“Drawing for me is a really meditative process. I find it really clears my head and silences the critical or anxious voices that often rattle around in there!”
#TheJoyOfSketch
A Freelancer in the charity sector, Lucy is one busy lady! It’s not always easy for Lucy to come to our workshops, but we love it when she does - the warmth, passion and creativity she brings to the room is infectious! She told us why she comes and what she values about drawing, community and WHAM!
So, tell us a little bit about your creative journey and background:
I never really engaged with art when I was younger outside of your classic dodgy paintings and scribbles at the kitchen table. At school, art felt like it was reserved for people who were outstanding and I don't remember ever feeling excited or engaged by art at school. I always enjoyed doodling, though, I just lacked confidence (and technique!) Instead I channelled my creativity through writing and drama.
I began really exploring art in my late 20s - I ended up in a zine making workshop at a writing festival and surprised myself with how much I enjoyed the creative process. I got a few compliments on my style, created a few zines at home and then went from there. I realised how good drawing was for my wellbeing - it was such a calming and enjoyable activity. After that I started drawing and painting regularly, focused on portraits, which is why I chose to start coming to Sketchy Bitches. I've also created several hand illustrated zines to raise money and awareness for charity.
What, er, drew you to Sketch Appeal? What do you get out of coming to our events?
The more I got into drawing, the more I wanted to do outside of just my own self-directed doodling in my flat. I did a short course at House of Illustration at the start of the year, which focused on the joy of illustration rather than technique, and I found it a really positive and encouraging environment. I wanted to keep that momentum up with a similar vibe once the course ended and also to start making new connections with others who enjoyed drawing.
Having a community of writers has been so important to me so I wanted to find the same with drawing. Sketch Appeal is perfect because the activities are totally in sync with what I love to draw and I so enjoy having the portraits to take away. As a freelancer with very solitary hobbies (drawing and writing!) it's so important to find community and that's something Sketch Appeal creates that is very special. It's been nice seeing the same women at different events.
How would you describe the experience to others?
Sketchy Bitches is a warm, encouraging space where you can experiment with your drawing style and get to know like minded creatives.
Did it inspire you to draw more, or go to any other creative workshops?
It has definitely inspired me to do some different drawing activities - like letting loose and drawing as many faces as I can instead of fixating on one perfect face. I definitely want to do more classes/events next year - including Sketch Appeal events.
How does drawing make you feel, and has it played any part in improving your mental health?
Drawing for me is a really meditative process. I find it really clears my head and silences the critical or anxious voices that often rattle around in there! It also gives me a sense of achievement to create something new - I really got into drawing when I was spending a lot of time bed bound with chronic illness and drawing gave me a sense of purpose and productivity, as I could improve a skill and do something nice for myself from my bed.
Favourite materials to draw with?
As I'm basically totally self taught my materials are so basic! I usually just use pencils, cheap fineliners and sharpies haha. I do want to refine my tools as I learn, though... maybe in 2020!
Any cool artists or illustrators we should check out on Insta?
SO MANY. A handful I really like: @phiehackett @harri_golightly @hollymaguireuk @sasha.ignatiadou @aljahorvat (I have prints from several of these on my wall!)
Any other cool creative workshops or events you’d recommend?
Not at the moment! Hopefully I'll find some in 2020...
Any books you’d recommend people wanting to get creative and draw more in 2020?
I can't think of any atm... I actually use Pinterest a lot for reference material, to create illustration mood boards etc and then just doodle from that... so I'd suggest giving that a go to anyone who just wants to dabble or isn't sure where to start
All I want for Christmas is…
A puppy. Always. Ideally two.
Favourite Christmas song:
Last Christmas (if there's no WHAM, it's not Christmas)