Some tips for drawing and painting:
Although this is an online workshop and I must use photos as examples for you to work from, try and do as much drawing and painting from real life.
1) Draw from direct observation.
This sounds so simple, and yet I’m always amazed at how many artists don’t work from direct observation when they are looking to improve their drawing and painting skills. Photographs are convenient and easier to work from. Yet, the amount of information that a photograph has pales in comparison to seeing a subject in real life. This is not to say that one should never ever work from a photograph; I work from photographs all the time now. However, I’m able to do this because I’ve developed skills based on many, many years of working from direct observation.
When you work from life, you experience your subject matter in way that a photograph could never allow you to: you can touch your subject, smell it, walk around it, and see the subject within the context of its environment. This overall sensory experience is vital towards your understanding of your subject matter and will always translate into your art. Drawing and painting is as much about learning how to see as it is about the marks that you put on the page. Experiencing your subject in real life will teach you how to hone your skills in observation. The skills that you will gain from working from direct observation will tremendously inform and support your ability to work from all sorts of other references.
2) Practice daily.
Drawing and painting is very similar to athletics and building your muscles. We must invest the time. If you were an athlete, you would have a rigid schedule of training. Art the same way: it requires serious focus, rigorous training, and intense physical stamina. Every time you sit down to draw or paint, it’s an opportunity to sharpen your eye, and become more proficient in coordinating your mind and eye with the physical movements of your arm and hand.
Many people get impatient with drawing and painting and expect results right away. You have to be committed, and be able to recognize that improvement is a slow and gradual process. One would never expect to be an Olympic level skier after one week of training, the same way you can’t expect to be a master of drawing or painting after working for a few days.
It takes time to develop your seeing first before you can effectively draw or paint an actual likeness. Let this workshop open your eyes to seeing your world as it actually appears. Let the lessons inspire you to expand your skills.
Give yourself a break. Art is fun. Even in the beginning when you feel shaky and unsure. If you feel yourself getting frustrated it's time to put the art supplies away and come back when you are feeling relaxed and open to the process.
Don't give up! It's taken me a lifetime to develop my skills as an artist: I've had years of good and bad art results. I've learned to simply enjoy the process of making art and let go of the results. The process is where the joy and love for art and creating lives.
Although this is an online workshop and I must use photos as examples for you to work from, try and do as much drawing and painting from real life.
1) Draw from direct observation.
This sounds so simple, and yet I’m always amazed at how many artists don’t work from direct observation when they are looking to improve their drawing and painting skills. Photographs are convenient and easier to work from. Yet, the amount of information that a photograph has pales in comparison to seeing a subject in real life. This is not to say that one should never ever work from a photograph; I work from photographs all the time now. However, I’m able to do this because I’ve developed skills based on many, many years of working from direct observation.
When you work from life, you experience your subject matter in way that a photograph could never allow you to: you can touch your subject, smell it, walk around it, and see the subject within the context of its environment. This overall sensory experience is vital towards your understanding of your subject matter and will always translate into your art. Drawing and painting is as much about learning how to see as it is about the marks that you put on the page. Experiencing your subject in real life will teach you how to hone your skills in observation. The skills that you will gain from working from direct observation will tremendously inform and support your ability to work from all sorts of other references.
2) Practice daily.
Drawing and painting is very similar to athletics and building your muscles. We must invest the time. If you were an athlete, you would have a rigid schedule of training. Art the same way: it requires serious focus, rigorous training, and intense physical stamina. Every time you sit down to draw or paint, it’s an opportunity to sharpen your eye, and become more proficient in coordinating your mind and eye with the physical movements of your arm and hand.
Many people get impatient with drawing and painting and expect results right away. You have to be committed, and be able to recognize that improvement is a slow and gradual process. One would never expect to be an Olympic level skier after one week of training, the same way you can’t expect to be a master of drawing or painting after working for a few days.
It takes time to develop your seeing first before you can effectively draw or paint an actual likeness. Let this workshop open your eyes to seeing your world as it actually appears. Let the lessons inspire you to expand your skills.
Give yourself a break. Art is fun. Even in the beginning when you feel shaky and unsure. If you feel yourself getting frustrated it's time to put the art supplies away and come back when you are feeling relaxed and open to the process.
Don't give up! It's taken me a lifetime to develop my skills as an artist: I've had years of good and bad art results. I've learned to simply enjoy the process of making art and let go of the results. The process is where the joy and love for art and creating lives.
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