Creativity Corner Sketchbook Explorations

365 Days of Creativity

January 11, 2016

A belated happy new year dearest readers. I hope you’ve all had a good break. How has January been treating you so far?

I’m really glad I’ve had this time to reflect about whether I wanted to launch a 365 days project and I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s not what I want at all. I think what I was trying to do is make sure I keep up my sketching and creativity in general. What I realised over the break is that I seem to do that anyway.

As luck wanted it, a while ago, I stumbled across a free class on Skillshare entitled create a cityscape with Adobe Illustrator. I bookmarked it and over the break, on one Sunday afternoon, I decided to get to grips with it. I must admit my Photoshop skills are good but I’ve always struggled with Illustrator. A few hours later, voila, the finished cityscape. I loved every minute of doing it and learning more about Illustrator.

365 days of creativity

There are so many fantastic courses on Skillshare and Creativebug. I want to do more of them.

So, once I decided I’m committing to 365 days of creativity instead of a 365 days project, I felt free and inspired. Once again, Lisa Congdon’s new daily drawing challenge came at the exactly right time. Start day was 1 January 2016. Task: draw a different object for 31 days (we were given the list of things to draw).

To be honest, my drawing isn’t very good and I tend to sketch cityscapes and patterns instead of drawing objects per se. I’ve been really enjoying it because it forces you to really look! We are a third way through but you can join at anytime and as ever, my fellow students are very encouraging and damn talented.

I sketch in my square sketchbook with white pages, but for this post here I decided to give the drawings coloured backgrounds. Which one is your favourite?


365 days of creativity
Day 1 // Draw a Tree

365 days of creativity
Day 2 // Draw a Teacup

365 days of creativity
Day 3 // Draw a Chair

365 days of creativity
Day 4 // Draw a Leaf

365 days of creativity
Day 5 // Draw a Rose

365 days of creativity
Day 6 // Draw a Sneaker

365 days of creativity
Day 1 // Draw a Pitcher

365 days of creativity
Day 8 // Draw a Cat

365 days of creativity
Day 9 // Draw a Bird

365 days of creativity
Day 10 // Draw a Mushroom

For now I feel really inspired to continue and no doubt I’ll join some other class and do more sketching like I did last year. I’m proud of myself that I’m now into my second year of regular sketching. Long may it last.

Have you started a special project?

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14 Comments

  • Reply Anya January 11, 2016 at 10:17 am

    Hi Tina,

    Hope 2016 has started off great for you 🙂

    I love this – need to learn some Illustrator skills too, this looks great fun and also useful. May have a go myself.

    Hugs Ax

    • Reply tina January 11, 2016 at 10:00 pm

      Hi Anya,

      Happy New year lovely!
      Thank you. It’s certainly started with a bang. It feels as if I never had a holiday:-(

      Oh great. Yes, give illustrator a go. I really enjoyed following this tutorial.
      Hugs back. xx

  • Reply Shelley January 12, 2016 at 1:45 am

    LOVE the trees :). And the colored backgrounds are a beautiful way to switch things up and give a new perspective ❤️

    • Reply tina January 12, 2016 at 4:21 pm

      THANK YOU:-) Oh, I thought so too. As much as I like sketching in my white pages sketchbook, I really enjoyed pickng out background colours for the individual objects. Can’t wait to do it for the next 21 drawings.

  • Reply Alexandra January 12, 2016 at 4:15 pm

    Happy New Year, Tina! I hope you have an exciting, creative and fulfilling year.

    (And in news that will surprise exactly nobody … I am a fan of your cats and also the pitchers! :D)

    • Reply tina January 12, 2016 at 4:23 pm

      Happy New Year Alexandra:) Same to you.
      Glad to see that Louie is recovering well.

      Haha, no surprise there….:-)

  • Reply Holly January 13, 2016 at 2:59 pm

    Happy new year Tina! My favourites are the trees and sneakers 😉 Cheers to a productive year for both of us xoxoxoxox

    • Reply tina January 14, 2016 at 9:04 am

      Happy New year sis xxx

      Thank you:-) Yes, here’s to a productive year for both of us xx

  • Reply Alison sye January 14, 2016 at 6:03 pm

    Brilliant Tina. I love the shoes. Happy 2016 xx

    • Reply tina January 17, 2016 at 6:05 pm

      Thank you Alison xx

  • Reply elena +deco January 18, 2016 at 2:04 pm

    I love the shoes!
    I have started revising my Spanish,when I walk I listen to this sexy lady from Spotify listing all the useful expressions in Spanish. Let’s hope I won’t be run over by a car :)))
    Have a serene productive 2016!

    • Reply tina January 23, 2016 at 5:48 pm

      Ciao Elena.

      Thank you:-)
      Ha. What a good idea. Yes, be careful though.
      Next time you can leave a message in Spanish.
      x

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