On My Drawing Board

It is dangerous to let the public behind the scenes. they are easily disillusioned and then they are angry with you, for it was the illusion they loved.
W. Somerset Maugham

Whenever I show my work to people inevitably I hear comments such as "Oh, how do you do that? I can't even draw a straight line." Or "you must have been born knowing how to draw." Or "I'd love to be able to draw but I just don't have any talent." Well, while I'm flattered that some people may think I have talent, it's my belief that everybody can draw. Maybe some can draw better than others ~ but everybody can draw. The problem is most people don't have the patience to do it. To get the basic proportions down for this new drawing of a sailor took me well over an hour. This is the critical part ~ getting the shape and form down on paper. There aren't that many lines involved. One has to spend the time carefully measuring distances and judging critically for correct placement Without this foundation the drawing won't be successful. But once done properly the rest of the drawing flows easily. Then it just becomes a matter of getting the right tones down to create depth. There's no secret to a good drawing ~ it just needs to be coddled.