After a almost 2 weeks, design a day is back on track! We had a great time in the UK and I feel like I should say that it was good to come back but…

Today’s sketch is like some sort of ancient ritualistic creature. I’ve included both the normal and inverted versions of the sketch because there is such a stark contrast between the two. The first feels hopeful and almost playful; the second feels sinister or like a bad omen. It’s amazing what color (or lack thereof) can do.

We’re officially on our way to the UK which means loads of free time waiting in airports. I have a scanner app on my iPhone, so the quality isn’t great but because the drawing scanned in with very high contrast, it provides an interesting deviation. Overall, this cat chicken elf dog creature looks much more menacing on screen than it does in my sketchbook.

There’s a family of ghost-monster-animals in town and they aren’t going anywhere.

*Artists Note: I liked the extra texture the spirals from my notebook gave the layout, so I left them there.

My eye has been twitching all day, so I decided a large eyeball clown would be appropriate. His name is Wonky.

Rainy days are boring; liven them up with an overactive imagination. Gumby’s wooden cousin is on fire.

I can’t say that I’ve ever really enjoyed drawing, but after only four days things are changing.

We went to see Alice in Wonderland last weekend, and whether it’s the stripes or the extra limbs, there’s something in this drawing that fits.

The wood trend continues with the wood fly. She’s best friends with the shopping stick.

I’ve got a brand new sketchpad and a set of Micron pens so I think it’s official. I’m hoping to stay on a sketching kick even after March is over and fill the sketchpad by the end of the year.

And, since my mind is filled with much more exciting things than living room chairs, I’ve decided that I’m going to draw things from there instead.

The month of March (or at least parts of it) will be dedicated to sketches. And before we get too far into this, let me set something straight; I’m no illustrator and not even that great with drawings. Alas, I’ll make no apologies.

There is a funky, semi-distorted style to most everything I draw and while in Kansas, I had an excellent Drawing II teacher who taught me how to turn my weird style into a strength. I’m looking to get that back.

Sketching is probably the most difficult (and makes me feel the most vulnerable) of  all the challenges I’m assigning myself this year. The purpose of this month’s challenge is to get me back to the basics. It’s an important aspect of design that most designers tend to neglect including me. Hopefully there will be a dramatic improvement by March 31.

Unfortunately, March will be a short month because it took a week longer to finish the alphabet than intended, and during the last week of March I’ll be in the UK *hooray!* so I’ll probably be posting a photo a day in lieu of a sketch.

With that long-winded explanation, today’s sketch is one of our living room chairs.

Just a few days late, here’s the February Roundup. It’s been very exciting to look back and see the progression of this alphabet. It’s exciting to have it completed, and it’s exciting to announce the March challenge. Sketches!