Martin's Online Sketch Book

Mastering Portraits for Beginners: Transforming Photos into Art | Unique Sketching Technique

I used to have a love hate relationship with portraits and I guess its the level of detail that you need to create a convincing likeness that is key to a image that looks like the sitter.

I created my self portrait using a photo as a starting point. I know using photos is frowned upon in certain circles but if as a beginner it gives you confidence then I am all for photos!

This tutorial is designed for beginners in mind. I will show you how to cut up and use a photo to create your self portrait. The one important aspect of this technique is that your photo must have a light and a shadow side.

The photo is really only used to provide scale for your finished piece. You will also need some toned paper. I am using brown packaging paper and some light coloured sugar paper.

The technique is very simple. You are going to cut down the picture into a head shape and then cut the head shape in half following the shadow of the features. This will give you some great shapes and hopefully al likeness.

Creating a Tree Collage with Ink and Pastel

Today’s 64 Million Artists January challenge is called find a tree and is a celebration of our wooded friends. I’m going to create this tree using collage, ink and pastel. I find this combination of materials very easy too use.

Tree image created using collage, ink and pastel

The matt qualities of pastel work well with ink and collage elements add a frame to the work.

I like drawing trees. This hasn’t always been the case. They can be difficult to understand and your drawings can look very unrealistic. I’ve learnt over the tears to really study trees and I have found they all have an interesting soy to tell.

The tree in today’s image is near to the local secondary school that I attended. The tree has a hollowed out section from where a bow fell off. As kids we used to climb the tree and sit in the opening.

The local council has stopped this behaviour by blocking the hole with wire mesh. I hadn’t realised but the tree is a twin with two sections of branches feeding into one trunk. It’s an amazing structure.

Beginner Monotype Magic – A beginners guide to inky sketches!

I love to add new techniques and materials to my art work. Todays 64 Million Artist challenge is to learn something new! An excellent opportunity to delve into my favourite art tutorial book and try out a new idea!

Dawn Emerson’s Pastel Innovations is an excellent book full of exercises with ink and pastel. I’m a big fan. One project I’ve always wanted to try is her monotype exercise using greaseproof paper and water based oils as ink.

I’m going to demonstrate to you how to achieve an interesting effect using very easy to get hold of materials. I’m going to be tracing down my image so this is an excellent beginner activity and if you are more confident then this technique will embellish your work!

I am using a limited palette of pastels colours that tone nicely with the Burnt Umber Oil paint. You will also need a pencil or a sharp stick to transfer the ink to your sketchbook through the greaseproof paper.

As you can see the monotypes can be made from the greaseproof paper (left Image) and you can also print the plate image (right image). There is lovely texture of the greaseproof paper left on both images.

You can watch the video here.

Drawing to Music with Everyday Objects | Beginner’s Guide to Expressive Mark Making!

What music inspires? Today’s 64 Million artists Challenge is a great abstract sounding task! I’m really going to enjoy this and inspire you to give new materials a try.

What Music Inspires – immediately says to me mark marking to music. If you have not tried this before get ready to find a really expressive way testing art equipment. I am going to use a variety of objects and with the time of the music make marks on paper.

This benefit of this exercise is not always apparent. It helps to think differently about the way you make marks. The ways you approach drawing and gives you a new perspective on your drawing tools.

So, I am using a wooden knife and spoon, a feather, 2 tooth brushes and a normal watercolour brush that I will try an use in new ways.

Image - Mark making examples using wooden cutlery, a feather and tooth brushes.

It feels really decadent to dedicate a piece of paper to random mark making. And this is why its such a great sketchbook exercise. I can predict that if you try this technique you will hate the results. But bear with it and look again the next day. You will find the marks inspirational, liberating even.

Building Pictures without Lines | Beginner’s Guide to Collage Sketching!

Welcome to day 25 of the 64 Million Artists January Challenge – Bring it to Life!

Todays challenge is about finding an object and bringing it to live in some way. I’m thinking back to day 18 when the challenge was to design a space. In this video I’m going to add more details to my plans.

I’m going to concentrate on my favourite art items and build out the shelf that they sit on. My special items are my Mod Podge Glue for sticking down collage papers, My Indian ink which I use with my inky stick to draw on my collage work. A tube of glue and my pen pot which holds all my old pens and pencils used in my creative processes.

If you like collage art then this video will give you a beginners guide to creating images from scratch, using torn paper to create your shapes.

You will then learn to build on these shapes with an ink and develop your drawing to a finished piece. Creating art in this manner helps to build confidence and take stops you worrying about line work which beginners can find daunting.

Unlocking Creativity: Silhouette Art Fun for Mindful Exploration! Learn Art Techniques for Beginners

Today’s 64 Million Artist challenge was scuppered as there was no Sun! The original challenge was to make art from shadows.

In this video I will show you how to create an abstract pattern from silhouette cut outs of everyday objects. Art isn’t always about the final piece sometimes it’s good to explore mark making and getting your hands dirty in your materials.

This exercise is a fun way to warm up your artistic mojo. A way to let your mind wander and to experiment with colour and form. I’m using a pair of scissors, a bull dog clip and a novelty pen I purchased from Disneyland Europe.

I’m looking for a mindful way to enjoy the process and stop worrying about the end result. Today you are free to make a mess, spoil a piece of paper but also have fun in the process.

Mastering Flamboyant Costumes: Ink and Pastel Technique Tutorial

Today’s 64 Million Artists challenge is all about animation, and I’m thrilled to guide you through bringing art to life using my favourite medium – collage!

Join me as we transform my cartoon dog into an animated wonder. In this video, I’ll share beginner-friendly techniques to infuse movement into your art.

My cartoon dog comes to life in separate pieces – head, body, legs, and arms. I’ve replicated the head three times for smooth animation transitions. To add an extra layer of depth, I’ll incorporate ambient sound effects, giving our cartoon a truly immersive feel.

Curious about the tools? I’m using the Stop Motion app from the Apple Store, and you can find it here. It’s a fantastic tool with all the features you need for creating mesmerising photo-based animations.

Rev up for the Dukes of Hazard in Collage!

I loved the Dukes of Hazard when I was little. It was exciting and had a fast car, which as a small boy was a very thrilling way from children’s tv shows to adult tv shows.

Today’s 64 Million Artists challenge is to create a poem. As you know I am not a great poet. So I am going to use the inspiration of the challenge to create a sketch of the Dukes of Hazard General Lee.

I have become know for my collage cars at my local art group. So todays video is another how to collage. Grab some materials – paper, glue and ink – and join me in recreating heroes from my youth!

Let’s get wordy with Gargolyles!

Today’s 64 Million Artists prompt is to take a word and make it beautiful! The literal interpretation would mean using calligraphy – but I m going to show you how to master the technique of collage.

The word I am going to use is gargoyle. I’m going to try and make it beautiful using a limited palate of collage papers and ink.

Collage is the use of paper to create images. It is a versatile medium that can be complicated and details or as I use collage, big shapes.

I’m going to show you a way to quickly create an image using torn paper very quickly sculpted into the shapes of the reference image.