Learning to Draw
Thu, 2003-01-30 22:42
#1
Learning to Draw
I started a drawing class today.
I've always had a love-hate relationship with drawing. I love the idea of being able to do it, and I hate the fact that I am absolute krap at it.
I was scared off of drawing or any kind of art as kid because my drawing of a (name any object) was always so pathetic, it drew laughs of derision and little else. In that respect, I could say I was very successful at drawing (criticism).
That put my off for about 20 years. Then I tried to take a drawing class in about 1978...with sadly much the same result....so I left after one session.
So here I am again. I still can't draw, but I'm going to give it a fair chance....or at least some chance.
...though I still felt like running screaming in to the street after the first four minutes....and it was snowing outside to boot.....
...but the sessions are held in a loft....very interesting place...just me with my paper and charcoal and three women with their paint and canvases...scattered about this large loft area....
....so far I've managed a krap couple of drawings of an old tea pot....well, everyone starts somewhere....
....three hours 9-12 each Thursday for four sessions as a starter....
I hope I can last that long....how many old tea pots are there in the world?
...in theory I can progress to print-making...now that would be something....I have a collection of prints and lithographs..it would be nice to be able to make my own some day....
I suppose some people feel this way about writing...
justyn_thyme
No live models for me....I'm at least three decades away from that.....maybe after one year I'll have the tea pot thing down pat.:)))
ely whitley
just remember, you're not drawing a teapot you're just creating whatever you can see. The minute you try and make it look like a teapot will be the minute you fail.
just call me OB1
Hox
Go for it James! If it's something that you always wanted to do, it really doesn't matter that you'll never be Picasso. You'll find the joy of being able to something fairly simple worth the effort.
And if all else fails, it's you and three women in a loft............
mississippi
Hold on Eamonn, it sounds as if James could be just like Picasso, his pictures looked like sh.it too didn't they? And look at the prices HE commands.
On the point of how many old tea pots are there james, there must be at least two. The one you're drawing and the one that gave birth to my personal terrorist.
Vartis
Justyn, I work in stained glass. Recently on a discussion group for glass someone mentioned Drawing on the right side of the brain by Betty Edwards. It was highly recommended and a lot of other people followed up to say they had read it and got a lot out of it. This is people who work in glass but obviously you still have to get the original drawing (cartoon, we call it) together before you can start cutting to the drawing. It looks like a good book and I shall get a copy before too long. Reviews and comments are at:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0874775132/103-5945379-438....
justyn_thyme
Thanks guys. And the book looks interesting...certainly got good reviews. I'll put it on my list.
Sooz
Good luck J. Keep at it and work on the premise that you've got to get better that's what I did with writing. As to drawing, I'm a pretty competatn artist when it comes to fiddling about with cross stitch colours and perspective, but give me paper and pencil ansd I've seen three year old's do better. I've always wanted to be able to draw, for one thing I'd like to be able to illustrate my own books. Who knows one day I might just follow your example. But maybe I'd better start a tea pot colection first.
justyn_thyme
Or if you're really adventurous, you could start collecting "men in a loft." It won't help the drawing, but it could be interesting in other ways. :))))
*intended as joke*
ely whitley
Actually Missi, Picasso was a superb portrait painter and even finished a portrait of a young princess that was started by his father but left unfinished when the old man died. Pablo was just 12 but you wouldn't believe the quality of the painting.
The same can be said of L.S.Lowry. His pencil studies of nudes are almost photographic.
I went to an art school that taught in the 'old style'. We were never allowed to sit down, all drawings/paintings were measured (the old ruler at arms length, one eye closed technique). We spent the first four weeks drawing a ripped up bit of paper arranged on a wall. Then we re-arranged the same bits and redrew it over the same drawing on the original piece of paper. It was all about weight of mark and registration points. You never rub out. you never shade things in, features on the models were left out like nipples and pubic hair, you never use a ruler for straight lines and if you got caught rubbing things with the end of your finger you were teated like an enemy of the state.
It was a real pain in the arris and overdone to my mind but I will admit that by the end of it we were all able to draw, in complete perspective, whatever was in front of us and all the flash gits from school who were great at cars or super soft shading or cartoons, were soon taught the error of their ways.
mississippi
Oh dear ely, I was trying to be funny. I'm well aware of Picasso's abilities and many other artists as well, having been an art lover for most of my advanced years. My personal favourites are Van Gogh and Renoir although I love practically all of the Impressionists as well as Dali and Picasso. I also have a high regard for Lowry and other English painters including Constable, Reynolds and Gainsborough.
With repect to your recollections about art school, I can only say how glad I am that nature doesn't follow the 'old style' teaching, the thought of all those nipple-free breasts leaves me distraught.
justyn_thyme
ely,
interesting....that's what the instructor has me doing...except with a teapot instead of paper scraps...but the rest, standing up, pencil at arm's length, etc...same thing. Well, this is Poland, so you'd expect an old school approach. i hope it works..
Who is Lowry? Amazing, I've never heard that name in my life. Gainsboro, Reynolds etal, yeah, but Lowry?
Jay
Oh Justyn with your thread you have just brought back to
me so many old memory's of when I went back to higher
education classes, I started with a drawing class as like you
I was always drawn towards it and really thought here's my
chance I can do this.
Sadly no matter how hard I tried and how hard they! tried to
persuade me that I would get better after only two lesson's I
knew for sure I was crap and it wasn't for me so I never
went back.
What I can't beleive now is, I then ventured into the politics
class with a vision of becoming a politician "well" up to a
point I did find it interesting but most of it went way over my
head.
After that I tried many more diffrent classes until I found the
writing class which interested me so much I brought myself
a word processer with a small screen on it, taught myself
how to use it (computers wern't on the market then) couldn't
spell or string two words together at the time not sure I can
now, do know I can't spell anyway, I loved that machine
so much I lived and died on it and have still got it even
today and its still in good working order.
Oh such happy days just a pity it all didn't come to much
greater height's...
ely whitley
sorry Missi I didn't see the joke as I was too busy diving in with my eyes shut. Couldn't agree more about nature too. a nipple free life isn't worth living although I did appreciate not having to draw the miswerable scowling faces on the nude models and their grey pubes!...
Me: "why can't we have young attractive models sir?"
teacher: "attractive is distractive, the old have more folds!"