Okay, so I decided to actually sit down and try that Sandra Wingate thing today. Heard about it from somewhere, sounded kinda interesting, maybe a way to loosen up my sketching, you know?
Getting Started
First thing, had to clear my desk. It’s always a mess. Found my usual sketchbook, the one with the slightly toothy paper. Grabbed a few pencils, mostly 2B and 4B, figured they’d be good for quick, messy lines. Didn’t bother with anything fancy. The whole point, as I understood it, was speed and capturing… well, something quickly. Not about making pretty pictures right off the bat.
The Actual Trying Bit
So, I put on some music, just background noise really. Set a timer on my phone, thought I’d do like, five-minute bursts. The idea was to look at something – I just used random objects on my desk, a stapler, my old mug, you name it – and sketch the feel of it super fast. Not the details, more the shape and energy, if that makes sense. Sounds a bit airy-fairy, I know.
Man, it was harder than I thought. My first few attempts? Just scribbles. Looked like a toddler had attacked the page. Felt really rushed and clumsy. My hand wanted to slow down, to get the lines ‘right’, but I forced myself to keep moving. It felt unnatural.
- Tried sketching my hand – looked like a bunch of sausages.
- Tried the lampshade – ended up a wobbly blob.
- Tried a crumpled piece of paper – actually, that one wasn’t too bad, maybe because it was already messy?
There was this moment, maybe half an hour in, where I stopped fighting it so much. I just let the pencil fly around. Didn’t care if the lines connected or if the perspective was totally whacked. And something clicked, just a little. The sketches were still messy, sure, but one or two actually had a bit of life to them. Less like a bad technical drawing, more like a quick impression.
Wrapping Up Thoughts
Finished up after maybe an hour. Felt kinda drained, mentally more than physically. It’s work, trying to break habits. My desk was covered in graphite dust, typical.
Was it useful? Yeah, I think so. It’s like flexing a muscle you don’t use often. Good reminder that drawing isn’t always about perfect, slow rendering. Sometimes it’s just about getting an idea down, fast and dirty. It’s messy, this Sandra Wingate approach, at least the way I did it. Not sure if I did it ‘right’, probably not. But who cares? It shook things up a bit.
Reminds me of when I tried learning basic coding once. Everyone says Python is easy. Easy my foot. My brain just didn’t want to follow the logic, kept wanting to do things my own way. Same feeling here with the pencil. Guess you just gotta keep pushing through that awkward phase. Might try it again next week, see if the sausages look less like sausages.
