When people see my drawings, they usually say, “I wish I could draw”.
Then I ask them why don’t give it a try. Their answer typically is: “I did art at school but I have never got around to drawing since then. I’d love to draw again.”
Like any new skill, it’s frustrating at first to learn how to draw, but once you get the hang of it, drawing becomes more enjoyable.
The joy of drawing, I find, is the continual learning and setting yourself new challenges. After drawing for some time I have found that the biggest benefit is the meditative state that you get into when drawing.
You get so involved that you let go of all your troubles and worries and focus solely on your drawing. I call it being in the zone, or being in a Zen-like state of meditation. Often I get so lost in drawing that I don’t notice the time.
The other great joy I get from drawing is that it can lead to other forms of art, such as painting. Drawing is a fundamental skill for any art form. Visual expression is something where you can tell a story with a few pencil strokes or brushstrokes.
The best feeling I have is when I give my drawings or paintings as gifts to family and close friends.
You can also take your artwork and use it for numerous purposes, such as year-end cards, illustrations for your website or social media pages.
Your art can decorate various items such as clothing, coffee mugs and table mats, just to name a few uses.
When I teach people how to draw, they are amazed at their progress. What seems difficult, suddenly becomes easier. They then get great joy in showing their drawings to family and friends.
As one esteemed drawing and artistic anatomy teacher said, no book can take the place of study under an accomplished artist. “In drawing and painting there are many things that can only be communicated by turn of your teacher’s pencil or a flourish of his brush,” he said.
Eventually, once you have mastered the basics of drawing, you may find yourself moving onto more challenging projects.
I, for example, have taken up figure drawing, which is a big challenge but keeps me fully occupied and excited about the possibilities.
I would encourage you to take a step towards your own drawing journey.
Happy drawing and may you have the best of luck in learning how to draw!
