Practical guides for noticing, collecting and editing

1. 1.1

   A one-week drawing journal

   Ten minutes a day drawing the same object, for seven days, is the quickest way to learn to see it. The routine, the three things to note, and how to take the best drawing onto a print block.

   Mar 2, 20262 min read

2. 1.2

   Reading hard and soft light outdoors

   How to tell whether light is hard or soft before you start drawing or photographing, and what each does to shape, texture and color.

   Mar 16, 20261 min read

3. 1.3

   Working by lamplight at the end of the day

   When daylight goes, a desk lamp becomes the only light on your work. A short routine for placing it, checking color and knowing when to stop.

   Jun 22, 20261 min read

All 3 in Observing

1. 2.1

   Build a reference library you can search in ten seconds

   One inbox, three folders, a naming rule and a weekly ten-minute review turn a pile of saved images into a reference you actually use.

   Apr 6, 20261 min read

2. 2.2

   Photograph your tools as reference

   Tools and materials make good reference because they hold still. How to photograph a desk or a set of tools so the pictures are useful when you draw, repair or restock later.

   Apr 20, 20261 min read

3. 2.3

   Keep field notes you can use a year later

   A field note is useful when a stranger could follow it. Four lines to write on the spot, and one to add at home.

   May 11, 20261 min read

All 3 in Collecting

1. 3.1

   Edit twelve frames into a sequence

   From a day of photographs to a sequence of twelve: see everything at once, make a fast first cut, choose an opening and pace the middle.

   May 25, 20261 min read

2. 3.2

   Write captions that add information

   A caption should tell the reader something the picture cannot. A describe-then-delete method, with before and after examples.

   Jun 8, 20261 min read

All 2 in Editing