Would you believe this? There is a racing certainty that the reason why so far you haven't been able to draw or paint as well as you want, or at all, has nothing to do with talent? It's because you haven't had the right mind for it?
And this you may find it even harder to believe! If you work on your mind and belief system and you’ll find you will be able to draw and paint!
But these questions may spring to your mind immediately!
“Is it dead easy?”No!
“Is it quick?” You may ask, wanting immediate results!
Depends entirely on you.
“But if I stick at it, will it work?”
Yes, of course - as it does with most things.
“Could you teach me?”
Possibly, but that is not what I do.
“But I haven't the time to go to classes, does that make it impossible?”
No! Read on!
“How can you vouch for any of this?”
Simple! I watched my Mother prove it starting in her Seventies. She died in her mid-eighties having produced beautiful work And I have proved it by trying it myself since!
So! Put all your negative thoughts to one side and remind yourself that - whatever happens, you really do want to learn to draw and paint.
Here are some tips I want to share with you.
Tip 1:- You can do what I have done by following the helpful tips I give you which I have picked up from reading instructional books by artists, having attended only one class session and realising that it was not the way for me. (I am in no way knocking the value of classes for those that prefer that route. I am sure I would have improved faster if I had combined learning from books with Tuition)
Tip 2, Decide what form of art appeals to you at this moment which you would love to reproduce: is it charcoal drawing, watercolours, mixed media, oil painting, or what.
Tip 3:- If you can't answer yet Tip 2 but you really, really want to draw and paint, go to a Gallery for inspiration on what form of art you would love to try. Is it floral art, landscapes, seascapes, portraits, churches or old buildings? Or go to a good art bookshop and browse through the instructional books by different artists to find a form and a style you like. Because much of the tuition involves learning first to copy the pictures provided to you in the book, buy a book with finished pictures you like!
Tip 4:- So with your chosen tutorial book on the form and style you want to create, you select a picture as your goal to paint! But this tip may surprise you. I did me. It's a tip I read in an Artist's tutorial book which I followed to the letter and am so thankful I did. He advised: "If you want to paint well, learn to draw first"
Tip 5:- That means seemingly taking a step back. It means looking again in the Book shop for an instructional book on drawing in the same way as you looked for the book on painting. If you like the pencil drawings in a book, buy it. If you don't, keep looking.
Tip 6. Don't stint on artists materials by drawing on the back of envelopes and the like. Buy some decent drawing paper, some good pencils, and some spray fixative to stop the graphite smudging when the pad is closed. And buy a pencil sharpener and a putty eraser.
Tip 7:- Make a start, treating it all as experimental and fun. Learn how to create all manner of effects with a pencil. A good instructional drawing book will help you with lots of exercises.
“But I want to paint!” You cry! “Surely this is just diverting me unnecessarily?”
Tip 8:- If you just learn to draw first, telling yourself that 98% of what you learn to be able to draw is also a vital part of learning to paint, then I guarantee it makes it so much easier when you do come to paint.
Tip 9:- Study the way you can create contrast, tone, definition, and suggestion. All the good books tutor on this. (I became fascinated by ink pointillism). And learn one simple truth: all art is really tricking the eye! We know when we look along a street, that people of the same size get smaller the further they are away, so mimic that on paper. Read the books on perspective and every tip in them. Some enterprising artists have even produced some thin and smaller books with titles starting, "100 tips on. Etc." Look out for them! They can speed your progress dramatically.
Tip 10:-Practice! Practice! I honestly believe drawing and painting are skills we can learn if and when we want to. They are not talents we are born with. So the more we practice the better we get. So spend some time on it each week, learning new tricks.
Tip 11:-Vital it is that you enjoy the journey as you develop your skill and that you judge yourself kindly otherwise the reflex action in the self-worth part of your brain will kick in and tell you are no good at it. I am telling you that you can be good when you know how.
Final Tip 12:- I would advocate you go to a reasonable size W.H.Smith and ask for their tin box (6 inches by 2 inches by ¼ inch) of 6 Pure Graphite Sticks. These come in various degrees of hardness. They can be used as pencils or on the side like charcoal. They are marvelous to use to get started.
Which would I say was the tip that helped me the most?
I am going to cheat and say there are three equal ones!
First: Don’t worry about what your style should be! The more you try different things, the more you will accumulate artistic elements you like and you style will come
Second: Draw and Paint what you like and which you enjoy to sit and look at as a finished piece of work. You are not trying to emulate famous artists, are you?
Third: All my initial drawings were dreadfully tight and over-detailed. In contrast, in one of his books, Alwyn Crawshaw counselled sketching prodigiously but with a catch! No sketch should take more than 15 minutes. The result in my drawing and pure watercolours was dramatic
Good luck! Follow your nose with trying different techniques. Have fun and happy drawing! And note the Peace derived from it.P.S. Among artists’ books I read were by Ron Ranson, James Fletcher-Watson. Ray Campbell Smith, Wendy Jelbert. Others on Drawing. Painting From Photographs .
Gerry Neale:
Author of Self - Discovery Novel "Squaring Circles"
www.squaringcircles.co.uk
No comments:
Post a Comment