Founder and drawing coach at the Scribbles Institute, Rob helps adults and kids learn basic drawing skills for work, school, and enjoyment. He is the author of a number of how-to-draw books.
Paging through decades of drawings quickly unlocks specific memories. The way shadows were cast on a summer afternoon in rural Mexico, or the emotional roller coaster of love and loss in suburban California. Each drawing reveals the history of impassioned urgency to capture the essence of my subjects with quickness of line. Youthful notions of exacting realism give way to experimentation in style and techniques. When making and viewing sketchbooks, the joy is in the details. Continue reading Letting Your Eye Fall in Love→
I think Werner Herzog’s 2010 documentary film, Cave of Forgotten Dreams, answers the question by illuminating the spirit of an ancient drawing hand that may dwell in each of us. Although the emphasis of the film concerns paleontological aspects of cave rock art, I’d like to offer an opinion from the perspective of an avid sketcher. Continue reading Return to Your Cave of Forgotten Dreams→
Imagine yourself playing your favorite sport. Forgetting all limitations, you perform flawlessly and are unstoppable as you tally up point after point. You’re in a state of mind where time is suspended and movement flows without having to think of fundamental skills. This is called being in the Zone, and it’s the state of mind you want to strive for while drawing. Drawing from the Zone can be a peaceful meditation for sketching quick ideas or creating deeply inspired work. Continue reading The Zen of Drawing In the Zone→
The very first thing my students learn is how to hold the pencil on its side while drawing basic lines and shapes. The overhand grip, as it’s called in the art world, is a bit awkward at first. But with practice, it quickly becomes second nature to sketchers. One advantage of the overhand grip is how much easier it is to create sweeping pencil strokes and large shapes. Another advantage is that you gain control and flexibility of your wrist when drawing angled and curved lines. You’ll also see increased sensitivity and control when varying line widths and adding tonal values (shading). And the overhand grip is less fatiguing, allowing for longer, more relaxed drawing sessions. Continue reading Getting Sideways With Your Pencil→
Drawing lessons take on a whole new meaning at the Scribbles Institute. We turn up the music, serve the snacks, and get serious about having fun learning to draw. Shown above, adult and youth students create abstract compositions while listening to different music genres. Please scroll down to view adult and youth Drawing Lab sessions, Draw With Your Kids sessions, classes in Santa Cruz and Monterey county schools, and our free meetups. Continue reading Drawing Lab Students Get Sketchy→
Animal sketching can be a fun challenge. The fun is in quickly capturing a likeness of your subject, and the challenge is in accomplishing your sketch with a minimal amount of lines, before your subject decides to change position.
Happy sketchers, young and old, visited our booth at the 2013 Church Street Fair in Santa Cruz. We offered free lessons as well space for sketchers to unleash their freestyle drawing powers. Many stayed for a couple of hours or returned the next day to draw. The fair is part of the Cabrillo Contemporary Music Festival and attracts a huge Central Coast crowd as well as visitors from around the world. Continue reading SI Currents: Drawing at the Fair & Museum→
WE MADE IT AT LAST! The final days of school are a wonderful time for taking pics and remembering the year’s highlights. The dedicated sketchers shown in the following photos worked with Rob for one or two full years. Whew! Lots of drawing sessions! Photo above is of the exceptionally creative sketching crew at Natural Bridges High School in Santa Cruz.
Special thanks to Sandy Mast, Santa Cruz Office of Education and Gary Vincent, Monterey Office of Education for bringing the Scribbles Institute Drawing Lab to eight Central Coast schools. And thanks to the teachers, staff, and wonderful students for the great moments over the five years I’ve been working with them.
