Week 1

Pick a creative activity you enjoy doing, and do it every day for seven days. Have goal to explore an aspect of the practice during the week.

Creativity Develops Through Regular Practice

As digital and generative tools have become the default, I found myself relying heavily on computer generated imagery and wanted to reconnect with the foundation of pen to paper drawing. I wanted to rediscover the tactile feel, dedicated labor, and raw experimentation of physical mediums.

To rebuild these foundational skills, I completed seven still-life studies from the same reference photo using different mediums. I also set a 10 minute timeframe to complete my drawing to see my improvement in comparing day one to seven. Working across a range of physical mediums forced me to adapt my technical execution for each tool while sharpening my spatial awareness, compositional judgment, and visual translation. Shaking off the dust through this exercise was a great way to re-ground my creative process.

Reference Image

This is an arrangement of household dining table items. A handmade vase, a hair clip, perfume, coasters and novelty chopstick holders in a self made bowl all laid on top of a display dish.

Day 1

PENCIL

Day 1 began with pencil, and my skills were undeniably rusty. Relying on a single HB pencil made building depth challenging, and the 10-minute limit wasn't enough to capture every detail. Still, it established a necessary baseline and left me eager to refine my process on Day 2.

Day 2

FINE LINER

On day 2 I used fine liner pen. I believe the shape and accuracy of the composition were well improved. However, blending and creating smooth shadows proved challenging with ink, resulting in much harsher contrasts between light and dark spaces. Despite that, I felt comfortable using the pen, and adding details like speckles really brought the piece to life, something Day 1 was missing. Overall, a solid improvement that has me looking forward to Day 3.

Day 3

FELT PENS

For day 3, I used felt pens. Introducing colour added high energy, but controlling the bold felt pens made precise line work difficult. Fine details like speckles came across as punchy and vivid, though smooth shading was nearly impossible with the saturated ink. I started using stippling techniques and other ways to soften shading. Overall, a fun exercise in colour application that pushed me out of my comfort zone.

Day 4

COLOURED PENCILS

On day 4, I used coloured pencils. Coloured pencils allowed for much softer transitions and better control over colour layering compared to yesterday's felt pens. Building depth took more patience and firm pressure, but the textured result captured subtle shadows and form well. A balanced attempt that felt much more controlled than previous days colour wise, however the spatial composition is inaccurate.

Day 5

COLOURED CRAYON

For day 5, I used a singular coloured crayon. The broad, waxy texture of the crayon forced me to simplify and focus purely on overall form rather than fine details. While it was challenging to define crisp edges or intricate patterns, the monochromatic palette created a rich, expressive warmth. It was a great lesson in letting go of perfectionism.

Day 6

BALL POINT PEN

I used a ball point pen for day 6. Returning to ink with a ballpoint pen offered fantastic control over subtle cross hatching and pressure sensitivity. Unlike the fineliner, I could build up gradient values from soft grey to deep darks without harsh jumps. A rewarding final piece that pulled together the shading, composition, and detail practice from the entire week. This was the most detailed drawing.

Day 7

WATER COLOUR

Applying watercolour directly over the Day 2 pen sketch was an experiment to solve the blending and shading challenges I faced with drier mediums. However, controlling fluid pigments W difficult without crisp pen stencils to anchor the edges, the paint quickly bled, making it hard to maintain distinct forms. While it allowed for rich color washes, it was easily the most unpredictable medium of the week.

Review

Returning to paper was a fun, refreshing way to step away from digital tools and reconnect with the creative process. Experimenting with six distinct mediums highlighted how differently each material reacts to paper, requiring completely unique techniques, line work, and pressure to build form. From the sharp contrast of fineliners to the expressive texture of crayons, each study presented its own set of challenges and rewards. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this exercise. It was a fantastic, hands-on way to shake off the dust, sharpen my spatial awareness, and fall back in love with the basics.

Our journey continues

We invite you to explore the work from other weeks to see the full scope of our progress. Each week builds upon the last, contributing to the broader narrative of Marys-Design-Portfolio. We hope you enjoy seeing our journey unfold.