There is so much to be learned about drawing that it can be quite daunting. It is a constant journey through life. However, as Confucius said, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with that very first step." The dilemma for me is which step do I take. In what direction do I start?
I am currently in a life drawing class, and I realized that life drawing will do me no good if I don't know the other parts, like light, value, and perspective. This is just adding another load onto me. I need to find some organization to this. Since I am mostly teaching myself, there is no structure to this journey. Does anybody have any suggestions?
Perhaps the biggest part of my problem is my motivation. So many distractions surround me, and I allow them to draw mw away from my studies. That will have to be my own personal hurdle.
To all of my artist friends or to those who have any ideas on how to move forward, I eagerly await your answers. Until then, I will be working my way through my many art books. Thank you for reading.
3 comments:
Interesting stuff about drawing. I sort of learnt myself to draw when I was young - but I'm constantly improving and you could say I'm a potential artist.
Ward Kimball used to say "The first 100'000 drawings are the hardest".
I learned from copying, it's the one thing they don't teach you in art school or classes, but it's how most artists learn (including the old masters). Don't trace, look at the image and copy it. Copy old Italian painting, copy pictures of old Italian and Greek sculpture, copy the Dutch golden age, copy golden age cartoons, b/c all the principles you need to learn are there. As you copy you'll start to absorb the principles and you'll be able to apply them to your own drawings.
Continue your art training, and read any decent books on drawing (John Ruskin, Harold Speed, Nicolaides, and Preston Blair of course). Ultimately though, the more information you pursue and the more you draw, the more likely you'll figure it out.
Life drawing is the best thing you can do. Stick with it! You will eventually develop a hand/eye coordination that will be natural.
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