Sketchy Sundays...

  Sundays are my day!!  I work all week and have a sizeable piece of real estate that requires my attention regularly, but Sundays are mine!  OK, they are really only mine because the "spousal unit" is working.
  When this golden opportunity came about I wanted to make sure a portion of the day was dedicated to my love of Caricature Carving.  I also like a nice breakfast too, something I do not get everyday.  So every Sunday morning I get up and head down to the local diner and tuck myself away in the farthest corner booth and break out my sketch pad.  Over the last few years I have been working to break away and not just carve what everyone else is carving but rather to try and be able to carve what I would like to carve ( please understand this is my desire and in no way should be construed as a slam against those who love to carve the "standards")  .  Even if you are not looking towards designing your own carvings, if you draw at regular intervals, your carving skills will improve.  All you need is something to draw on and my personal favorite a Ticonderoga #2.  If you'd like to take it a little deeper, then I would recommend you visit your local art store,  pick up a simple sketch pad, a kneadable eraser (the gray blob in the picture),  and some Prismacolortm Col-Erase pencils (blue works well).  The visit to the Art store will not break the bank.  If it's truly an Art Store (not a major craft chain store) you should take some time to browse,  there are a lot of neat tools and methods that can come in handy.
  For something to draw pick a copy of someones sketches and just start copying (a sketchbook from Bobby Chiu at Imaginism.com is shown in picture).  This practice will help you overcome one of the biggest issues we face...overcoming our subconcious tendancy to see things as a "whole".  When we look at someone we tend to see their face, rather than seeing the parts that make up the whole.  Being able to break this down allows us to accentuate a feature appropriately to the point of Caricature.  Besides, doing it is just plain fun. It does not have to have a purpose, just let it be enjoyable.  Sure some days will be better than others, but who cares?  You are doing it for yourself and in doing so you are nourishing your artistic soul. 

   Ok, maybe thats just a little TOO DEEP...just go out there and enjoy the journey!