Arranger: Michiko Naruke Song: Bramble Blast
I tend to listen to music when I sketch/draw. Enjoy!
Before I start sketching, I need to have an idea of what I want to draw. Do I want to draw some scenery? Do I want to add people to my drawing? If I add people, what will they be doing? Is this going to be a silly drawing? A romantic drawing? There are many questions that go through my head before I start sketching. Similar to writing, I need to have a topic in mind so I don’t jump from topic to topic. I could talk about the economy in one paragraph and suddenly talk about the environment if I don’t maintain a focus.
At times, an idea strikes me, and I write it down before I forget what I wanted to draw. Other times, I stare at a blank sheet of paper and make random doodles until I start forming ideas. From those doodles, I make something bigger of them and start drawing. I could be walking outside and be struck with an idea of what to write in my paper. When this happens, I take out my phone and make a note to myself so I don’t forget to add the idea to my paper. I also find myself staring at my computer screen until ideas start flowing out of me and into my computer. I keep typing until I’ve run out of ideas.
During a sketch, I may get flustered and take a break from sketching until I can think of ways to fix, or add to, my drawing. I don’t want to force myself to finish my drawing in one sitting, or I won’t be satisfied with the results. When I try to fix my drawing, I usually show my younger sister and brother the progress I made and ask them what they think of my sketch so far. Peer revision is very important to me when I’m writing. I need to know what works and what doesn’t when I write. Did I manage to grab my reader’s attention? Is the phrasing for this idea odd? These revisions also let me learn from my mistakes.
I get closer to finishing my sketch and need to add some final touches before I can add color to it. Along the way, more ideas may come into my head, and I might add a background to my drawing or change a character’s pose. However, before I do this, I try out the new pose to see which one looks better. When I’m satisfied with my sketch, I trace it over so the lines are smoother, and my sketch is prepared to be colored. As I look over my paper, more ideas may come into my mind as I look at different sources. I let the sources formulate my ideas; I may agree or disagree with a source, and based on my opinion, I write why I believe the author is right, wrong, or if I agree with some of their statements. While looking over my paper, I need to spice it up with stronger word choice and add a convincing conclusion to my paper before I could tell myself I’m finished with my writing.
You may be staring at a blank sheet of paper at first, but in do time, you’ll have a wonderful drawing on it!
