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Hi, friends!
I started really in earnest to apply myself to my craft well into my adulthood. When I began learning to draw, I started with nature. It was in many ways a “safe” subject. Plants are quite obliging holding a pose, and squirrels are not offended if you draw them wonky. And, oh my, did I!
Something shifted, though, when my curiosity took over and consumed every attempt. I was no longer drawing for an end result, but instead to learn. Drawing nature became on of my passions — more so when I began to work exclusively with birds.
Drawing is a path to understanding. You learn about your subject physically — its shape, form, color, and texture. You gain knowledge of its habits and how it navigates the world. You become aware of how it efficiently solves problems of survival and thrives in myriad environments.
Mostly you learn about yourself as you document and translate this experience using pictures and words. Drawing is merely an exercise in problem-solving. You have a three-dimensional subject before you (or in your imagination), and you need to recreate it in two-dimensions without losing its realness or your unique experience with/expression of it. The drawing process is a sequence of events to solve for:
What’s the width in relation to the height?
Is my subject leaning one way or another, and by how much?
Where is the light coming from and how does it fall on my subject?
What about this other subject that’s blocking the light?
Is this a blue green or a yellow green, bright or dull, light or dark? Does this patch of color have a particular shape as it flows over the form?
And so on. As you work, you try something and it works or it doesn’t, so you double down or try something else. Trust me, this process will reveal things about your tenacity, ingenuity, and strengthen your ability to bounce back from setbacks.
It’s also a whole heap of fun and can be very relaxing because you’re working with your hands and engaging your brain.
For the rest of 2025, I’m leaning hard into sharing techniques to help build your confidence to visually document your environment. If you can hold a pencil, you can draw and draw well!
xoSusannah
P.S. Keep scrolling for this week’s prompt.
P.P.S. What’s on my easel this week? Keep scrolling to find out!
P.P.P.S. Join this episode’s chat to share your journal pages, your thoughts, and cheer on others!
Livestream Notes
Intro with book recommendation (Time Stamp 00:00)
Mixing and using brown (Time Stamp 07:25)
Simple bird technique (Time Stamp 19:57)
Apply the technique to actual bird (Time Stamp 27:40)
Sketch/drawing with pen (Time Stamp 45:36)
Ink and wash (Time Stamp 1:24:10)
Wonder-Filled Wednesday
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Prompt And Extra References For Practice
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