10d • General discussion
More thoughts on drawing
When I began my journey as an artist back in 2019, I started with the basics. I bought a pack of pencils ranging from 6B all the way to 4H, and I started drawing from a book that contained photos of artworks and sculptures. I can’t recall what book it was, but this photo of a statue was in that book.
When I started drawing, I didn’t really do it the “right” way. Usually, you start with the harder graphite and then make your way to the softer graphite, but I did the opposite because it made more sense to me that you would want to establish the lighter tones first and then slowly darken and chisel away the form. I really enjoyed doing that, and I probably spent eight hours on this drawing over the span of a few days, appreciating every little moment, angle, and element of form in the statue.
Now, about seven years later, I’m at a point in my journey where I’m going back to the basics. I have a new mentor who is an amazing artist and is helping me reconnect with drawing again. It’s nice to have these photos of old drawings that I made with such little experience because I felt them in such a deep way while I was drawing them. When I look back at those drawings, I really enjoy them.
I can’t really say that about a lot of the art I’ve made over the past seven years. Ninety percent of my art, I don’t even like looking at. I kind of enjoyed making it, but I think I lacked an appreciation of the subject and of the craft while I was creating it, so the pieces ended up feeling more like practice sketches.
Now I’m doing a lot more drawing again, and it feels great. I love it. I love using charcoal and using my whole body to sketch lines and shapes onto newsprint. I’ve even been drawing on my walls because I have an 8-foot canvas that I really want to work up the courage to paint on, so I’ve just been drawing on the walls instead.
Luckily, I have this mop thing that lets me clean most of the charcoal off, but let’s face it, I already parted ways with my security deposit with all the paint and dents I’ve left on the floor.
So yeah, this is where I’m at in my journey. It feels good to be at square one.
I think that when you’re embarking on a creative, skill-based, or exploratory journey, the best place you can be is a place where you feel like a complete beginner because that’s how you increase your sensitivity to what you’re studying, and ultimately, it helps you learn the fastest.
For me personally, I’m having the most fun when I’m learning
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More thoughts on drawing
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