Weekly Mind Sketch

Here’s another Micron Pen drawing—another tough one! I’m finding it a real challenge to create layered fingers with all the dark and light details. Plus, shading with pen in shadows is a bit tricky. But the only way to improve is to make mistakes. Tackling difficult tasks highlights your areas for growth. I’m still happy, even though I haven’t seen the improvements I’d hoped for as quickly as I’d like. I’m planning to draw another hand tomorrow!

This drawing was another challenge, and I think it was a great way to learn. I might have pushed the dark a bit too much, but you can’t undo a pen stroke once it’s on paper. Still, I appreciate the expressive lines. I’m aiming for cleaner lines next time. I’ll keep practicing and will try another version with this in mind!

Today’s drawing was quite a challenge! There were so many fingers and layers of shadows and curves. I really enjoyed the composition of hands wrapping around a leg—it was a tough one. I’m learning more with each hand I draw, and I’m hoping to get better and faster at bringing the hand together. This was done in Micron Pen again, and as I’ve mentioned, I’m not the most comfortable with pen sketching. I’m looking forward to another hand tomorrow!

Here’s another pen hand drawing! I’m putting in the effort to capture the hand’s bumps, contours, and shadows. It’s a bit tricky to get the shading right with pen, but that’s what makes it so rewarding—the challenge and the chance to improve my skills. I might switch to pencil next, but I feel I learn more with pen. I was aiming to make the hand look like it’s pressing down (which it was), and I think I got it. I’ll be working on another hand soon!

I’ve reached 80 hands! It’s funny how I remember my first hand from years ago, never imagining it would take me this long to get to 100. But now, I can see the finish line! I drew this in black pen again, and it was a challenge to capture all those shadows and curves. I’m working on my pen drawing skills, and I know it will help my pencil drawings and paintings if I keep practicing. I think of pen drawings like practicing scales on a piano—it warms me up, works out the kinks, and improves my skills. I’ll be posting another hand soon!

I'm trudging along. Here is my hand 79. I'm still working with a Micro pen, keeping an expressive line style. This one was extra detailed, and the veins in the hand took a while. Hands become very detailed when you try to draw the veins and contours of the hand, and you could spend hours trying to perfect it. Also, you just have to stop drawing at some point—it can never be exactly what you want. I am happy though with this as it is, and looking forward to hand #80!

Well this was a tough one. Trying to draw glass with a pen is really difficult. It is much easier to use pencil or some other smooth medium. I do like parts of this though, and know I'm learning something new each drawing I do. I am getting closer to my #100DaysOfHands. I'll probably switch to another art medium soon, but pen is helping me get more accurate and I feel I'm on a roll. Anyway, another hand coming soon!

Here is my hand 77, I am working in Micro Pen again. It is interesting, I find that the last few hand drawings have felt sculptural. I am trying to bring in some shape and form, so maybe this is why I feel it looks more chiseled (like a stone hand). Anyway, on to the next drawing (I may try pencil next)!

Continuing on with my black pen to sketch out hands. I still have a harder time with pen (pencil feels more free and less rigid). But I'm challenging myself to do the harder thing (this will hopefully pay off later). I like the sketchy and bold look of this hand. It's interesting drawing on tan paper, it feels more organic and I've read where it gives you an immediate mid tone background (where white paper you need to build up the midtone). Drawing most days now...will try and keep that up.

Excited I'm keeping up my with hand drawings. I haven't been this consistent for a few years. I find each hand I draw I learn something new. Consistency helps you improve and start to relax and draw with more control and rhythm. I liked how this hand feels somewhat sculptural. I drew with black pen with a touch of brown pen at the end. Only 25 more hands to go until 100!

I'm happy I'm keeping up my drawing more regularly now! Here is another pen drawing, again keeping it free and sketchy and bold. I don't know if I have a style I'm delveloping but maybe I do lean towards more scratchy/bold drawings with movement. Anyhow I am enjoying learning from each drawing I do :}

I'm on a roll today, worked on 2 hands! I worked with Micron pens and liked the scratchy rough texture for this one. A cupped hand is hard with all the shadows, but think this worked out nicely. I am excited I've been drawing more regularly and hope this continues.

Here is a fresh new drawing of 3 hands! I like this for the different brown and beige tones throughtout (and how the texture of the paper shows through the colors). Honestly it was really hard to draw three hands clasping eachother, it got complicated when I started drawing each hand wrapping with the other, I kind of lost which finger belonged to which hand! But I liked the challenge of this group of hands. I'm working towards my 100th hand drawing, I'll keep posting now more regularly!

Here is another hand I did in colored pencil which I love. I was going for a rough, sketchy feel to this. I like the drawing on tan colored paper, it gives it more of a raw and earthy feel. I also liked the dark olive green nails, they add to the bold and organic mood of this drawing.

I've been MIA with my hand drawings for awhile, but I won't give up until I've reached my 100th! I am working with Micron pens (black/brown/green) which is challenging. I am trying to keep it sketchy, scratchy and more energetic. This is a good start for me and I hope to have another hand soon!