I have a new favourite drawing style – very, very small pencil sketches.
In case you’re reading this on a huge computer screen, that’s an averaged-sized pencil not some kind of super-massive thing.
I’ve been drawing tiny pictures for the last two weeks as part of The 100 Day Project – a yearly, free, global art project that runs for 100 days (no surprises there) and which this year started on April 4th. It’s open to everyone and it’s up to each individual to pick their particular creative project then do that each day and post the results on instagram with #The100DayProject hashtag.
Regular readers will know I love a creative challenge – #ShapeChallenge on Twitter really helped me with my drawing last year, as did my #THISislearning cartoons and #GuessTheFilm, all of which I shared on social media. I’ve done Camp NaNoWriMo in the past too and written everyday. There’s something really motivating about a challenge, I think!
This time, having the choice of any creative project I liked nearly froze me in the start gates, but then I thought if I’m going to do it every day (alongside everything else), it needs to be something I can do reasonably quickly. Drawing things very small works well in this way – each of the sketches takes me between 15 and 45 minutes (which for me is really fast!). I decided to draw ‘big’ things small so I could play with scale and also to try and focus me a little.
I’ve enjoyed the challenge even more than I thought I would, and have found it really beneficial. Drawing small is somehow less outfacing than taking on a large scale project, so I’ve felt able to try a range of different things: animals, buildings, people… pylons… Any drawing I do helps improve my skills; I definitely subscribe to the theory that practice is more important than innate ability.
TL – BR giraffes (on an average-sized paperclip), Jack introducing himself to the giant (having climbed the ladder rather than the beanstalk), pylons, and chocolate cake with BIG emotional significance)
Posting my work on social media has been really beneficial too; throwing my work out there helps with the self-doubt, and I can’t deny the positive feedback has been a real boost – who doesn’t like a bit of insta-love?!
TL – BR elephant, double decker bus (that perspective was so tricky!), me drawing under a tree (well, fantasy me – real me would have small children crawling on my head) and a dragon.
I’ve also really enjoyed scrolling the #The100DayProject hashtag and seeing what other people are getting up to. It’s inspirational and feels like a lovely community too. All in all, it’s been a massively positive experience.
Can I keep it up for 100 days? Follow me on Instagram and check out my #100DaysOfDrawingBigThingsSmall hashtag and we’ll find out…
I have loved seeing these. They are adorable and so much detail you have put in to such a tiny space. The haunted house is my favourite x
Thanks, Susan! The haunted house is one of my favourites too. xx
Maddy recently posted…making miniature art for #The100DayProject
Love them
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Thanks, Suz!
Maddy recently posted…making miniature art for #The100DayProject
I’ve said it before, and will continue saying it, you are one seriously talented lady!! These drawings are so fab, and I love how throwing yourself out there has helped quash those pesky demons of self doubt. Keep up the awesome work xx
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Aww, thanks so much Reneé – can’t wait to see you this weekend! xx
Maddy recently posted…making miniature art for #The100DayProject
I’m loving seeing these on Instagram, they are amazing!
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Thanks Sara, I’ve managed 23 now – need to do no. 24 today… xx
Maddy recently posted…making miniature art for #The100DayProject
These are incredible Maddy! So intricate and you are so talented x
Thanks Dawn, the intricacy is quite fun until I make a mistake and have to erase it and end up rubbing out half the picture! xx
Maddy recently posted…making miniature art for #The100DayProject
Gorgeous drawings. I particularly like the images where you’ve used the real life real sized object in the drawing. There’s something about miniatures that’s always fascinated me – I love doll houses and things like that. And it’s interesting to hear about how changing scale affects your process and the way you feel about your art…. makes me wonder if & how this might apply to writing as well – flash fiction perhaps?
I’m fascinated by miniatures too – something quite ordinary can be captivating on a tiny scale, I think. Interesting thought about flash fiction, I really like writing in that form – short stories too – I’ve written loads. It’s like I can get my head around completing something short whereas I’ve yet to finish writing a novel because they feel too huge and unwieldy. I’ve never seen a connection between writing short and drawing small before, but there may well be a genuine one there! Thanks, Becky! xx
Maddy recently posted…making miniature art for #The100DayProject
I love these! I’m a dragon lady – born in the year of the dragon! – so it’s close, but I think that’s my favourite. What a beautiful collection
Thanks so much, MarJa!
Maddy recently posted…making miniature art for #The100DayProject
I love these Maddy! I particularly like the pylons. I’ve always found pylons rather interesting…