You might be familiar with the idea of journaling, downward-facing dog or a spot of meditation to start your day, but have you ever considered the grounding effects of drawing? Working with your hands has the unique ability to bring focus away from the (sometimes over-)thinking mind and into the present moment, which can kickstart your day with creative intention and set you off on a journey of contentment.

In this series of inquisitive short exercises with the illustrator Katie Rose Johnston, you will begin each morning participating in guided drawing. You will observe a simple object, and experiment with playful techniques to improve your skills while also using the craft as a tool to be more present within yourself and your surroundings.

Each session will involve a minute-long period of observation, continuous line drawing, drawing with your non-dominant hand, blurry drawing, and drawing without looking at the page. By playing with form, you will begin to ground yourself in the task at hand and find yourself becoming calmer and more focused.

All you will need to participate in this masterclass is a pencil, some paper and a different object each day – something not too ‘interesting’ such as a bowl, a toothbrush or an apple, to avoid the temptation of getting bogged down in detail. So grab your tools and prepare to take inspiration from the everyday.

This course is for …

Beginners and enthusiasts - no ‘talent’ necessary

Course content

Session one: Line - Applying different pressures to the pencil, you will explore the ‘personality’ of the line.
Session two: Shadow - Moving your object to explore new light sources, you will begin to observe shadows as shapes – and moments of opportunity.
Session three: Shape play - Here you will begin creating collages using found and handmade textures from your home.
Session four: Repetition - Arranging your object into different patterns on the page, you will start to understand how to simplify drawings.
Session five: Narrative - You will now build a short-fire narrative for your observational drawing. How does it fit into its space? What surrounds it? What does it say about you? You might even consider exploring colour and text within your image.

Tutor profile

Katie Rose Johnston is a a multi-disciplinary illustrator based in London with an MA in Visual Communication from the Royal College of Art. Using traditional media to tackle subjects both classic and modern, her often playful designs are informed by a characteristic sense of humour and a love of bold colour. Her illustrations and designs have been used across advertising, publication and music by international clients, including Penguin and Universal Music. Alongside her editorial work, Katie teaches a regular programme of workshops exploring watercolour painting, illustration, drawing and mindful mark making. An ethos of play and inclusivity is at the heart of her approach, which is centred on using painting as a means of mental well-being.

Course Details

Date: Monday 17 April – Friday 21 April 2023
Time: 8am – 8.45am BST each day

Catch up recordings will be shared each day and will be available for two weeks.

This masterclass is available globally. If you are joining us from outside the United Kingdom, please use this time zone converter to check your local live streaming time.

8am BST | 9am CEST | 12am PDT | 3am EDT

You will be sent a link to the webinar 24 hours and 30 minutes before the start time. Please email masterclasses@theguardian.com if you do not receive the access link 24 hours before the scheduled start time.

We aim to make all Guardian Masterclasses accessible to all. If you require any adjustments to enable your participation in this course, please get in touch with us at masterclasses@theguardian.com.

This event will be hosted on a third-party live streaming platform Zoom, please refer to their privacy policy and terms and conditions before purchasing a ticket to the class.

Once a purchase is complete we will not be able to refund you where you do not attend or if you cancel your event booking. Please see our terms and conditions for more information on our refund policy.

Drawing week: Introduce more creativity to your life