Love this! What a great framework to experiment with play and materials! I'm trying hard to lean into play, but I often get stuck on 'what' to draw, of what marks to start with. I think I need a brief for playing - haha - but a zine with simple prompts is a brilliant way to do that!
I spend a lot of time playing with colours and materials in my sketchbook. Once in a while I feel a bit guilty because I’m suddenly aware I’m using something expensive but I quickly remind myself that I need to practice with them otherwise how will I be able to use them on a real piece?☺️
That is the best way to think about it Jess! Thank you for that really sensible and positive way of looking at it, I'm going to remind myself of your comment next time I start to feel guilty!
Thankyou so much for a lovely mention of the comics class Nanette! I loved your zine and teaching the class is the highlight of my week - playing is so valuable but sometimes hard to get started. I specially loved your Nan Shepherd inky drawings too 😍😍
Thank YOU so much Jane for a lovely class! It's so warm and welcoming as well as being really helpful for developing sequence and story - and playfulness!
I realised after posting this I didn't even include any of the actual comics I made 😆
It's so easy to lose that playfulness isn't it Alice?! Sometimes I have to trick myself back into it with a fun class or by using cheap kids art materials while listening to loud fun music!
I played with paste paper samples today. Its so hard to "just play" as an adult but I always love the feeling of letting go and not expecting a specific outcome. Your zine is gorgeous!
Oh yes, that letting go is the BEST feeling, isn't it?!?! Playing with samples of something is a great idea, sounds like it would take some of the pressure off!
Thank you Antonia! I did enjoy making it! Isn't it funny how the joy of making something always shows in the work and it's just not possible to fake that!
Glad you liked it Kayla! I don't know why we get so wound up about drawing, it's so daft when you look at it from the outside but completely overwhelming when you're right in it 😆
Lately when I feel stuck I've been challenging myself to use colors I don't naturally gravitate towards, or to pick up materials I haven't used in a while. That level of unfamiliarity helps me feel more improvisational!
That's a really good idea Annie! I find it feels so good to force myself into different colour palettes instead of falling back on my old favourites. You're right, it's the unfamiliar that makes it feel more playful
Well I am always playing with all kind of materials on my sketchbooks 🤷🏼♀️ this is not my job, so I think that makes it easy too! Your zine is absolutely amazing Nanette 😍
Ps: I keep looking back at the little monoprints and drawings. So great! Chinagraph pencil too: Tell me more about that - where did you get it? Aaaand: that little zine is SUPER Precious. I LOVE it.
A Chinagraph pencil is also called a Grease Pencil I believe? It's basically a wax crayon in pencil form, so a bit more precise to use than a standard wax crayon. I just happened to have one lying around, I could have used a crayon for the same result. I think they were developed for a specific purpose in ceramics, but it's nice to draw with too 😊
I love the little snail - and all of these drawings. Play is such an important part of the process! Do you think we spend so much time working at taking our drawings seriously and we strive so hard towards the thing of being bonafide illustrators, we almost dare not allow ourselves to be playful? What if we get caught? We forget it’s allowed, and essential really. Thanks so much for sharing the class you’ve been doing too. Generous share.
Thank you so much Susannah! I think you're absolutely right, it must be the need to be taken seriously that makes us worry about playing. We (well, me) want to be seen as a professional but worry about appearing to be doing something I did as a five year old!
Playfullness + simplicity is a great formula for sparking ideas and getting yourself out of a creative rut. For me, I find that playing with materials (especially messy, painty ones) in an abstract way, just focusing on putting marks down on paper, stops me overthinking. I always come away from this process energised and inspired (and usually covered in paint! 😆)
Thank you so much Adam! It was so much fun making little stories and zines in Jane's class, it's really sparked an interest in seeing the book as more of an object that the reader experiences
I love your zine! I have definitely saved the comics class- it looks wonderful. I feel as though I really needed to hear this today as I also haven't really made time for play in my sketchbook in far too long! Thank you for sharing :)
I know exactly how you feel Becca, it's easy to lose the play! Sometimes it takes a fun class or different way of looking at things to get back to being playful 🥰
Love this! What a great framework to experiment with play and materials! I'm trying hard to lean into play, but I often get stuck on 'what' to draw, of what marks to start with. I think I need a brief for playing - haha - but a zine with simple prompts is a brilliant way to do that!
A brief for playing! 🤣 I know exactly what you mean Raj, that's what I need too!
I spend a lot of time playing with colours and materials in my sketchbook. Once in a while I feel a bit guilty because I’m suddenly aware I’m using something expensive but I quickly remind myself that I need to practice with them otherwise how will I be able to use them on a real piece?☺️
That is the best way to think about it Jess! Thank you for that really sensible and positive way of looking at it, I'm going to remind myself of your comment next time I start to feel guilty!
Thankyou so much for a lovely mention of the comics class Nanette! I loved your zine and teaching the class is the highlight of my week - playing is so valuable but sometimes hard to get started. I specially loved your Nan Shepherd inky drawings too 😍😍
Thank YOU so much Jane for a lovely class! It's so warm and welcoming as well as being really helpful for developing sequence and story - and playfulness!
I realised after posting this I didn't even include any of the actual comics I made 😆
I really enjoyed reading this and love the zine. I too am not playing as much as I’d like to, thank you for a bit more motivation to get on the case!
It's so easy to lose that playfulness isn't it Alice?! Sometimes I have to trick myself back into it with a fun class or by using cheap kids art materials while listening to loud fun music!
Oh yes! Loud music drowns out the sound of the critical little voice!
Gosh, that zine is incredible! 😍
Oh thank you so much Beth! I wouldn't have arrived at that zine without all the fun prompts and time to play in Jane's class!
I played with paste paper samples today. Its so hard to "just play" as an adult but I always love the feeling of letting go and not expecting a specific outcome. Your zine is gorgeous!
Oh yes, that letting go is the BEST feeling, isn't it?!?! Playing with samples of something is a great idea, sounds like it would take some of the pressure off!
I love this work, and it feels like you did too. It’s a joy to look at .
Thank you Antonia! I did enjoy making it! Isn't it funny how the joy of making something always shows in the work and it's just not possible to fake that!
I can also be precious about materials — but I never regret playing around with them when I do! I just conveniently forget this fact every day 😆
Me too!! Why do we forget how much we get out of playing?!?! 😆😆😆
This post just jump started MY brain 😍
And the freedom that comes from “drawing is just paper and pencil and doesn’t matter!” 🙌🙌
Glad you liked it Kayla! I don't know why we get so wound up about drawing, it's so daft when you look at it from the outside but completely overwhelming when you're right in it 😆
Lately when I feel stuck I've been challenging myself to use colors I don't naturally gravitate towards, or to pick up materials I haven't used in a while. That level of unfamiliarity helps me feel more improvisational!
That's a really good idea Annie! I find it feels so good to force myself into different colour palettes instead of falling back on my old favourites. You're right, it's the unfamiliar that makes it feel more playful
Well I am always playing with all kind of materials on my sketchbooks 🤷🏼♀️ this is not my job, so I think that makes it easy too! Your zine is absolutely amazing Nanette 😍
Thank you Teresa! I love seeing how playful you are in your sketchbooks and drawings!
Ps: I keep looking back at the little monoprints and drawings. So great! Chinagraph pencil too: Tell me more about that - where did you get it? Aaaand: that little zine is SUPER Precious. I LOVE it.
A Chinagraph pencil is also called a Grease Pencil I believe? It's basically a wax crayon in pencil form, so a bit more precise to use than a standard wax crayon. I just happened to have one lying around, I could have used a crayon for the same result. I think they were developed for a specific purpose in ceramics, but it's nice to draw with too 😊
Oh!
Such LOVELY works!
I love the little snail - and all of these drawings. Play is such an important part of the process! Do you think we spend so much time working at taking our drawings seriously and we strive so hard towards the thing of being bonafide illustrators, we almost dare not allow ourselves to be playful? What if we get caught? We forget it’s allowed, and essential really. Thanks so much for sharing the class you’ve been doing too. Generous share.
Thank you so much Susannah! I think you're absolutely right, it must be the need to be taken seriously that makes us worry about playing. We (well, me) want to be seen as a professional but worry about appearing to be doing something I did as a five year old!
I enjoyed this post Nanette and I love your zine!
Playfullness + simplicity is a great formula for sparking ideas and getting yourself out of a creative rut. For me, I find that playing with materials (especially messy, painty ones) in an abstract way, just focusing on putting marks down on paper, stops me overthinking. I always come away from this process energised and inspired (and usually covered in paint! 😆)
I love the idea of focusing on mark making in an abstract way!
Energised and covered in paint is the best feeling in the world!! 😆
Incredible little Zine!
Thank you so much Adam! It was so much fun making little stories and zines in Jane's class, it's really sparked an interest in seeing the book as more of an object that the reader experiences
I love your zine! I have definitely saved the comics class- it looks wonderful. I feel as though I really needed to hear this today as I also haven't really made time for play in my sketchbook in far too long! Thank you for sharing :)
I know exactly how you feel Becca, it's easy to lose the play! Sometimes it takes a fun class or different way of looking at things to get back to being playful 🥰