Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Drawing

This is one of the powerful tools I used when trying to cope with tough stuff.  I am not a  "born" drawer.....

I found this on Facebook and thought I would share....I hope the original author doesn't mind and I am including the links if you want to give it a whirl.

4 DRAWING MYTHS — DEBUNKED!
Have any of these myths kept you from realizing your dream of drawing?
---> MYTH #1 — “Artists are born, not made”
Bull honky! Just like no one is born walking, talking, or riding a bike—no one emerges from the womb with miraculous artistic abilities.
Sure, some folks may have an easier time picking it up, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t have to work to develop their skills.
Learning how to draw is about learning how to see… it’s developing an “eye” for visualizing the shapes, angles, and subtle details hidden within the world around us. If you can open your eyes to these “visual secrets” — you’ll never see the world the same way again!
So, don’t fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others and feeling like you “don’t have the gift.” Everyone has to start somewhere, and everyone moves at a different pace.
Find a process that works for you, set your own pace, and enjoy the journey 🚀🚢
---> MYTH #2 — “Freehanding is the only real way to draw”
Nope, it’s not. Imagine this scenario with me…
You want to learn how to snow ski. You’ve never worn a pair of skis in your life and your most extreme activity as of late was a brisk stroll through the mall…
BUT, you’re bound and determined to throw yourself down a mountain (for some reason).
You show up at the slopes, rent some gear, take the chairlift to the very tippy top of the highest slope the resort has to offer…
And WHISH!
You’re off! Down the mountain at blistering speeds!
Trees blurring as you flawlessly carve your way down the slope on your very first attempt…
NOT!
That’s just not how it works, right? THE REALITY is that learning how to ski takes time and practice.
And that practice doesn’t happen in a classroom or in a simulator…
...It starts on flat ground or the “bunny slopes” where you can experience the thrill of skiing and make your mistakes without bone-shattering falls down an entire mountain
In a similar way, freehand drawing is a great goal…
… but if you start there, struggle, get frustrated, and give up on drawing altogether because you couldn’t freehand a project—how can you expect to improve?
I’m not saying that you shouldn’t strive to be your best—not at all.
I just want to encourage you to start on the “bunny slopes” — use whatever method you need to get started — so you can jump in and actually experience the joy of drawing for yourself!
---> MYTH #3 — “Draw from your head”
I regularly hear aspiring artists say things like “I love to draw, but I can’t draw from my head.” Or “I can only draw when I’m looking at my subject or a reference image—not from memory.”
I’m not sure where the idea that we need to draw from memory comes from, but I do know that most artists (even the masters) regularly turn to reference images or live models when drawing.
Learning to draw is as much about *seeing* as it is the act of putting something down on paper…
I think Frederick Franck summed it up well when he said:
"I have learned that what I have not drawn, I have never really seen, and that when I start drawing an ordinary thing, I realize how extraordinary it is, sheer miracle."
There is no shame in drawing from a reference image or from life! In fact, the more we can study what we want to draw, the more likely we are to hear things like “wow, you really captured her personality” or “I can almost feel the breeze blowing in that field when I look at your drawing.”
Keep on drawing what you see!
---> MYTH #4 — “I could never draw like that…”
Well, not with that attitude!
It’s so discouraging to hear people say things like this…
The reality is that they could draw better than they ever imagined possible if they would let go of this mentality.
There is power in the words we speak! When we tell ourselves we can’t do something, we essentially ensure that we never will.
But I get it…
I know this line of thinking doesn’t just materialize out of thin air…
I’m convinced that folks start thinking this way because they have believed the previous three drawing myths!
When you’ve been told that “artists are born, not made,” it’s easy to interpret struggle and failure to accomplish unrealistic drawing goals as simply “not having the gift.”
Or…
When you see a master artist quickly and skillfully drawing a portrait freehand, it’s easy to imagine that he or she’s been drawing that way forever (the 15 years of intense practice couldn’t have anything to do with it 😉) and that using any sort of drawing aid or alternate method must be “cheating.”
Or…
When you watch reruns of Bob Ross effortlessly pulling beautiful scenes from nature, seemingly from his head, and laying them quickly down on a canvas, it’s easy to believe that’s how we should all operate as well.
But, what you don’t see are the 2-3 drafts of the painting that Bob would paint before taping each show...
My point?
There’s a whole lot of misinformation out there and drawing can feel a bit like a magic, or something meant for a “chosen few”...
But I want to invite you to give learning how to draw another chance…
… let go of what you think you are capable of…
… forget the myths that you may have accepted as truth…
… and try my FREE Napkin-Doodle Challenge!
✒️It’s a 7-day, GUIDED drawing adventure (if you will)🖌
I’ve picked seven, everyday, achievable subjects and broken them down with step-by-step instructions that you can follow and complete in 10 minutes or less a day!
An easy to draw subject is provided (so you don’t spend precious time fretting over what to draw)…
Each step is broken down and explained (so you have a clear path forward)…
Every project introduces you to concepts and principles that will help you understand how to draw just about anything (because that’s what we’re all after, right?)…
I’ve hand-picked these seven specific subjects and I’m going to show you how to see them through the “eyes of an artist.”
We’ll look past what we think we know about the subject and focus only on what’s actually there…
… the shapes, angles, and subtle variations in line width or placement that all work together to create the illusion of three dimensions on a two dimensional piece of paper!
We’re not trying to draw realistic masterpieces…
These won’t take hours, days, or weeks to draw…
You don’t have to have to a degree from an art school… 🎨
All you need to bring is yourself, something to draw with, something to draw on, and a positive, can-do attitude — I’ll email you a link to a new project every day for seven days
The whole process is tightly structured on purpose — you can think of it as training wheels:
There to help you get started quickly so you can actually enjoy the ride and not get discouraged and give up prematurely!
It’s fun, it’s good for your health, and it doesn’t take much time!
Will you join me? ---> https://bit.ly/2Jz87OU
Access is instant. And you’ll get a new project in your inbox every day.
See you there,
Ben Makin

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