This was one of those drawings that got away from me. I sat down to sketch out an idea, fully intending it to be nothing more than a rough sketch, as it was already too late. Then I got in the zone and just kept going, but that nagging, responsible voice telling me to go to bed and get some sleep never left.

This created a weird mix of pressure--to push the picture and try things I normally wouldn't and had just learned, and to push myself to press on and not tweak and retweak sections so I could go to bed.

The end result is something I'm pretty happy with. There are some spots I'd like to clean up (she could be more kinetic, I think I could push her into a more forceful and dynamic pose), but for something I cranked out in just over an hour--that's with some Google Image search time--I like it.

For the record, the techniques I tried on this I learned in this Udemy.com course by Sycra Yasin. Most of what he showed in the lesson I already knew how to do, but I didn't know how they could be used for art. I'm not sure I'll adopt his workflow for everything, but it was definitely fun to experiment with. If you're into art at all, you should definitely check out Sycra's youtube page. He's a phenomenal teacher and a super talented artist.

If you follow me on social media you might have seen an uptick in my sketch posting. That’s because I’ve been participating in Sketch Dailies, a relatively new Twitter account that sends out fresh drawing topics every Monday through Friday. I’ve only done a handful and I’m already hooked.

If you’re at all interested in art, I recommend following Sketch Dailies. It’s a blast of amazing artwork to your Twitter feed every day, all covering the same subject. Seeing how people tackle the same topic with different styles and techniques is inspiring. If you use a third party Twitter client, you can set up a column with the hashtag #Sketch_Dailies and see, not just the art the official account retweets, but all the art people post with that hashtag.

In the past week I’ve discovered a ton of super talented people, learned a few digital art tricks, and pushed myself to draw faster, putting the emphasis on feeling and instinct over thinking and planning (that’s a good thing, I’m usually happier with my art when I don’t over think it).

You don’t need to be a master artist to participate. That’s part of the fun actually. It’s the same reason why I like running half-marathons. What other sport lets you participate in the same event, at the same time, as a professional? I might not ever be at that level, but it’s fun knowing we’re doing the same thing, all in it together.

All you need to do is follow Sketch_Dailies on Twitter and wait for the daily topic. Draw your picture then post it to Twitter, Instagram or Facebook with the hashtag #Sketch_Dailies. That’s it! You’re now posting pics alongside Pixar artists, comic book legends, and self-taught goofs like me.

Here's a quick gallery of the Sketch Dailies pics I've posted so far, the topic should appear in the caption.