IF YOU REALLY WANT TO SEE THE WORLD…
DRAW IT!
I really believe that if we really want to “see the world” the quickest way to do that is to DRAW it. When we draw, our ability to really “see” becomes sharper and more sensitive. In the end, I think this is the greatest gift that making art can give you: A NEW WAY OF SEEING.
Drawing and painting creates a new lens for viewing the world around you. If you’re like me, then you’ll find yourself looking at things and thinking, “How would I draw/paint that?” or “How might I capture that?”.
If you’ve been frustrated in the past and wondered how to get better at drawing, then here is my answer…JUST DO IT!
Don’t say, “I’ll try. ” Commit to getting better by practice! There is no intellectual way to learn to draw better. There is no substitute for digging in and just doing it! 😊 So maybe you can use this challenge as a motivator to simply begin and see where it takes you…
Odds are you at some point have somehow been discouraged in your efforts to draw. Maybe you’re prone to comparing yourself to others. Maybe someone told you that you don’t draw well. Maybe you’ve never tried because you never felt talented enough. But if you want to paint, then drawing will be a help to you. If your drawing improves, then I predict your paintings will improve as well.
Let today begin a 14 Day drawing challenge for you. The 14 days need not be consecutive. Just do them every other day if that’s what your schedule allows. I am aiming this challenge toward painters, because many of my students have skipped the development of their drawing skills and jumped directly into painting. If this sounds like you then you are in the right place!
If painting is what interests you, there’s no harm in beginning there. But in my experience, drawing will always help you improve your paintings.
So for this challenge we are going to keep it low key and try to make it FUN! If you’ve ever wondered how to draw, then beginning with this 14 Day challenge will be a great place to start!
Assemble your supplies:
A sketchbook ( I suggest a watercolor sketchbook so that you can bring a little paint to your sketch if you wish)
A pencil
A pen if desired
An eraser
Day 1- Let’s Begin with Something Simple- and take note of our inner dialogue
Day 1 is a simple project that should be accessible to anyone. Pick an item that’s on you or in front of you. It could be your shoe, or a flower on your table, or a book. Your subject need not be significant to be interesting to draw.
divide your paper so that you have a corner of your page to take notes.
Take 15 minutes to really look at your subject and try to draw it with a pencil. Don’t spend too much time on this, it’s merely a warm up.
Are you hearing voices? Haha, I’m not talking about hallucinations, but thoughts. While drawing take note of the critical voices in your head that may come up. Some of us have an inner critic that pipes up right away and all along the way. Others of us hear undermining voices from the past or worry about the assessment of those around us. Take note of the thoughts that come up that feel discouraging or negative. Write them down and let them go. Only evaluate them when your drawing is complete.
Ask yourself:
Do those thoughts account for why you have avoided drawing?
Did someone blow up your confidence long ago? Did a sibling occupy the role of “artist” in your family in such a way that you felt unable to compete? Did someone squash your first efforts or say something that still stings? Note it and understand that it happened but it need not define you now.
It’s never too late to begin to get better at drawing. And I promise…the more you draw, the better you’ll get! Guaranteed!
Let me know what this exercise felt like for you. Were you surprised by what came up? How did it feel to draw? What was your mindset or while drawing? What was your sense of time…did it drag or did it disappear? What was revealed to you about your subject? Did you notice anything new as your drawing progressed? All of this is good stuff to experience and note.
Here is my version of this exercise:
I took a gel pen and then used a water brush to move the ink and create the shadows.
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