Drawing a Day Recap: How It Went, What I Learned

Whew. What a few weeks this was!

I had no idea what to expect going into the Drawing a Day Challenge. I figured it would be really hard and time consuming, taking away so much time from my family. I thought there would be a few days I just wouldn’t have time to get to drawing, and that I’d either extend the challenge to make up for it or double up on some days.

That wasn’t the case. Yes, it took some time away from the family on weekends and in the evening when I was writing the blog post, but most of that was done either during quiet times or after they’d go to bed. And missing a day? I’m very happy and surprised to announce I did not miss a day at all! There were days I didn’t have a chance to reveal, but I was able to get each drawing done on it’s day.

But anyway….here’s my recap!

 

What I Learned:

Making my art a priority CAN be done! And SHOULD be done! Yes, I’m going to some crazy days or hectic weekends, but I still managed to get a couple hours of work in, even if it was hard. I need to remember this often!

It’s okay to have hard days where the medium isn’t cooperating, my brain and hand aren’t communicating, or my head’s just not in it. However, pushing through isn’t horrible, either. Sometimes I just need to kick myself into gear and get it done, and sometimes I really just need to refocus on something else for a few minutes before I can tackle my work.

 

For Next Time:

Next time? Will there be a next time? Am I really that crazy?

Yes, I will probably be doing the challenge again next year; I’ve had a couple people request that I do it again, too! I’ve already started compiling a list of subjects to choose from 😉

Changes for next time: I either need to do just one drawing per weekend, or just take the weekends off. It is just too hard trying to do it plus run kids to parties/activities, help with projects, or just have down time with the family if I consistently need to take a couple hours away from them.

 

Products:

I think all of the pieces will become prints; I have most of the drawings scanned and ready to edit! A lot of them will become note cards as well, either in their own individual set or with others for an assorted set. I’m thinking about selling some cards individually as I’ve had people want a card, but not want to buy a whole box of them. We’ll see.

I have had some special requests for products! One suggestion was to do a large assorted note card set where you’d get one card of each design from the challenge for a total set of 25 cards, which I think is amazing! Another suggestion is turning the dragon into a get well card! Genius! I’ve also had a pre-order for a necklace featuring the barn image.

If there is anything you’d like to see, please don’t hesitate to contact me with your suggestion and I’d love to try and make it happen!

 

Overall Thoughts:

Favorite drawings: Koala, Mason, Falcon, Fox, Tiger….I guess I really liked the animals!

Least favorite: Cardinal

Ones that have grown on me: Sunflower. I really really disliked it, but hearing from various people about how it moves them, I’ve started having an appreciation for it!

Biggest challenges: Fitting it in on very busy days (Odyssey of the Mind Regionals, Crazy Sunday (church, party, swim banquet), Ryan’s birthday party). But I did it! Woo hoo!

Growth: Knowing I CAN make the time if I really want to. Having that accountability of revealing it that night really makes me push through; I don’t want to disappoint anyone, and I know there were some people who would look for the reveal each night.

Surprises: Comments in person, personal messages, people looking forward to the reveal every night. The fact that everyone loves Sunflower! I had no idea that this challenge would impact and touch so many people! I’m overwhelmed by the support, encouragement, and comments. It’s what got me through this!

 

FAQ:

Who suggested the challenge/where did you find the challenge/what group are you participating with?

I suggested it and kind of made up my own challenge. All the drawing challenges I found were more like prompts for little drawings than actual full blown finished pieces. I did this on my own; I’d love to have others participate next time, whether as a drawing challenge or create something every day.

Why are you doing this????

Yeah, I know, it’s kind of crazy. The purpose was two-fold: to improve my skill so my drawings were better and could be completed faster, and to increase (errr, create) my inventory of original drawings for sale. I’m happy to say that I definitely improved my skill; I’m more comfortable with drawing now, and have cut my drawing time in almost half! Depending on the difficulty, I can get a drawing done in 2-3 hours, some even under 2!

 

What was your favorite drawing from the challenge? What would you like to see next time? Let me know in the comments below!