Tips and Tricks: Drawing Out in the Cold

Some of you may draw outside because you know that drawing from life is a great way to hone your observation skills. Others may sketch while waiting for the bus, waiting for your smoke break to be over, or waiting for the landlord to let you back in. That's no problem if you live in San Diego, but what about those of us in the frigid northern climates? Do we have to forego drawing just because the mercury dips below freezing?
For those of you who refuse to let Nature constrain your drawing habits, we present ...




Why Draw in the Cold?
     - Your camera's frozen.
     - Bare trees mean more to see!
     - Outdoor models tend to move much slower in the cold.
     - An hour outside will make your apartment feel very very warm.
     - Drawing while sitting in your car makes you look creepy.




How to Draw in the Cold?
     - No metal rulers!
     - Wear sunglasses. Glare from the snow can kill.
     - Learn to switch hands.
     - Wear thin polypro liners under wool glove with the fingers cut out. Glue on rubber tips to help grip the pen.
     - Materials: graphite is best. Rapidograph or ball point pen should work if the ink keeps flowing. Brush is risky.
     - Using a tiny little sketchbook will force you to contain your body parts, thereby conserving heat. Conversely, using a huge pad will force you to move around, thereby creating heat.
     - Spread petroleum jelly on your cheeks and nose in high wind conditions.
     - Don't mix up your thermos of cocoa with your thermos of ink water!




What to Draw in the Cold?
     - Snow leopards.
     - Frozen tears.
     - Victorian families enjoying Christmas dinner.
     - The Majestic Snow Plow.
     - Lovers skating, falling through ice.
     - Aurora Borealis.
     - Yetis, or possibly people dressed as yetis.