Rewind: A checklist for reportage drawing

In my Zoom presentations for paid subscribers I share the process of reporting, drawing and writing my Seattle Sketcher newspaper column.

Dear On the Spot supporter,

Yesterday’s “Third Thursday” Zoom presentation kickstarted a new offering for paid subscribers and founding members of On the Spot.

I was thrilled that more than 30 supporters took the time out of their day to join me. If you were one of them, thank you! If you couldn’t make it this time, continue reading to get a link to the presentation below, and mark your calendar for the next Reportage Talk on March 16, at 11 a.m. PST.

The theme of my presentation was how to prepare to report a story.

Going out to sketch doesn’t take intensive planning. You gather your tools and head out the door. Going out to report and sketch a good story is a bit more complicated. Preparation helps.

I went over things to keep in mind as you decide what to draw and when. What will the end-result format of your story be? A blog post on your website? An article to be printed in a magazine? How many sketches do you expect to need to tell the whole story? How many words? Should you contact potential subjects beforehand or will you show up somewhere unannounced?