Sometimes drawing one of my deer friends becomes an EXERCISE OF TORTURE. Have you ever felt that death grip on your pencil? Lately I have been trying different drawing techniques to loosen up my grasp. It is truly much more enjoyable when you get out of the way. Here are some ways to develop a more stylized sketch:
One liners
Find several pictures of deer on the internet. Next fold a paper into four squares. Select a deer to draw into the first square. While focusing on the picture try to draw the deer with only one line. Go slowly and only peek a few times. Doing this helps your hand and little gray cells to be friends with your pen and paper. As a result, you will discover a deer image that is unexpected. Sometimes these surprises lead to a fresh, original style. Try this three more times.
Upside down
Using one of your favorite one-liners, draw it upside down. Your drawing brain will help you to draw what you see. This exercise is really good if you are a control-freak. You get out of the way and your creative muse takes over.
Wrong hand
Select one of your favorite stylized one-liners and draw it with your non-dominant hand. Really fun style emerges as your hand clumsily chats with your brain. Scribbles and etched lines show up that you will want to add to your pieces.
Deer are so graceful and quiet while grazing in the 100-acre wood. I often see them peeking at me from behind an alder tree. By using these drawing techniques a new style has emerged that shows their wild gentleness.
Try it. Please share your sketches.
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