After seven weeks dedicated to urban sketching, I found myself running out of ideas and searching for a new theme that would still fit my 30-minute per day time limit. That's when I decided to transition to food sketching. This change not only reinvigorated my creativity but also provided an exciting new subject matter that was both fun and accessible.
Week-by-Week Exploration
I began with simple sketches of cups, gradually progressing to more complex subjects like teapots. This allowed me to explore various shapes and forms, adding colors along the way to enhance the visual appeal. Food sketching proved to be a perfect solution, keeping each session fresh and engaging.
Overcoming Creative Blocks
During a particularly busy period, I lost some of my inspiration. To keep the momentum going, I shifted my focus to quick, liner-only sketches of food items, emphasizing perspective and shadowing. This approach was not only time-efficient but also helped refine my technical skills.
Discovering a New Sketching Style
In the final week, I discovered a new sketching style that captivated me – a flat lay view using liners and a single black marker for shadows. The first piece I created took three hours, far exceeding my usual time limit, but the result was incredibly satisfying. Despite the extended time, this technique became a favorite, and I dedicated the last week to sketching various vegetables in this style, completing my sketchbook with a flourish.
Embracing the Joy of Food Sketching
Food sketching turned out to be a fantastic theme, perfectly suited to my daily time constraints. The endless variety of subjects kept the process fresh and exciting. I found it particularly beneficial for training perspective, especially with objects based on ellipses and spheres, and for practicing shadowing to create volume. This was a great complement to urban sketching, where forms are typically cube-based.
Sketching Tools
For the technical aspects, I continued using the same materials mentioned in my previous post:
Fine Liners from Molotow:Â Essential for detailed and precise line work.
Grey Markers from Copic:Â Perfect for creating depth and shading.
Various Colorful Markers:Â Added vibrancy and life to my sketches.
These tools proved to be versatile and effective for both urban and food sketching, enabling me to experiment and refine my techniques across different subjects.
This phase of my 100-day challenge has been incredibly rewarding. Food sketching provided a fresh perspective and a new set of challenges that helped me grow as an artist. The variety of subjects and the focus on perspective and shadowing have been invaluable in enhancing my sketching skills. I definitely look forward to exploring more food sketches in the future!
For more updates and a detailed look at my progress, follow me on Instagram @painted_by_natalia. Stay tuned for the next part of my artistic journey!