Title: #1
Medium: Acrylic and ink
Type: Mixed Media Paper
Size: 8.5X7
Artist: Aikoi Sugoi
You may be wondering why I named my newest drawing ‘number 1’. It’s not because it’s my favorite drawing or that the number has some significance to an element in the drawing itself. No, the reason I named it number 1 is because it is the first in a series of 100 mini drawings that I hope to create as a personal challenge.
Here’s the story – before completing this drawing, I was working on another one that I eventually abandoned. The size was 14×17 and I was burned out before I finished it. Part of the problem was that I didn’t like it (old news, right?) and I’m less likely to stick out a piece if I don’t like it. Another problem was time.
As stated many times before, I have very limited time to do any artwork. Sometimes I don’t have time at all to do any art (such as today). So when I work on large drawings like a 14×17 it can stretch on for weeks, which is demoralizing. I find myself eager to start the next one when I’m only half one done with my current one. Also, I feel like when much of my time is taken up by weeks of slow painting sessions with my larger paintings, I miss out on valuable drawing AND painting lessons overall.
Smaller drawings allow me to finish quicker and apply learned techniques and ideas sooner to new pieces, whereas larger paintings just drag on, keeping me stuck in the same spot. With this is mind, I decided that going smaller is probably my best option for now. With smaller drawings I can get more practice and see the results of my efforts much sooner. And if I don’t like a drawing I can trash it before sinking too much time into it.
As for supplies I decided to just use what I have. For example, I took a sheet of my 14×17 Canson mixed media paper and folded it into four even squares before tearing it into separate pieces. Each sheet measures at 8 ½ x 7. Not as small as I would like but small enough. And since I have two pads of 14×17 paper I won’t run out anytime soon.
I also decided on the number 100 because I read some advice about how artists should get their first 100 pieces done before something something (I forgot the rest). Obviously I have done quite a few drawings since starting my art journey, but I didn’t feel like cataloging them all and sweating over which ones I did first and in what order and so on. Starting at the number one just feels easier. The same is true for naming the drawings. Naming them by number will make it easier to remember their order as I progress.
Ultimately I hope I will stick to the challenge. It feels like like it will be incredibly valuable project in my journey and will lead me in directions I can’t possibly imagine.
One down. 99 to go!
Materials Used
*Mechanical pencil
*Uni Ball Fineliners
*Craft Smart acrylic paint
*Canson Mixed Media Paper (8.5X7)
Leave a Reply