In January, I spoke about goals and how we should all include art in our list of achievements this year.

If you're anything like me, life takes over and it's almost impossible to fit this in.

Well, we are now almost one third of the way through this year. I haven't done any work towards drawing the human form but I managed to do other types of drawings for the site. Luckily, it's what I do for a living!

Maybe the best advice I can give you is to carry that sketchbook with you, as much as you can. That way, whenever you get a spare minute, just draw whatever you see. This helps you to improve, and you're doing something to keep your drawing skills alive. Next time you're out shopping, look for a pocket sized notepad to carry around with you.

The main thing is, it's on your list of things to do! It's like someone nagging you. Well, that's how I feel anyway.

I love crossing things off my list as I achieve them. I'm completely happy if I get to do some drawing of the human form. That's another tiny step in the right direction.

I wonder how you're going?

I have a new page about drawing insects. These critters weren't that hard to draw. I managed to do these on my first attempt but don't look too closely, you might see where I did some erasing!

Check it out and see how you go with these little mites. How To Draw Insects.

Tip of the Month

One soft pencil can give you a wide range of tones. Imagine what results you can get by using several pencils in different grades?

I tend to be attached to my 2B pencil. By doing this, I'm robbing myself of the full potential of pencil work.

We are reluctant to use H grades because they are hard to erase and they can ruin the paper surface. However, they do have some qualities when it comes to variation of tone.

Next time you're in the mood to experiment, use the whole range of pencils in your possession.

A HB pencil can give a faint mark right through to a silver grey. A 2B goes from grey to black.

There are no limits when it comes to drawing with pencil.

Thank you,, for taking the time out of your busy schedule to read this issue.

You can simply reply to this email if you have anything you'd like to share with me.

Please take care,

Kerry.