Creative Illustration eCCA: Session 1

Welcome to Mushroom’s Creative Illustration eCCA 😀

Session 1: Introduction & Visual Journals

In thi first session, we concentrate on making marks on the page. Just try things out. Experiment. Enjoy just marking the paper and freeing yourself of trying to draw something specific.

Here is the process we used:

Using a pencil, draw lines on the page.
Try drawing curves in different directions. Some will feel natural, like writing. Some will feel unnatural or backward. Practice those difficult curve directions.
Try varying the pressure you put on the pencil as you draw. Start pressing very gently and increase the pressure as you draw and notice the effect. Try it in reverse. Press hard to start and then reduce the pressure as you draw.
Try drawing whilst holding the pencil at different angles to the paper. What effects are achieved?
Try drawing crosshatched or shading by making lots of small overlapping circles. Do the same while varying the pressure on your pencil.
Put the pencil down and try making marks with different items (we used crayons, chopsticks dipped in ink, some old toy dipped in paint). What effects do you get?
Finally, choose one or two of the unusual mark making items you have experimented with and try to draw yourself.