Drawn on the Way: A Guide to Capturing the Moment Through Live Sketching

Description

Discover how drawing on the way-in-the-moment sketching on a train, in a caf, at the laundromat-can improve your drawing skills and let you unplug and engage with the world. In Drawn on the Way, Sarah Nisbett shares her techniques for creating captivating line drawings that capture moments and moods: a young woman lost in thought, a pair of hands clasped on a lap, a peppy beagle, a pair of jeans-clad crossed legs. Sarah invites readers to see the people they draw with "compassionate curiosity-as more than a stranger, as someone with a story worth knowing or imagining." By learning how to create sketches from start to finish employing techniques such as contour drawing, using line work to add texture, and adding spot color, you'll see how each sketch tells a story. You'll begin to focus on important details that reveal something about the person you're drawing: the graceful drape of a hand over a purse, the shy way someone tucks their feet underneath them. In this book you'll discover: - How to translate what you see into a compelling drawing - How to silence your inner critic and find joy in drawing what captures your interest - Techniques for drawing figures and creating quick portraits - How key details can take a sketch from plain to captivating - How to draw scenes and backgrounds without becoming overwhelmed - Ways to find the extraordinary in the everyday - How to transform mistakes into likeable elements - Tips for becoming a visual storyteller - Life lessons learned from years of live drawing We spend most of our lives on the way, rushing and running from place to place, task to task. When we have a spare minute, we usually reach for our phones and shut everything else out. The techniques, projects, and ideas in Drawn on the Way are designed to help you be more mindful about drawing, to capture the people, places, and things you encounter each day. By doing that, you'll connect with humanity in a deeper, more meaningful way-and discover a lot about yourself.

Sarah Nisbett is a self-taught live sketch artist and illustrator who loves drawing the people, fashions, pets, and animals that she encounters on the way. A former opera singer, Sarah has a bachelor's degree in art history from the University of Michigan and a master of music degree in vocal performance from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ. After a successful career as an opera singer, she worked in advertising, and now pursues art full time as an illustrator and live sketch artist. Drawn on the Way, her website and Instagram account, began while Sarah was commuting on the F train in New York City one evening in 2012, and decided to draw a fellow passenger who captured her attention. Sarah often gives her sketches to the person she's drawn, believing that this small act of sharing brings joy. Website: drawnontheway.com

"Open Drawn On the Way and you'll swear you're getting a secret glimpse into an artist's sketchbook. Each page is embellished with sweet sketches and handwritten notes from author Sarah Nisbett and as a bonus, is rich with tips to start your own sketchbook. Nisbett offers wisdom from her sketching practice and gently encourages us to begin by centering curiosity, empathy, and wonder-qualities that will also serve our daily lives. She reminds us to follow joy, be kind to ourselves, and stay curious about the world and our place in it." * Mindful Magazine *