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Any Artists here?

Big Tabs said:
I am scared of the pencil.

I know that it is there, as is the surface.
Paper in every room, as well as drawing instruments.
I know where the charcoal is. And the hairspray to fix it.

But I forget, and do something else for months or years.

BUT, I know that it is there , literally, right at my fingertips.


My issue was, and still is (but subconsciously buried (not very well)) that my best mate has always been disturbingly good at drawing. Head in the wrong place.

edit: it gets on my pip
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I really like this, it's as poetic as it is true. I get it.

I draw, every single day; its part of my process professionally to both process internal thinking, and to communicate - any medium on any surface, from ' graphs in the air ' to fineliner on a post-it to suggest a solution/ to get the multidimensional thing in my head out into the world for discussion* - and so, taken for granted, drawing is rarely a pursuit in itself these days ( a Thing I am looking to change; I love it.)

But - about drawing, about this most singular bit you write (beautifully! ) -
I know that it is there, as is the surface.
Paper in every room, as well as drawing instruments.
I know where the charcoal is.
​
The best advice I ever got as a boy was - make a bold first mark - doesn't matter what it is, but bold/extended: don't peck at a line in uncertain little chunks -
- It is about breaking that empty surface; the first hint, of something you can order a thought around
- All else follows, easily


*I've even 'Issued for Construction' the concise little sketch on a PostIt from time to time. the tiny canvas requires, enforces, clarity; the idea of a formal medium matters so much less.
 
@martin clark

Thanks.

I like writing, but I love drawing. I really should make some efforts. When we were on holiday recently I did do one very quick ink drawing. That will probably be it for this year.


This drawing was it for last year. All I see is what is wrong with it.

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Drawing can be very personal. If you compare it to writing for example, there are two sides to both. Writers are communicating an idea. The vision is most important, but the media, the grammar, must be done well, or at least done in a way that gets the idea across. Same with Art. When you are inspired to draw, there must be a reason for that. You saw something you wanted to record, maybe to share. To achieve this, you have to understand your intention. If you want to reproduce your subject as an accurate representation of the scene, then you face the hardest task. Perfection is very elusive:) But if you are intending to give your subject character, to add or subtract to express your feelings about that view, then you are free to make marks that suit you. That approach is Art. Pure accuracy is draftsmanship or craft.
We are all somewhere on the scale between skilled craftsman and bonkers abstract art.
It’s about intention and adjusting techniques to fit your needs.
Like big T’s drawing above? It’s not totally accurate but it perfectly serves its purpose as a diagram. It wasn’t made as Art but is on the Art scale because of its imperfections!
When I taught kids and adults, I started by showing them how to draw perfectly. Photographic accuracy. Then I showed them the inaccuracy of 100 famous Artist to explain all this. Style expresses emotion.
 
My other half studied at Glasgow School of Art and an art teacher for yonks. Currently attending an art class for fun but prefers to stay at the back, drawing on her own.
 
My art teacher maintained ability to draw was learned and not a gift, and could be taught.

He then proceeded to make a special effort to teach the least promising child in all his classes to draw, went from toddler standard to respectable over the school year. The 'subject' became one of the bunch who used to hang out in the art room at lunch time, doing silk screen or pottery unsupervised. Doubt if any of that would be allowed now.
 
ff1d1l said:
My art teacher maintained ability to draw was learned and not a gift, and could be taught.

He then proceeded to make a special effort to teach the least promising child in all his classes to draw, went from toddler standard to respectable over the school year. The 'subject' became one of the bunch who used to hang out in the art room at lunch time, doing silk screen or pottery unsupervised. Doubt if any of that would be allowed now.
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Exactly how i did it. I'm 10 years out of touch with Schools but it's a crap teacher who wouldn't encourage extra work, or offer their room for that.

Drawing can be taught. Creative vision not. Encouraged and explained yes but not constructed. Drawing is simply a skill like woodwork, mechanics, bricklaying or anything else.
I taught adult classes for 5 years or so and every group contained one 'I'm wasting your time, but someone paid for this for my birthday so?' type person. Start right at building block one and every one of them left at a basic good standard. All still draw and paint now. It's easy. Time, is all you need.
I won't say I was 100% with kids. In a class of 30 you don't have the time to find a way into the head and heart of the very reluctant and disinterested kid. Sad but true. But
basic drawing skills were my first 3 weeks of year 10, where Art was then compulsory. At the end of that time, all of them could draw a fairly real looking teapot, shaded an all :)
 
Self-taught.


It still grates a little that given the choices I had to make at the age of 12-13 years re: subjects at school that I was unable to take art.
My parents had no interest or aspiration at all, so gave no guidance. very working-class.

I did do technical drawing though, and got an A in gcse, and a grade 1 in cse (I did both exams in the same year). One of those exams were I finished before everyone else, and thought it was easy. I signed up on the long journey (7 years from memory) to be an architect, but it never happened, due to circumstances that I am unable to go into here. I think Nursing was a better career in the end, like many in the profession, trying to heal oneself.
 
A big change of direction for me, still in the experimental stage and still landscapes at different times of day and in different lights. There is a structure underneath, taking note of vanishing points, linear and tonal perspective, etc, but the end result is multi layered and abstract.

Top one is finished, second nearly finished (maybe), and bottom, which will be wintery and white is only just started

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Got fed up with the red one. I’ve given it real good stare for over a week now, and it’s just stared back. Decided throw some paint at it

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I’ll scraping most of it off when it’s dry
 
ks.234 said:
Got fed up with the red one. I’ve given it real good stare for over a week now, and it’s just stared back. Decided throw some paint at it

52696147619_5a8cae7326_n.jpg
.
52695885506_b6da487ddd_n.jpg


I’ll scraping most of it off when it’s dry
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I would be tempted to have a (sky ?) blue line somewhere on that painting. Always like the contrast the two colours make
 
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