Sketchbook Club | National Gallery of Art

Animations:

Visit
Open today 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Admission is always free

6th and Constitution Ave NW
Washington, DC 20565

Sculpture Garden Extended Hours

Open late until 8:00 p.m. on select nights
Through September 5
Exhibitions & Events
America’s 250th

Celebrating American art and artists
Art & Artists
Open Call

Artists Reimagining the Collection
Meet the 50 makers selected from more than 1,600 submissions

Open 10:00–5:00

Visit
Open today 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Admission is always free

6th and Constitution Ave NW
Washington, DC 20565

Sculpture Garden Extended Hours

Open late until 8:00 p.m. on select nights
Through September 5
Exhibitions & Events
America’s 250th

Celebrating American art and artists
Art & Artists
Open Call

Artists Reimagining the Collection
Meet the 50 makers selected from more than 1,600 submissions

Calling all kids: all you need to join this club is a pencil and paper! Artists help guide you in these fun, 30-minute drawing sessions inspired by our collection. Add a new drawing to your sketchbook or just doodle along as we explore a different prompt each session.

We encourage you to bring colored pencils, crayons, markers, or paints, but these are totally optional. Sketchbook Club is recommended for families with children of all ages.

The image shows a window with a sheer, ruffled curtain draped over it and a partially pulled-down blind. The color palette consists of varying shades of gray and off-white. The curtain is on the left side of the window, cascading downwards, while the blind is on the right side, covering half of the window. — Tuesday, September 8

The image shows a window with a sheer, ruffled curtain draped over it and a partially pulled-down blind. The color palette consists of varying shades of gray and off-white. The curtain is on the left side of the window, cascading downwards, while the blind is on the right side, covering half of the window. — Wednesday, September 9

The sculpture consists of ten yellow rectangular panels arranged in a slightly curved line, each supported by a thin black metal stand with a square base. The panels display segments of an orange-yellow surface with visible weathering, scratches, black horizontal lines, and some gray arches. The panels feature bold, capitalized text, which is fragmented across the panels, but put together it reads "TRANSPORTE ESCOLAR PACHECO PORTCOLAR PACHECO." One of the central letters has "CAPACIDAD 20 PASAJEROS" in small red letters. The entire sculpture stands on a wooden floor with a white backdrop. — Tuesday, September 22

The sculpture consists of ten yellow rectangular panels arranged in a slightly curved line, each supported by a thin black metal stand with a square base. The panels display segments of an orange-yellow surface with visible weathering, scratches, black horizontal lines, and some gray arches. The panels feature bold, capitalized text, which is fragmented across the panels, but put together it reads "TRANSPORTE ESCOLAR PACHECO PORTCOLAR PACHECO." One of the central letters has "CAPACIDAD 20 PASAJEROS" in small red letters. The entire sculpture stands on a wooden floor with a white backdrop. — Wednesday, September 23

The image shows a man from the knees up, standing in a relaxed position. He has a bald head and is wearing round glasses. His look is neutral with no visible eyebrows, and he has a slightly curved nose. He is dressed in a plain sweater with rolled-up sleeves. His left hand holds a small object. The background consists of a wall filled with various artworks of different sizes and styles. To his left is a table cluttered with art supplies. — Tuesday, October 13

The image shows a man from the knees up, standing in a relaxed position. He has a bald head and is wearing round glasses. His look is neutral with no visible eyebrows, and he has a slightly curved nose. He is dressed in a plain sweater with rolled-up sleeves. His left hand holds a small object. The background consists of a wall filled with various artworks of different sizes and styles. To his left is a table cluttered with art supplies. — Wednesday, October 14

A woman with pale skin and dressed in white sits on a couch gazing into the distance to our left as she raises one arm to stroke a black cat perched on her shoulder in this vertical portrait. Shown from the lap up, the woman’s dress has voluminous, puffed, elbow-length sleeves and a high collar, and her narrow waist is cinched with a white sash. Her dark brown hair is parted down the middle and tied back, and she has pale blue eyes and pink lips. She reaches up to the cat with her left hand, on our right, and her other hand, farther from us, rests flat in her lap. The black cat looks at us with greenish-yellow eyes as it almost disappears into the dark brown background above the white couch, which is decorated with a blue pattern. The artist signed the work with dark letters in the lower left corner: “Cecilia Beaux.” — Tuesday, October 27

A woman with pale skin and dressed in white sits on a couch gazing into the distance to our left as she raises one arm to stroke a black cat perched on her shoulder in this vertical portrait. Shown from the lap up, the woman’s dress has voluminous, puffed, elbow-length sleeves and a high collar, and her narrow waist is cinched with a white sash. Her dark brown hair is parted down the middle and tied back, and she has pale blue eyes and pink lips. She reaches up to the cat with her left hand, on our right, and her other hand, farther from us, rests flat in her lap. The black cat looks at us with greenish-yellow eyes as it almost disappears into the dark brown background above the white couch, which is decorated with a blue pattern. The artist signed the work with dark letters in the lower left corner: “Cecilia Beaux.” — Wednesday, October 28

A profusion of flowers mostly in ruby red, bright white, and flamingo pink are gathered in a bronze-colored urn, set on a stone ledge against a dark background in this vertical still life painting. A band of flowers reaching from the lower left to the upper right draw the eye, and are made up of a pink rose at the bottom under a white rose, a white-and-red streaked tulip, and a crimson-red poppy near the upper right. Other flowers include a sprig of pale, nearly white lilac to the left, sapphire-blue morning glories, golden stalks of wheat, and green leaves interspersed throughout. The urn has a fluted, flaring foot. Upon closer inspection we find that the foot must belong to a much larger vessel, for a terracotta-colored person reclining next to a stylized fish emerges from behind the flowers at the upper left. An ivory-white butterfly with an orange spot on each wing alights on the tulip, whose petals are spread wide. A snail with a marmalade-orange shell with a thin, shiny, black spiral crawls along the ledge to our right, and on the stone ledge to our left, an earwig eats a honey-yellow caterpillar. The flowers and insects are brightly lit from our left, and the chocolate-brown background is swallowed in shadow. A partially legible inscription in the lower right reads, “Kouwe be h.” — Tuesday, November 3

A profusion of flowers mostly in ruby red, bright white, and flamingo pink are gathered in a bronze-colored urn, set on a stone ledge against a dark background in this vertical still life painting. A band of flowers reaching from the lower left to the upper right draw the eye, and are made up of a pink rose at the bottom under a white rose, a white-and-red streaked tulip, and a crimson-red poppy near the upper right. Other flowers include a sprig of pale, nearly white lilac to the left, sapphire-blue morning glories, golden stalks of wheat, and green leaves interspersed throughout. The urn has a fluted, flaring foot. Upon closer inspection we find that the foot must belong to a much larger vessel, for a terracotta-colored person reclining next to a stylized fish emerges from behind the flowers at the upper left. An ivory-white butterfly with an orange spot on each wing alights on the tulip, whose petals are spread wide. A snail with a marmalade-orange shell with a thin, shiny, black spiral crawls along the ledge to our right, and on the stone ledge to our left, an earwig eats a honey-yellow caterpillar. The flowers and insects are brightly lit from our left, and the chocolate-brown background is swallowed in shadow. A partially legible inscription in the lower right reads, “Kouwe be h.” — Wednesday, November 4

The image shows a complex geometric shape made of triangles at the center. The shape resembles a three-dimensional star or diamond, with facets casting shadows and light. Surrounding the shape are irregular pebble-like objects, resembling stones or coral fragments. Each object has unique textures and curves. — Tuesday, November 17

The image shows a complex geometric shape made of triangles at the center. The shape resembles a three-dimensional star or diamond, with facets casting shadows and light. Surrounding the shape are irregular pebble-like objects, resembling stones or coral fragments. Each object has unique textures and curves. — Wednesday, November 18

Tuesday, December 1

Wednesday, December 2

This painting consists of intersecting lines and geometric shapes, creating a complex grid-like structure that forms an abstract composition. Rectangles, triangles, circles are prominent. Some parts of the image hint at familiar forms such as houses or fish, though they are not explicitly depicted. The color palette features shades of pale reds, yellows, and blues, in some cases the colors are blended together. — Tuesday, December 15

This painting consists of intersecting lines and geometric shapes, creating a complex grid-like structure that forms an abstract composition. Rectangles, triangles, circles are prominent. Some parts of the image hint at familiar forms such as houses or fish, though they are not explicitly depicted. The color palette features shades of pale reds, yellows, and blues, in some cases the colors are blended together. — Wednesday, December 16

This is a print of two stylized cats with exaggerated features, such as large, round eyes, sharp ears, and thick whiskers, posed against a textured, dark red background. The cats themselves are rendered in black and white with gray bodies. The cat on the left faces us, while the cat on the right has its body facing the right and its head turned back to look at the other cat. Vertical lines cross the red and gray parts of the print, exposing the off-white paper underneath. — Tuesday, January 12

This is a print of two stylized cats with exaggerated features, such as large, round eyes, sharp ears, and thick whiskers, posed against a textured, dark red background. The cats themselves are rendered in black and white with gray bodies. The cat on the left faces us, while the cat on the right has its body facing the right and its head turned back to look at the other cat. Vertical lines cross the red and gray parts of the print, exposing the off-white paper underneath. — Wednesday, January 13

The image depicts a snow-covered landscape with a winding path leading into the distance. The horizon is obscured by a line of leafless trees and dense shrubbery. Several trees with bare branches and snow-laden evergreens are visible. The trees and path show intricate texture, with fine detail in the snow and branches. The color palette is monochromatic and utilizes a sepia tone, giving the scene a vintage and serene effect. — Tuesday, January 26

The image depicts a snow-covered landscape with a winding path leading into the distance. The horizon is obscured by a line of leafless trees and dense shrubbery. Several trees with bare branches and snow-laden evergreens are visible. The trees and path show intricate texture, with fine detail in the snow and branches. The color palette is monochromatic and utilizes a sepia tone, giving the scene a vintage and serene effect. — Wednesday, January 27

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