Non Dominant Hand Challenge Sketch

I started an art challenge this month, and abandoned it by day six, but it’s not a failure, it has actually been one of the most beneficial art challenges I’ve participated in. (Despite what you may think about the featured images!) 🙂

Choosing People

I’ve been spending a lot of time recently trying to find and develop my artistic style, and I’ve been heading down a variety of paths trying to get to grips with an art style I can embrace as my own.

Having a style means that when people see your art, it’s instantly recognisable as one of your pieces, because of the style or subject matter. As a beginning artist, my style is all over the place. I’ve been drawing and painting different subjects in different styles, but this month I’ve started to embrace people. Figuratively not physically—I’m still adhering to social distancing rules!

I have my International Bums series (people), and my urban sketches of Culver City all featuring people, and I did 5 detailed portraits in April. I love drawing people, but the clincher for driving me embracing people as part of my style was a daily challenge hosted by Kick in the Creatives.

May Art Challenge

Their May Challenge was to draw a daily image with your non dominant hand. I got as far as the 5th of May and realised the prompt images I’d chosen from their Pinterest boards all featured people. It made me realise that I should stop my dalliance too many subjects and commit to drawing people.

Their April Challenge (which I missed) was to draw a daily image using contour or blind contour sketches, so I started the May challenge by combining a continuous line (contour) and non dominant hand sketch. I treated my different versions as a quick sketch opportunity, and yes I know they’re shite, but as somebody who has never drawn with their left hand before, I was impressed with the outcome. They look like people, so in my eyes that’s a success.

The image I drew on day two turned into the nucleus of an idea to start exploring portraits through blind contour sketches. I did a non dominant hand sketch and then added pen lines and a watercolour wash. But then I started playing around doing blind contour drawings, and then applying ink lines and watercolour.

I kept at the non dominant hand sketching for a couple more days. Two of them weren’t much to write home about, but I liked the quirkiness of this travel image.

After I’d drawn the pirate on day six (don’t ask!) – I was ready to abandon the non dominant hand challenge and switch my attention to blind contour portraits. Lucky for me, Kick in the Creatives has a 365 day challenge to draw a daily image – no rules. The intent it to get you into the habit of daily sketching. So I switched my allegiance and started the #Kick365 challenge and embraced my quirky portraits.

Challenges are good

If I hadn’t taken part in this non dominant hand challenge I don’t know how much longer it would have taken me to realise that I had a distinct preference for people, and I definitely wouldn’t have taken the leap into blind contour portraits. But now that I’ve started down this new path—there’s no stopping me.

You can check out my May Blind Contour portraits here.

Thanks Kick in the Creatives for the Inspiration.