by @Jinx (Catherine Fitzsimmons)

Well, hi there! Despite the lengthy absence, I am still around, just haven't done much drawing this year between moving, having a baby, and editing my next novel for publication.

But that's neither here nor there. After reading some excellent art reference books recently, I've been inspired to really try to improve my art. So, I decided to start doing some practice sketches to work on those things I'm not so good with.

My main goals are to work on my values and put more life into my lineart. Adding some movement was a key goal for this drawing, so I left the lines and shading loose, though that's also partially to do with my intention to be quick with these drawings. This one took 30-40 minutes total, and I'm hoping I can cut that down as I continue.

Of course, that all depends if I manage to do any more drawings like this. (The advantage is if I can keep up the speed, I can do them during those brief daytime naps.)