So You Think You Can’t Draw…

What if I Told You That You Were Wrong?

Most people, if asked, would say they can’t draw. Are you one of them? Can’t draw even a simple stick figure, you say? You wouldn’t be alone in that belief. But what if I told you that belief was a misguided one, that it was just an illusion your mind chooses to believe?

Back in February of this year, I wrote a post called Is Drawing a Learned Skill or Natural Talent? In it I discussed how one of my very first art teachers in college proved that drawing was a learned skill. Why then, don’t more people learn how? Well, something strange happens, as I found out years later, in a child development art class. Think about it. All kids draw. Many do so with reckless abandon on paper, table tops, the walls, etc. much to their parents’ chagrin. But then, at roughly the same age, they stop. Why?

The Truth Demystified

Well, a couple things happen developmentally that contribute to this phenomenon. First, kids start realizing that their drawings don’t look like what they’re trying to draw. They become self-critical. Secondly, they become acutely aware of their peers. Peer pressure. Suddenly they don’t want to draw for fear they might be made fun of. So, they stop. As the years go on, all they know is that they ‘can’t draw’. They don’t remember that they used to, even in an immature, childlike way. All they know as adults today is that they ‘can’t draw’. The real truth is, they’ve never been taught.

First of all, everyone can draw. Not all of us are Michelangelo, DaVinci, or Raphael, but we can all draw. Doodling is drawing. Creating a stick figure is drawing. As for drawing well…I would challenge you to ditch the preconceived notion as to what good drawing is to you (and yes, it’s different for us all) and check out this TedTalk video. Grab some sheets of paper and a black marker and follow along as artist and teacher, Graham Shaw walks you through some basic cartoon characters.

If you followed along, you might be admitting (maybe grudgingly so) that okay, you can draw, at least a little. Am I right? But you might be saying that it’s a far cry from these cartoon characters to the Sistine Chapel. And you’d be right. I would agree with you there. But I would also argue that nobody was born an expert. Everyone was once an amateur.

Proko

The Art of Aaron Blaise

If It Interests You, Go Do It!

Do your research! Look into how-to videos on YouTube. Proko is a channel I’ve mentioned before in my posts. He’s got dozens of how-to videos for free as well as options for a premium membership with more in depth videos. The Art of Aaron Blaise is another channel I recently got turned on to. He’s been a Disney animator for over 20 years. He has lots of free videos on YouTube as well, in addition to premium membership through his website. I’ve also covered the basics in posts like, How Artists See, How Do You Do That?, and Five Tips to Improve Drawing Skills. I also have a free Skillshare class called, How to Draw: The Very Basics.

If drawing a learned skill, then some kind of schooling or training must take place for you to become proficient, right? Whether they’re university classes or online classes, it doesn’t really matter. If it’s something you want to learn, then go out and learn it. Do it every single day. Carry a sketchbook with you at all times…and draw! Practice, as they say, makes perfect.

Further Reading:

Five Tips to Improve Your Drawing Skills

How Artists See

How Do You Do That?

Is Drawing Learned Skill or Natural Talent?