The class project is a 30-day daily drawing challenge. The project has 3 steps: Making a Plan, Doing the Drawings, and Sharing the Work.

DELIVERABLES

By the end of your project, you should have the following shared on your Class Projects page:

A Title, such as 30 Days of [Your Chosen Subject or Media] e.g. "30 Days of Expressive Cutouts", or "30 Days of Hallowe'en"
Your Plan — Share a photo or image of your plan, or type it directly into your Class Project
Your 30 Drawings (captured according to the Sharing instructions below)

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INSTRUCTIONS

01 Make a Plan

Make a 30-day Daily Drawing Plan based on The Power of the Plan lesson. This will include the 5 Key Elements, including:

Purpose — Set bigger a goal that your daily drawing habit can become a part of.
Media — Choose the media you’d like to work with, based on either a Technique or Subject that interests you.
Schedule — Set a sustainable schedule based on a Scale, Frequency and Period that works best for your life. Small and doable is better than impressive but difficult.
Subject — Write 30 prompts based on your subject, or declare your Go-To Inspiration Source.
Sharing — Declare where you plan on sharing, whether that’s on social media or just in your Class Project.

RESOURCES: Find a Class Plan Template, some Starter Kits, and a list of Instagram Alternatives in the Projects & Resources Page.

Write out your plan in a sketchbook, sheet of paper, on your device, or type it into your class project.

If your plan includes trying new materials or techniques, be sure to have these before you start the next step. Have fun shopping or being resourceful with what you have on-hand!

02 Do the Drawings

With your plan as your guide, begin your daily drawings! Here are some suggested steps:

Find a time and place where you can draw uninterrupted for the daily time (quantity based goal) you committed to in the plan.
Determine your day’s Subject based on your Prompt or Go-To Inspiration Source.
Draw until you reach your time or quantity-based goal for the day.
Keep going if you’re enjoying the process, or feel free to call it a day.
Optional: If you want, write directly on the same page or spread any reflections or observations from the day’s session.

03 Share the Work

Capture your drawing as a digital image, make it shine with a few simple enhancements, and share on your Class Project and on social media!

Plan — Determine a consistent way of presenting your sketchbook pages online. Choose a consistent background and, if using a camera, find a reliable, consistent light source such as a window or an bright and evenly-lit room.
Capture — Capture your sketchbook using a Scanner or Camera. Make sure you have enough room around your sketchbook if you will be cropping to a square.
Edit — Adjust Contrast and Saturation as needed — whatever helps make your image pop a bit more than what your camera or scanner could give you.
Share — Post your work on your Class Project and, optionally, wherever else you want to share online.

Be sure to use the hashtag #drawingisimportantclass and tag me at @mrtomfroese so I can find your work in the wild!

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USEFUL LINKS

Buy an Uglybooks Product (Affiliate Link Helps Support the Teacher)

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INSTAGRAM ALTERNATIVES

If Instagram’s ad-driven algorithm and prioritization of video (reels) has got you down, maybe it’s time to consider sharing somewhere else. Here are a few alternatives:

UPDATED IN 2024

Cara — Cara is an image sharing platform for artists, which many hope will replace Instagram. In 2024 it has become a popular option, although only time will tell if it will topple the Goliath of social media.
LinkedIn — Many artists share their work on LinkedIn as a way to broaden their audiences, beyond friends and fans to professionals who might actually hire them for their art!
Vero — Vero is a true Instagram alternative for creatives. It has similar features, including still images, photos and video, but features a chronological feed and the ability to choose who you share with in every post.
Private Facebook Group or Page — If sharing publicly is not your thing, you can start a private group or page on Facebook and invite people you want to include in your journey.
Your Website — If you have a professional website, consider adding your daily sketchbooking practice as a new section. A more fluid and experimental series of images, such as your daily drawings, can complement your more stable main body of work. It can enrich the overall experience of your website, giving a more complete picture of you as an artist.
A Blog — Blogs are still very much a thing. Web platforms like Squarespace or Wix include blogging functionality, or you can start a new one up on a platform like Wordpress.
Medium — Medium is an online publishing (blogging) platform that includes social media functionality and the ability to monetize your posts. The advantage of Medium over a website-based blog is that it has built in ways to make your content more discoverable. I like that it’s free to use and easy to make look good, without getting bogged down by having to design the look and feel yourself.
Substack — Substack is a subscription newsletter platform. It combines the best of all worlds, including blogs, newsletters and social media. Substack lets you publish directly to your audience and get paid through subscriptions.

Robert Atkinson

From Army to Art

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