Why I drew it 100 times. And why you should too.

Summary

In this video, Danny Gregory explores the power of creating a series in your sketchbook to enhance creativity and artistic skills. He explains how focusing on a single theme through repeated drawings can deepen observational skills, boost creativity, and improve technical ability. Using examples from renowned artists like Hokusai, Monet, and Van Gogh, Gregory shows how exploring a theme from multiple angles can unlock new insights. He encourages viewers to embark on their own series, whether it's drawing a subject repeatedly or exploring broader concepts, and highlights how this approach fosters artistic growth and deeper appreciation of the world.

Takeaways

• 😀 Series in art journaling can help break creative blocks and provide endless inspiration.
• 😀 Repeatedly exploring a single subject in different ways strengthens your observational skills.
• 😀 A series challenges you to think creatively and approach the same theme from various angles.
• 😀 Mastery comes through repetition, not practice, and creating a series helps improve technical skills.
• 😀 Focusing on one subject in a series allows you to appreciate the richness and details of everyday life.
• 😀 Drawing a series is about the process, not about creating perfect or polished works.
• 😀 The technique of series has been used by famous artists like Hokusai, Monet, and Van Gogh to explore a theme from multiple perspectives.
• 😀 Setting a challenge to create multiple drawings of the same subject forces you to observe more deeply and see variations in the ordinary.
• 😀 Series help you explore both the familiar and unfamiliar in art, turning the ordinary into something extraordinary.
• 😀 Your sketchbook is a tool for personal growth—use it to reflect on your process and deepen your engagement with the world around you.
• 😀 To start, pick a theme and commit to creating at least seven variations of it over the next week to deepen your observations and improve your artistic skills.

Q & A

What is the main concept behind creating a series in an illustrated journal?

A series is a collection of drawings or journal entries centered around a single theme or subject. It encourages artists to explore that theme from different angles, boosting creativity, observational skills, and technical ability.

How does creating a series deepen an artist’s observational skills?

By repeatedly drawing the same subject, artists begin to notice details that they might have missed in previous drawings, helping them see the subject more deeply and from various perspectives.

What are the benefits of working with a series in terms of creativity?

Creating a series challenges an artist to approach the same theme in different ways, which pushes them to think outside of the box and find new methods of expression.

Why is repetition considered important in artistic growth?

Repetition, as emphasized in the script, is crucial because it leads to mastery of techniques. The more an artist works with a particular subject or style, the more skilled they become at it.

What did Danny Gregory do to learn Procreate on the iPad?

Danny Gregory set a goal to draw 100 dogs using different techniques for each drawing, which not only helped him learn Procreate but also improved his overall creativity and drawing skills.

Can you give an example of an artist who used series in their work?

Hokusai, a famous Japanese woodcut artist, created a series called '36 Views of Mount Fuji,' where he depicted the same mountain in various creative ways, showcasing how a single subject can offer endless possibilities.

How do artists like Monet and Van Gogh use series in their work?

Monet created series of paintings, such as *The Cathedral at Different Times of Day*, where he explored the same subject at different times to study the effects of light and atmosphere. Van Gogh’s *Sunflower* series shows how a single subject can convey different emotions and moods.

What’s a key takeaway from Bach’s *Goldberg Variations* in relation to the concept of series?

Bach’s *Goldberg Variations* presents a single theme interpreted in 30 different musical pieces, illustrating how one idea can inspire diverse, unique variations, much like an artist’s exploration of a single subject.

How can you start your own series in an illustrated journal?

You can start by dedicating one or two pages to a single theme, returning to it over time to add new drawings. Choose a theme, like a daily object, a place, or a concept, and explore it in various ways throughout your journal.

What should artists remember when creating a series in their journal?

Artists should remember that creating a series is about exploration, not perfection. Mistakes and imperfections are part of the process, and the goal is to deepen your understanding of the subject and improve your artistic skills.