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Practice or Procrastination?
I think an artist could get stuck doing practice drills and basic drawing exercises forever, and never really make whatever they have inside of them, waiting to eventually be expressed. The thought is kind of haunting, and it makes me worried when I practice art: am I just wasting my time, “practicing”, when I should be trying to make the art I want to actually have in my portfolio, or make prints of to sell at artist alleys?
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Sharpening Pencils
I finally feel like I’m getting the hang of using a single-edge razor to sharpen pencils. They really do work so much better to have a variety of line, but I’m still fond of cheap mechanical pencils too – nostalgia is a strong force. And of course a consistent line weight has its advantages on occasion. I feel a little silly, showing fundamental drills/practice work like value bars, but honestly, even if they don’t look very special, putting the time in on simple exercises really does make a difference. I’m getting more confident with graphite, but dip pens are still rough. The ink feathers so much on most paper. It…