It’s back to school season - and the perfect time to book this term’s best activities. We’re delighted to see the return of Creation Home Delivery, a programme of live online drama classes for ages 5 - 16.
This year the ever-inventive Creation team have joined forces with Oxford-based illustrator Lucy Jollow, adding Jollow’s lively, playful and imaginative style to a series of booklets for the Sprites and Spritelings taking part. They feature puzzles, riddles and creative challenges inspired by the classic stories explored in the live sessions.
In our latest guest blog Lucy shares her top three tips on drawing from your imagination:
I believe drawing from your imagination is at the heart of illustration, and a useful skill for anyone from toddler to pensioner. It’s a key part of how we communicate our ideas to each other - and isn’t just about what you might think of as ‘art’ or ‘storytelling’.
Maybe you’re trying to invent a radical new kind of car, or explain your vision for a wildlife area at school? Perhaps you want to picture your ultimate party outfit - or imagine yourself dancing on stage in your favourite musical? Drawing from your imagination helps to develop ideas, share them with others, and express your unique vision.
Here are my top three tips for drawing from your imagination:
Embrace daydreaming! Before you pick up a pencil, set your brain the lovely, juicy task of picturing the thing you want to draw. Sometimes it helps to move about, if you’ve been sitting for a while - or change your surroundings. Try going outside for a bit if you’ve been cooped up indoors, or looking out the window if you’ve been staring at a screen or a blank page. Let your brain make connections and come up with suggestions.
Try lots of quick scribbles. Don’t focus on trying to do one ‘perfect’ drawing - get some scrap paper and do lots of speedy scribbles for all the random ideas floating around in your head. Give yourself permission to do really ‘bad’ drawings - remember that these are ‘development sketches’ and don’t need to be pleasing to anyone. Have fun with them! You can exaggerate things and be really silly, or let your characters ‘try on’ lots of different outfits and hairstyles. Doing this helps you to try out lots of ideas without getting stuck on the first thing that comes to mind, and encourages freedom and play in your drawing.
Act it out. If it’s a story, I find it helpful to act out the moment I’m trying to portray. Move around - ask yourself questions like how does this character walk? Or what are they doing with their hands? Try to feel a bit of what they’re feeling and ask yourself what effect that has on your face or movement - for example, for a moment when a character feels angry I might notice I want to fold my arms and my mouth becomes tight! This is really helpful for non-human characters too - try being a sleepy dragon, a grumpy flower fairy, or a nervous chicken on roller skates trying to escape a skateboarding fox…
There are plenty of online tips for drawing particular things - favourite characters, real life people and objects, special effects. But only you know what’s in your imagination - it’s your unique vision. Enjoy seeing your ideas come to life, and have fun with the process!
Creation Home Delivery: Online Drama Classes for ages 5-16. Membership includes two story themed activity booklets illustrated by Lucy Jollow.
Autumn term starts w/c 19 September. Special price of £71 for bookings received in advance of the start of term.
Images: A Welcome From Our Sprites & Spritelings illustration by Lucy Jollow, Lucy Jollow