps at least a bit.