Sketchin' the leather

One of my favorite possessions is my Signum Italian leather Sketchbook that I found in the back of a small shop in Florence, Italy (and that I couldn't convince myself to buy so someone I deeply cared about bought it for me as a surprise gift).

The sketchbook, along with it's fancy carrying bag, just oozes quality, to the point that I was hesitant to draw in it for fear of my work "not being worthy". Well this weekend that changed.

I am currently working my way through the two volumes of Drawn to Life by the Disney master Walt Stanchfield. One of the emphasis of the books is to focus on quick gesture drawings while in a public place. So I visited the local Barnes and Noble's coffee shop (with a great 2nd story view of the outdoor mall) and drew. I've been out of practice for gesture drawings for about 5 years so there is definitely a learning curve. But I am excited about getting back into it and re-developing my own style! Below you will find my sketches. Note that any sketch with a * is actually a "learning sketch" based on a drawing in the book. During the times that I ran out of subjects, or they were getting wary of a guy with a pencil constantly looking at them (I need to wear sunglasses), I would pass the time by sketching poses from the book. At this point I am better at quick sketching gesture drawings that someone else did than drawing my own from life, but this is only the beginning (and another theme of progression to add to this blog)! Practice, practice, practice!


On a side note, I must say I am really digging this leather book retro-trend. Some of my recent enjoyable nights involve curling up to a nice leather book, drinking Earl Grey (a Picardian influence from my childhood), listening to a nice passacaglia, and letting my imagination fly.