Back to Back Issues Page
[Drawing] Imperfections
March 11, 2015
Hi

How is your drawing adventure going? These days, it's a big deal just finding time to draw, isn't it?

When you have a moment to do some creations, overcome any compulsion you have to draw perfectly. Perfection is a limitation that we place upon ourselves and there's no need for it. Truth be told, you are actually crushing your artistic spirit when you do this.

Why waste time drawing something so perfectly that you can't tell if it's a photo or a drawing? It's much faster to just take a photo and be done with it.

On the other hand, imperfections tell a story about you, they inject more interest and they make you a complete, lovable human!

It took me a while to realize that I was never going to be perfect and that (belated) realization definitely helped me look at things differently -- not only in drawing but in life in general which was a bonus.

From that moment on, I decided to make a dedicated effort to put my own spin on each drawing, regardless of success or failure. That started with accent lines (omg, that was a year ago now!) and how it only takes a small line here or there to make a difference to a simple image.

Then, fortunately, I found some old Japanese artwork that completely amazed me because it shows how simple it is to transfer the appearance of something onto paper. It must have taken them quite some time to nurture that skill but their images prove there are millions of ways to portray a subject. All we have to do is ALLOW inspiration to happen.

Take a look at my interpretation of some Japanese drawings and ponder on how you can also be influenced by such a beautiful art form.

I've always considered drawing to be an adventure, an exploration of sorts and it's such fun! My interpretation of "explore" is to push for something more, to look for the nugget and to find riches we never thought possible.

There's no point wishing we had certain talents, let's just make the best of what we've got and start exploring beneath the surface.


Correspondence

Thank you for your messages, I always love hearing from you!

The tip of the month in the last newsletter was about how to remove tricky bits in a drawing without ruining surrounding pencil marks. JJ wrote in to remind me that you can buy an eraser template that's the size of a business card, for less than a dollar.

Thanks for your email, JJ, I always appreciate being able to share all of the options available to us.

Julie wrote to tell me about a website called Issuu. It has lots of books about art and drawing that are free to browse through and read. Julie said it takes a bit of hunting to find them but just use the search bar at the top to type in the exact topic you're looking for (e.g. "pencil drawing") and you should have some success.

Thanks for your email, Julie, I love finding out about useful websites so I can pass it along.


Drawing Tip of the Month

When you draw, you have the chance to change what you create first time around. Keep the faith that you can work it out and make tiny adjustments here and there by playing with lines until you hit upon an idea that totally changes the appearance.

Just by taking action, your inspiration kicks in and every drawing will be a discovery. We are pioneers so let's get to it and make a difference!


Handy Links

Find some good online drawing books that I bought to help me learn, practice and improve. They all have a money-back guarantee which is fantastic because you may not necessarily like the same books as me.

If you have any drawing questions, please visit the frequently asked questions page to find the answers.

Drawing is a very economical hobby - see the few basic supplies needed to get started.

Are we connected on Facebook yet? Please join me, I'd love your company!

, thanks very much for taking time out of your busy schedule to read this issue.

Kerry

Sig
www.AllAboutDrawings.com
How To Sketch book
Kindle books

"The thing that is really hard yet really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself." - Anna Quindlen.
Back to Back Issues Page