Monika Forsberg - Crayon: An Artist’s Colorful Guide to Drawing on the Go!

anywhere, anytime art

AN ARTISTS COLORFUL GUIDE TO DRAWING ON THE GO!

Monika Forsberg

2017 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc.

Published by Walter Foster Publishing, a division of Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc.

All rights reserved. Walter Foster is a registered trademark.

Artwork Monika Forsberg

Design: Melissa Gerber

Project Editor: Billie Brownell

Digital edition: 978-1-63322-431-5
Softcover edition: 978-1-63322-270-0

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the copyright owners. All images in this book have been reproduced with the knowledge and prior consent of the artists concerned, and no responsibility is accepted by producer, publisher, or printer for any infringement of copyright or otherwise, arising from the contents of this publication. Every effort has been made to ensure that credits accurately comply with information supplied. We apologize for any inaccuracies that may have occurred and will resolve inaccurate or missing information in a subsequent reprinting of the book.

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This book has been produced to aid the aspiring artist. Reproduction of work for study or finished art is permissible. Any art produced or photomechanically reproduced from this publication for commercial purposes is forbidden without written consent from the publisher, Walter Foster Publishing.

Hi, my name is Monika! I am a London-based illustrator. Most of the work I do is on commission, which means I have an assignment. Believe it or not, when you work within a framework of restrictions, the process can be easier. You can bend and alter things within these restrictions, and sometimes youll come up with unique concepts. When you have no constraints, you cant ask yourself, How do I do this? Instead, you have a sea of possibilities without much direction.

When you have the whole world (as well as your inner make-believe world) to sketch and draw, it is easy to feel lost, discouraged, or intimidated. That is why this book is full of fun little projects with step-by-step instructions. Breaking projects into manageable chunks makes the creative process less daunting.

Heres how to get started: Set aside a little bit of time every day to draw. Many people find it helpful to have a routine that helps them get into the habit of drawing. Build habits around your creative process.

If you havent drawn since you were young, you might be out of practice. Train for it. Draw (a lot!), and get your engine warmed up before you start making demands of yourself. Find a way to work that suits you. Once youre rolling, you can start looking at your work with an open mind and make other goals and changes.

Keep an art journal, and post it to a blog or on social media. By posting your work online, you will get encouragement and comments, and you will establish a timeline of your creative process and progress to look back on.

My personal routine and drawing habits go like this: Once my two kids have gone off to school, I skip downstairs to my workspace, switch on the lights (I imagine Im a pilot about to fly someplace exciting), open my computer, turn on an audio tape or a podcast, and I get started.

Thats it.

I find it hard to draw in silence or to music. My thoughts get really loud and intrusive. If I listen to a storysomething completely unrelated to what I am working onany hint of negative thoughts vanish.

Experiment. Find what you like. Build your own habits. Change your habits when circumstances change. My main philosophy is that it is OK to think before you start drawing, and its OK to think once youve finished your drawing. But while you draw, let your hand move and your mind wander.

I hope this book will encourage and inspire you to draw and that youll discover for yourself that you can draw anywhere and at any time. So, depending on what your personality is like, line up your crayons or scatter them all over the table, and lets get started!

To create the art and ideas in this book, I used water-soluble wax crayons, oil and chalky pastels, and a wide range of paper types as well as a brush, scissors, and glue. All of these are simple and portable, so you can take your art materials with you wherever you go. Here are some tips for using these approachable, accessible tools.

These crayons are wonderful; they have a lovely buttery feel when drawing, and the colors remain bright and vibrant when used with water. They make for fluid and fast work, and they are water-soluble too. There are a few different brands, so search around to find one that suits you.

OIL PASTELS

Oil pastels are opaque and have a thick consistency between a solid and a liquid. Rich in color, they work like pastels, but because of their oil content, they blend more smoothly. Oil pastels, which repel water when painted over, work wonderfully as a resist for watercolors in mixed media.

PASTELS

Pastels remind me of the spring sky in my hometown in Sweden: intensely colorful yet light, clear, and soft. Pastels layer nicely, so you can build up layers to achieve a rich hue.

Remember that pastels are dry and chalky and will leave quite a bit of dust and residue, especially when used on smooth paper. Bear this in mind if you use these to draw while curled up on your sofa wearing white jeans; you may end up with a rainbow of colors on the paper and on yourself. Note: Using a fixative is definitely necessary with pastels.

TIP

When using a crayon, add a bit of water with a wet brush until you can lift the pigment off the crayon. This technique works well for a wash or to add some definition to a piece.

PAPER

Experiment with different textures of paper. Expensive paper is not necessarily better, but cheap paper may yellow with age and can change your image.