How to Fill a Sketchbook Page (Without Overthinking It)

My perspective course: https://www.proko.com/s/dVrU?af=706140 Sketching from life isn’t about copying what’s in front of you. It’s about noticing things you never would have come up with on your own. In this video I spend the afternoon drawing at the gorilla enclosure at the San Diego Zoo. I start with a few small composition sketches, then slowly build the drawing while talking through what I’m thinking. We get into perspective, deciding where to focus your attention, why mistakes aren’t something to fear, and how a sketch has a way of telling you when it’s finished. One of my favorite parts of drawing outside is that people are constantly surprising you. A pose, a gesture, the way someone leans against a railing. They’re the kinds of things I would never invent sitting at my desk. Those little observations eventually find their way into my work, even when I’m drawing completely from imagination. I hope this inspires you to grab a sketchbook, head outside, and draw whatever is around you. My Materials: Moleskine Sketchbook: https://amzn.to/4n1BJHU Ballpoint Pen: https://amzn.to/4mAiG7G 00:00 Sketching at the Gorilla Enclosure 00:45 Finding the Composition 02:08 Opening Up the Space 03:11 Drawing Without Hesitating 04:21 Knowing When to Stop 05:03 Keeping Things Simple 06:11 Finding Ideas in Everyday People 07:00 Working Through Mistakes 08:24 Adding a Little Humor 09:07 Why Drawing Outside Matters