You see more when you draw #startdrawing

The Rijksmuseum has started a campaign - #startdrawing - to get more people drawing. I hope the art museums in this country give the campaign their endorsement too.

“In our busy lives we don’t always realize how beautiful something can be. We forget how to look really closely. Drawing helps because you see more when you draw. People who want to draw are always welcome in the Rijksmuseum.”

Wim Pijbes, General Director Rijksmuseum

First - something of what happened last month during the #start drawing campaign.

Then some of my sketches done in art galleries and museums!

The Rijksmuseum used a banner to indicate people should stop taking photos and start drawing!

In October - as part of the Big Draw - the Rijksmuseum launched a large-scale campaign called #startdrawing.  The museum building featured a large banner encouraging drawing and ‘banning’ photography.

The aim was to help visitors discover and appreciate the beauty of art and history through drawing – because you see more when you draw and get closer to the artists’ secrets.

It invited people to visit the museum’s galleries to draw and learn how to look at art

You can:

• check out the drawings produced by looking at Instagram and using the #startdrawing tag to search
• get some inspiration from the collection of drawings in the Rijksmuseum - I love looking at these

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The campaign is carrying on after the Big Draw month of October

The museum wants to make it clear that anyone who wants to draw in the Rijksmuseum will always be welcome.

From now on every Saturday will be Drawing Day and visitors will be able to pick up a sketchbook at the Information Desk. During each season throughout the year there will be Drawing Tours and public drawing lessons alongside the regular programme in the Drawing School.

#startdrawing is made possible in part by the Rijkmuseum's main sponsor ING

This is the Rijksmuseum's Facebook Page

For more information about the #startdrawing campaign go to www.rijksmuseum.nl/startdrawing

When was the last time you went drawing in the art galleries and museums you visit?

Here's are three of my very many sketches done in galleries and museums in the last few years. It's certainly been my experience that you see more when you draw!

Viewing Renoir Landscapes at the National Gallery (2007)
pencil and coloured pencils in Moleskine sketchbook

High Watermark at the Mall Galleries (2011)
pen and ink and coloured pencils in Moleskine sketchbook

Judy at the Wallace Collection (2009)
pen and ink