I Wish I Could Draw!
There’s No Reason Why You Can’t
Oh, if only I were paid a dollar for every time I heard someone say, “I wish I could draw” I’d be a millionaire by now! But seriously, if you want to draw, then draw! There’s no reason why you can’t. I can guess your response pretty easily…”I can’t even draw a stick figure.” Or maybe you can, but just barely, right?
First of all, let’s set one thing straight. Drawing (in the truest sense of the word) is a learned skill and not so much pure talent. Even those with the talent, or apparent knack for drawing, learn and improve. Case in point…I would be one of those that people would point to as having a talent for drawing. However, I didn’t start off drawing the way I do now. If you look at my elementary school drawings, I drew like every other kid of the same age group. But at the age where my classmates stopped drawing, I continued. And practice, as they say, makes better and better and better. And I’m still getting better to this day.
One of your first drawing lessons was how to write the ABC’s.
Still, I would argue the point that everyone who can scrawl out their name with a writing instrument is drawing. Writing is a form of drawing. Okay, you might think that’s lame. But being able to write the alphabet was one of the first drawing lessons you ever had. You were graded in penmanship, or your ability to connect straight lines with some curved ones into something that made sense. Granted, some people’s handwriting is easier to read than others. But let me tell you right now, that this artist’s signature is anything but legible!
Even I had to start somewhere!
And even though I’ve said all of that, your words still echo through my mind. I wish I could draw! So what I’d like to do is take it step by step, from beginning to end, all the things you need to know in order to learn to draw. What I’d like for you to do is to put your skepticism on a shelf for the time being and take a chance that you can draw, or at least learn to draw. Don’t expect perfection right out of the box. It’s taken me over 40 years to get to my current level and I’m still making mistakes! I’d also like for you to allow yourself the luxury of learning through trial and error.
Mistakes should not make you feel badly. They are valuable lessons. Be grateful for them! Instead of hating what you’ve done and berating yourself for it, step back and analyze it. What could have been done differently? What are you struggling with, specifically? Identifying the trouble spots is the first step towards improving. If you’ve ever said, “I wish I could draw,” do you really mean it? If so, you should know that it’s doable, but not easy. It takes work and practice.
If you’re willing to take the journey, promise that you’ll be kind to yourself. Promise that you’ll keep an open mind and not judge yourself too harshly. And promise to eliminate the word ‘can’t’ from your vocabulary. Because in the words of Henry Ford, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” Replace that word with, “I currently struggle with…” The latter leaves the doorway of your mind open whereas the other little word closes, locks, and deadbolts your mind shut, eliminating any chance of improvement.
In addition, I’d like for you to keep your drawings along the way. There’s no better way to measure your progress than by comparing something new to what you’ve done before. And one last thing, understand that there are many different styles of drawing. Photorealism, like what I do with animal portraits is one way. There are caricature artists, doodlers, classic artists, stylized drawings, 3D drawings, and the list goes on. But they all fall back on the basics, which I will teach you as we go along. One little tidbit per week. Bite-sized pieces, if you will. So if you’re interested, I’ll see you back here next week for the first and most crucial lesson of all!
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