Checkers and peonies

Dear Sarah: Day 163 of our daily drawing exchange

June 12, 2025
Dear Sarah -

Today it’s my turn to tackle some exercises - this one from Jess Carp’s nifty YouTube video:

Thanks for another great writing session - it’s always good to see you and figure out best ways to make the lives of our characters more miserable.

I was hoping to do more work on my dissolution in the motel room section today but wound up taking several unexpected phone calls and didn’t manage to get back to it… There may be a little time tomorrow as there is more rain in the forecast so the quick escape for a few hours with Fabio to climb something here in the valley may not happen.

Not complaining - the smoke has been awful and the rain should help clear the air.

Cheers,
Nikki

Hi Nikki,

After a long in-person meeting with one of my favourite clients, I came home to try my hand at the next drawing class; how to draw a partially-opened peony. The teacher put up a photo on her iPad, made marks on it in a stylus and then transferred the marks to the paper (using ink). I realized after doing my first drawing, that my brain got quite cranky with that method, which seemed to leave out the all-important step of staring fixedly at an object! Bouncing back and forth between her Ipad photo, her drawing and my drawing resulted in a pen drawing I don't like at all, and a second attempt in pencil that is better, but lifeless. I think the peonies I drew a few days ago from actual peonies are much better and livelier.

The difference between drawing a burger and drawing a flower was huge. A burger is an inanimate object, but even a picked flower is animate. There are three more lessons left in the course. I will complete them, but then follow my own instincts, at least when drawing flowers.

Great writing session this morning. I now have a much clearer sense of what I need to do. Now to find the time to do it!

XO S