Sj Nielsen Sketching Challenge | 2020

It’s that time of year again! Get ready to dust of your sketchbooks and push your creativity. Want to join in on the annual Sj Nielsen Sketching Challenge? Whether you’re a professional or completely beginner, I would love to have you join. I purposefully develop a prompt list around open ended themes so that this challenge can meet you right where you are at on your sketching journey. I was blown away by how many participated last year, and I can’t wait to see what you come up with this year! The goal? Sketch every day in January and grow in the process. But if you fall off course, don’t hesitate to jump right back on. Below you will find the list of prompts, as well as an explanation of each prompt to help you get started. The challenge starts January 1st. If you feel so inclined, you can post your sketches on Instagram and tag them #sjnielsensketchingchallenge to share and see what others are creating! Happy sketching!

[Day 1] Blind Contour: Get yourself set in front of something you’d like to sketch. Something small, something large, one item, or an entire room. Once you’re ready, put your pen somewhere on your page (in relation to where you want to start sketching), and begin. But here’s the trick - for the entire sketch you aren’t going to lift your pen OR look at your paper. You will only be looking at the object or scene you are sketching. The point of this exercise isn’t to end up with a beautiful work of art. In fact, it will probably look like chicken scratch, but this is a great exercise to train your brain how to see. This is also a great exercise if you want to associate yourself with a new scene and should be continue to be practiced no matter how skilled you are.

[Day 2] Light: Light post, light bulb, the way the light reflects off the water - interpret this however you please and sketch something that makes you excited!

[Day 3] Plants: Sketch one leaf or the entire plant. Sketch one plant or a full page of plants!

[Day 4]: Your view from home: This doesn’t have to be fancy. Show us your favorite spot in your home, or the pile of laundry in the corner. Sketch what ‘home’ means to you.

[Day 5] National Park: What aspect of national parks is your favorite? The animals? The scenery? The cool looking signs? Show us through your sketch today!

[Day 6] Local hot spot: Where is your favorite place to get coffee? Does your town have a significant landmark? Sketch something that makes your local area special to you and/or others.

[Day 7] Creases: Crumple up a piece of paper and pay attention to the creases and shadows. Or sketch the folds in a piece of clothing. This one might feel a little abstract, but it’s good practice of studying the shadows and shapes.

[Day 8] Winter: No explanation needed. :)

[Day 9] Movement: Cars passing by, people walking in a mall, pigeons picking up scraps, get out there and capture movement on your page!

[Day 10] Trees: One tree, two tree, three tree, four.

[Day 11] The Mundane: Some of my favorite things to sketch are items that are otherwise ‘regular’. Try sketching a telephone poll, the texture of a dumpster in the alley, an old building, etc.

[Day 12] Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner: Sketch one of your meals today, or all 3!

[Day 13] Open: A door way, an open field, interpret this in any way that speaks to you.

[Day 14] Closed: Same as above. A literal closed door, or the closed sign hanging on an old gas station. Get creative with your interpretation.

[Day 15] Line: Try sketching with one continuous line. Or create a sketch that uses hatching and cross hatching lines to create shadows.

[Day 16] Bridges: How many different types of bridges can you draw?

[Day 17] Tradition: What is your favorite family tradition? Let us learn about you through this sketch.

[Day 18] Black and white: No color! Create a sketch of anything you’d like using only black and white materials.

[Day 19] Horizon: Sketch a scene with the horizon line. Try mixing up where the horizon line is placed (high, low, middle) to see how that impacts your overall composition.

[Day 20] Food: Food, any food! Try sketching your favorite meal, or maybe some really cool packaging on your favorite candy bar.

[Day 21] Warm & Cool: Focus on using warm and cool colors intentionally. The warm colors are yellow, red, and orange. Cool colors are blue, green, and purple. Make the most of these colors by using cooler colors in shadows and warmer colors in highlights.

[Day 22] Collage: Try using multiple materials and textures in one sketch. Maybe you have two types of paper. Maybe you collage part of your sketch with part of a photograph.

[Day 23] Architecture: Skyscrapers, barns, a scene from Paris or the shed in your backyard. Whatever you decide, sketch some buildings today!

[Day 24] Fabric: Pick a fabric that looks fun to capture. Are you capturing a full outfit or an intriguing pattern on one sleeve?

[Day 25] Translucent: You could also switch this up and sketch something transparent. Thing of a glass of lemonade full of ice cubes, or the bottom of a flower vase holding a colorful bouquet.

[Day 26] Street sign: Pick a sign, any sign.

[Day 27] Transportation: Is it a bus? Is it a train? Sketch different ways of getting around town!

[Day 28] Hobby: Another chance to learn about you! Show us your favorite hobby by sketching some of the supplies and materials you use.

[Day 29] Wood Grain: Sketch wood grain up close, or sketch the grain from the arm of your favorite chair in your living room. Sketch the wood grain on the door of a hobbit hole. As always, just get creative! :)

[Day 30] Landscape: Air, sea, or land. Flowers, mountains, or trees. Fill your landscape sketch with your favorite type of scenery.

[Day 31] Your Choice! You made it! The last day of the sketching challenge, and today is up to you!