Great post - really like your drawings! I joined a similar club at my last school- the Sketchbook Circle. Each week a different theme that you could illustrate however you wished and then the book would get passed onto someone else with the end goal that you’d get your original one back with other people’s work, too. It was fun - though I often found myself doing my ‘homework’ the night before it was due! I think you should include a sketch in your letters - that would be a great addition!
Thank you very much, Bryan! Nothing like 'crunch time' the night before to keep you sharp. At least that's what I used to tell myself in high school...haha.
I think I just might give it a shot and now need to decide between something ongoing (like a comic strip) or something that coincides with the article I'm writing. Hmmmm. I do appreciate the feedback!
It sounds like we had similar passions. For many years, I pursued art and found a great community on Instagram. I wanted to be a cartoonist or comic artist. I did pretty well, but it never really connected. It was also around the time that Instagram was really tanking in terms of it's direction and support of non-video content. Alas, here I am on Substack and loving writing 😁 I second the notion about adding some sketches to your posts. If you enjoy it, I say go for it!
From what I've seen (especially during this "Inktober") is that Instagram has a pretty thriving art community and has probably improved since your first foray. Of course, there's nothing wrong with just sticking to writing as you seem to excel there, as well! Thanks, and I will probably give adding a doodle or two and see how it turns out :)
Oh yeah, Inktober generates close to a million or more posts throughout October. It's a massive, thriving community, which I enjoyed. I have friends that I still talk to and followed me to Substack. A great group of people.
Wow, Mark, I'm impressed! Maybe you could do a simple sketch for each newsletter like Robert Reich does. It might just revive those cartoonist ambitions!
Thank you! You know, that's not a bad idea, but then I could see myself trying to get things "perfect" and it taking longer to draw the picture than write the newletter....lol
Seriously, though, I might give that a try in the future. Thanks!
Loved your drawings, Mark! Even before COVID, I tried fiddling around with those new "adult coloring books," and bought the attendant passel o' colored pencils. I found it amazing how many mazes/squiggly lines-type books there were (not a fan), and how few books focused on my preferred landscape/houses-type themes!
Only managed to finish one or two pages, as it happens; I already knew I couldn't draw, but wanted to see if this new coloring fad was worth sticking with or not. A "no" from me! Best stick to writing!💻
Thanks, Brad! My wife tried a few of those adult coloring books thinking it might help her relax, but I think it just wound up frustrating her more, lol. I do find it sort of amazing that it did catch on, though. Nostalgia is a powerful thing, it seems!
Well, I did make ONE discovery, now that I recall....I went through so many peach and flesh-colored pencils, it suddenly dawned on me, that when purchasing "adult coloring books," best to stick to well-known retailers, and avoid small, dark shops where people park in the back. As Bugs Bunny would say, "Live and loin."🐰
Hey Mark, great drawings! You must be reading my mind. This weekend, I'm going to post something about my artistic talents and my journey to where I ended up.
You said you were interested in cartooning. An idea might be to create a cartoon series you could post here. Of course, finding the time to do it might be an issue. Just my 2 cents.
Thanks for sharing Mark! You did well! When I think of drawing, I hear Captain Kirk’s ramble of boldly going where no man has gone before! Probably because I can’t draw a circle ⭕️ and make the ends meet. (Thank goodness for protractors lol)
Some of us must express ourselves differently- therefore I Bake. Haha. Drawing is definitely a talent. 😉
Great post - really like your drawings! I joined a similar club at my last school- the Sketchbook Circle. Each week a different theme that you could illustrate however you wished and then the book would get passed onto someone else with the end goal that you’d get your original one back with other people’s work, too. It was fun - though I often found myself doing my ‘homework’ the night before it was due! I think you should include a sketch in your letters - that would be a great addition!
Thank you very much, Bryan! Nothing like 'crunch time' the night before to keep you sharp. At least that's what I used to tell myself in high school...haha.
I think I just might give it a shot and now need to decide between something ongoing (like a comic strip) or something that coincides with the article I'm writing. Hmmmm. I do appreciate the feedback!
Well, for what it's worth ... comic strip sounds great. Perhaps even a single panel one?
I think I'll give it a shot, thanks Bryan :)
It sounds like we had similar passions. For many years, I pursued art and found a great community on Instagram. I wanted to be a cartoonist or comic artist. I did pretty well, but it never really connected. It was also around the time that Instagram was really tanking in terms of it's direction and support of non-video content. Alas, here I am on Substack and loving writing 😁 I second the notion about adding some sketches to your posts. If you enjoy it, I say go for it!
From what I've seen (especially during this "Inktober") is that Instagram has a pretty thriving art community and has probably improved since your first foray. Of course, there's nothing wrong with just sticking to writing as you seem to excel there, as well! Thanks, and I will probably give adding a doodle or two and see how it turns out :)
Oh yeah, Inktober generates close to a million or more posts throughout October. It's a massive, thriving community, which I enjoyed. I have friends that I still talk to and followed me to Substack. A great group of people.
Wow, Mark, I'm impressed! Maybe you could do a simple sketch for each newsletter like Robert Reich does. It might just revive those cartoonist ambitions!
Thank you! You know, that's not a bad idea, but then I could see myself trying to get things "perfect" and it taking longer to draw the picture than write the newletter....lol
Seriously, though, I might give that a try in the future. Thanks!
Ooooo--this plays right into some ideas I’ve been tossing around that will show up in Midweek Musings tomorrow. Stay tuned...
Looking forward to reading it! :)
Loved your drawings, Mark! Even before COVID, I tried fiddling around with those new "adult coloring books," and bought the attendant passel o' colored pencils. I found it amazing how many mazes/squiggly lines-type books there were (not a fan), and how few books focused on my preferred landscape/houses-type themes!
Only managed to finish one or two pages, as it happens; I already knew I couldn't draw, but wanted to see if this new coloring fad was worth sticking with or not. A "no" from me! Best stick to writing!💻
Thanks, Brad! My wife tried a few of those adult coloring books thinking it might help her relax, but I think it just wound up frustrating her more, lol. I do find it sort of amazing that it did catch on, though. Nostalgia is a powerful thing, it seems!
Well, I did make ONE discovery, now that I recall....I went through so many peach and flesh-colored pencils, it suddenly dawned on me, that when purchasing "adult coloring books," best to stick to well-known retailers, and avoid small, dark shops where people park in the back. As Bugs Bunny would say, "Live and loin."🐰
Haha, well better to have learned something I guess :D
Love that seagull one.
Thank you, Kris! :)
Hey Mark, great drawings! You must be reading my mind. This weekend, I'm going to post something about my artistic talents and my journey to where I ended up.
You said you were interested in cartooning. An idea might be to create a cartoon series you could post here. Of course, finding the time to do it might be an issue. Just my 2 cents.
Thanks, Matthew!
Oh, that sounds very cool. I'll be on the look out for that one.
Ms. Writer had an idea along those lines, as well. Great minds, I guess :) I might just give it a shot and see what becomes of it.
Thank you!
Thanks for sharing Mark! You did well! When I think of drawing, I hear Captain Kirk’s ramble of boldly going where no man has gone before! Probably because I can’t draw a circle ⭕️ and make the ends meet. (Thank goodness for protractors lol)
Some of us must express ourselves differently- therefore I Bake. Haha. Drawing is definitely a talent. 😉
haha, thank you Catherine! Baking would be a dangerous outlet for me...well, at least for my waistline :)