Loved this session with Suhita's group, where we were exploring sketching people in front of a background, and how to separate the two while keeping a sense that they are in the same environment. There were a number of images to choose from. I probably picked the easiest one!
I was tired, and this view was so ambitious for half an hour, but we all did it. I ignored the top of the Cologne cathedral - there was enough to be doing with the people, doors, windows and arches! I would probably tackle this differently if I was there in person, but then again maybe I would be so overwhelmed that I would walk away!!
High-rises are hard to sketch! Starting with a watercolour wash was a good strategy, as I didn't have to worry too much about accuracy. And inktense pencils applied when the paper was still a bit damp gave a nice softness to my lines. I overworked the trees a bit, but I enjoyed the time sketching with Suhita and friends!
A wonderful session on Zoom with Suhita Shirodkar and her Substack followers. We sketched cherry blossoms, each in our own way. Looking forward to our cherry blossoms in Ireland very soon so I can sketch them for real.
Phew. That was quite the fast race today. 40 people in 40 minutes! And musical instruments and sports equipment too. I very quickly abandoned the idea of working in two layers. And rather than work with the tool I know best, the Sailor Fude pen, I worked with a marker that has a brush pen at one end and a very fine tip at the other. Actually, it's made by Sailor too, but a completely different feel.
The cyclist is my favourite of the lot. Very hard for me to decide which elements are essential to sketch fast. As an autistic person, I see every detail. I don't see the big picture. I was knackered after this session! It was a lot to process!
We had drawn these same people two years ago with Suhita, well 30 of them anyway. It was interesting to go back to my blog and find them!
Day 4 of #OneWeek100People was intense. I stayed up until 11pm to sketch with Suhita and Nina, from photos by Ukrainian artist Alexandra Bolotina. My bedtime is normally 10pm. I might read until 10:30, but that's my absolute latest. Still, the energy that Nina and Suhita brought to this session kept me going. I am not used to drawing children, and there were three in this set. They're a bit scary, in my version anyway.
I worked in a mix of graphite pencil, Ecoline markers, highlighters and Arrtx acrylic markers. I abandoned my Sailor fude after the first sketch.
People queuing this time. And the camera was very low for one of those shots. The hardest part for me was the high heels!
Thank you Suhita for organising these sessions, and Liz Steel and Marc Taro Holmes for #OneWeek100People (9-13 March 2026)
After a wobbly start, I got into it. So glad Suhita has set up these free half-hour sessions!
Always love these monthly online session with Suhita Shirodkar. They always energise me. It's not a taught session. It's simply sketching together as a group, from the one photo, all our energies combining.
Worked with Ecoline markers (yellow, magenta, turquoise, and orange), drew on top, added some pencil, then tried to retrieve some lights (failed at that, but I like the overall view).
I guess the proper word is probably a fleet, but mine look more like a riot. I enjoyed drawing this with Suhita's Substack group. I wasn't at my best, but I'm glad I turned up. How do you tackle busy scenes where it's hard to make sense of anything?
I pushed my Seawhite of Brighton cartridge paper to the edge, working with Stabilo Woody, watercolour, watercolour pencils, acrylic markers (they sank right through) and some oil pastel.
Starting with mark-making with a variety of tools. Then building a picture, and feeling that mark-making making its way into my brain as I keep going. I probably could have used more darks to give more depth, but I was enjoying my bright colours too much.
I absolutely love these monthly session with Suhita Shirodkar. She picks a subject, sends us a photo or two and for half an hour, we sketch together, sometimes chatting, sometimes in silence. That half hour is the perfect sweet spot for me. I don't feel rushed. I know I will have time to sketch everything that I want. But also I won't overwork. I love it at the end, where we each get to share what we did and the choices we made. Suhita's substack community is well worth subscribing to.
I wasn't going to join this session, as I was feeling tired, but I'm so glad I attended. I felt energised by it. Sketching online with a small group of people is perfect for me. I really like the format of these sessions organised by Suhita Shirodkar - it always gives me freedom to explore tools and techniques. And I would never be at a beach where there are so many people in real life. Living in Dublin, I avoid the seafront on sunny days, knowing that the traffic will be hell, it will be too noisy. I much prefer our beaches in the winter, with noone around.
Drawing in pencil does not come naturally to me. I much prefer to do big washes with watercolour. But when the brief was to draw, I took it literally of course. I'm happy I did. Graphite is not so scary after all.
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I never get to sketch magnolias in real life. They come and go so quickly. Plus, it's still bloody freezing here in mid-March. Always feel sorry for the Texas majorettes at the St Patrick's day parade here in Dublin!
But Suhita had lovely photos for us to work from during one of her monthly sessions. Like everyone else in the group, I feel I'm getting bolder with my materials. Tempera sticks and Stabilo Woodies. Can't go wrong with these!
Plus I'm still exploring working to the edge of the page, as part of Liz Steel's Patreon group.
This online session was on the 11th of October, but you know I'm always behind in posting, so I'm not very seasonal. Most people are thinking about Christmas already. Anyways, This was great fun. The photo I worked from was basically this orgy of pumpkins of all shapes and sizes and colours. I worked on an orange ink background (I had only partially covered my page). I drew and coloured with pencils and Neocolor, then added black ink with a Kakimori nib. It was all very enjoyable. And I don't care that I have very little structure. That's how I see the world.
Playing with this scene from Seattle with Suhita's online group. We'll be looking at the same scene again in a week's time, so it will be interesting to see what comes up then! I know I need to make stronger darks. It just doesn't come naturally to me!
This sketch was done from photos and a video that Suhita Shirodkar shared with her Substack subscribers. We all work from the same set of images, and it's always fascinating to see how we figure out how to approach the same subject in so many different ways. All in the space of half an hour!
I just picked one blue and one orange colour pencil. And added a little bit of watercolour for the coffee-making instruments.
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