Art Prompt #201: The Nutcracker

Might Could Draw Today!

Welcome to Week #201 of Might Could Draw Today (MCDT)! I’m here to invite you to draw with me today!

👋 If you’re new here: I started MCDT in 2016 and through its various iterations, it has spurred the creation of over 20,000 pieces of art by hundreds of artists from around the world! A new art prompt is delivered every Monday and you have the week to draw from that theme however you choose.

Quick Announcements

Our next MCDT Live is Thursday, December 15, from 7:30–8:30m EST! MCDT Live is our monthly virtual drawing hour available to all Studiomates members. We’ll be doing a bit of show and tell and drawing the weirdest tree ornaments you’ve got! Studiomates is our private, online artist community—learn more and join here!

This Week’s MCDT Art Prompt

Screen grabs from The Nutcracker by The New York City Ballet, 2011

Week #201: Dec. 5–11, 2022

Theme: The Nutcracker

The Nutcracker is one of my favorite holiday traditions and I’m feeling inspired to draw from it this week! The Nutcracker is a ballet first performed in 1892, choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov and scored by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The story is based on an 1816 short story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E. T. A. Hoffmann. Since then it has been performed by basically every ballet around the world!

You can watch the New York City Ballet’s 2011 performance here to get some inspiration and references to draw this week!

Photo from The Hip Hop Nutcracker on Disney+

Along the way, the story, music, and choreography have been remixed by many musicians, choreographers, and dance groups. One of my recent favorites is The Hip Hop Nutcracker, just released on Disney+. Definitely worth the watch for the amazing music and dance! I think Butterbean has requested (read: demanded) to watch it every day for the past week. She has good taste, y’all.

📝 An Important Note: There has been an ongoing conversation in recent years over ethnic stereotyping in some parts of The Nutcracker. Particularly the music and choreography of the Chinese dance and the costuming/makeup of those (usually white) dancers. Ballets around the world have and are experimenting with ways of addressing this issue to remove ethnic caricatures and represent cultures more authentically. Read more on that here. So as we are drawing this week, let’s all agree to be mindful of that and respectful of all people, yes?

Now let’s draw the beautiful dancers, costumes, and set backdrops from The Nutcracker!

Share Your Art with Us!

Week 200 art submissions by: Robyn Warne, Beth Tyerman, Ann Snuggs, me, Craig Austin, Nikki Tate, and Brandon Baker.

Such penguin cuteness last week—thank you to everyone who shared their art with us! Drawing the same thing collectively is all the more fun when we can share and see each other’s work. Let’s keep it going, by sharing your Nutcracker drawings with us all week long in our private community, Studiomates!

Extras for Paid Subscribers

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• Essay from the Archive: 8 Lessons on Creative Block from Miyazaki

  “Lately, I've been in a bit of a creative rut. I've been trying and experimenting with different techniques to pull myself out, but still, the struggle is there. Unfortunately, ruts, blocks, and low points are just a natural part of the creative process. We all go through periods of inspiration and periods of frustration. But it's still no fun to struggle. One thing I've learned over time…” Read more!