Another Tip to Improve Drawing Skills
A Tip Within a Tip
Back in August, I wrote Five Tips to Improve Your Drawing Skills. The five tips (plus one bonus) that I listed are all your best bet to improve drawing skills. But the #1 tip beats all, hands down. To reiterate, the tips covered in that post are:
- Draw every day
- Educate yourself (on subject matter, ie. Animals, anatomy, vehicles, etc.)
- Observe intently (How Artists See)
- Watch how-to videos and practice along
- Draw in a method or style you’re not used to
- Try drawing objects you’re not used to
For this post, we’ll focus on #1. Draw every day. This is where it gets serious. This is where you, the artist, makes a commitment. Start off by committing to an hour a day for a month. And we’re talking real drawing here, not doodles. Doodles will do nothing to improve drawing skills. I’m talking practice. And I mean serious practice.
Get Creative
It’s just an hour. Get creative! (Photo credit: 123RF.com Image ID: 42973094 Copyright: pingpao)
You may have to get creative, not just in finding the time, but in tricking yourself to stick with it. If you carve out an hour in the morning, maybe make a deal with yourself that you have to complete the hour of serious drawing before your first cup of coffee. That first cup o’ joe will be your reward for your hard work. And make this hour sacred. No interruptions. No social media, phone calls, texting or email. Devote this time to improving your skills. If you don’t take it seriously, don’t expect much in return.
Hold Yourself Accountable
A dated sketchbook can help keep you accountable. (Photo/art credit: Myra Naito)
You can find a dated sketchbook. Yes, they’re out there. Moleskine has a few varieties. For me, those dated pages were constantly in the back of my mind. The other thing you can do to hold yourself accountable is announce on social media that this is what you’re doing and that you’ll be posting daily whatever it is that you drew for the day. If you’re shy about it, create a separate Instagram page with a whacky name so no one knows it’s you. With the appropriate hashtags, you’ll attract a following and people will start expecting your daily post. If you get to the point where you’re confident enough, you can clue in your social media friends to look for you under your secret identity.
It’s Not Impossible
Not sure what to draw? Look around. There’s plenty out there! (Photo credit: 123RF.com Image ID: 43705151 Copyright: sifotography)
I can hear the objections now. “But every day? What in the world will I find to draw every day?” Literally, anything and everything. Not knowing what to draw or “running out” of things to draw is really just a lame excuse. Sit at your desk and look around. I’m sure you have some art supplies or office supplies close by. Maybe you have a bookshelf with books and knickknacks. Is there a potted plant nearby? Or, who says you have to stay at your drawing table at all? Take that sketchbook outside! I’m sure there are different types of plants and flowers outside, maybe a parked car or two, a fire hydrant, mailbox, etc.
If you have the time, go to a park, a zoo, or a museum! You’ll find a ton of objects you don’t get to see every day. If you’re in the Los Angeles area, try the Natural History Museum, the La Brea Tar Pits, or the Gene Autry Museum. If you’re into really old military vehicles, check out the American Military Museum in South El Monte. Or how about this? How many different pairs of shoes do you have? Draw a different pair every day for as many pairs as you have. There really is no shortage of things to draw!
You Got This!
Drawing every day not only strengthens your ability to see like an artist sees, it boosts your hand-eye coordination. Eventually drawing won’t feel like such a difficult thing to do. The more you practice, the more natural it becomes. But, it takes serious practice. Not once-in-awhile-when-you-feel-like-it practice. If drawing is something that’s important to you, then take it seriously. An attempt to improve drawing skills is totally doable. Approach it with an open mind, stop making excuses, allow for a learning curve, make that 30 day commitment, and get to sketching! Who knows? You might just keep going and make it a yearlong deal!
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