Thursday, August 16, 2018

The Drawing Skill Diminishes

"Draw, as much and as often as you can.
When drawing lies fallow,
the skill diminishes."
~ Gene Black



I have not kept up my drawing everyday this summer like I had planned. It seems that the older I get, the harder it is to fit everything I need to do into a 16 - 18 hour day. Regardless of other obligations, there are really no excuses. I just didn't want it bad enough, because somehow, we make time for the things that really matter, the things that we really want to do.  

Although still sketching and drawing, it is not with the same intensity or commitment that was given to "drawing everyday" for seven summers in a row. Of course, to clarify, I was not teaching and giving demos regularly, involved in the local art center and town art walk, didn't have my own art gallery or have Instagram or an online course, wasn't contributing to online communities with videos, or obligated to stay on top of several websites and facebook accounts. Phew! OK, enough of that! I'm not feeling guilty anymore ....

BUT I do want to say that my skills are NOT up to par like they were when I was sketching more. If you can, it is well worth your time and effort to draw something everyday. Here's a couple of drawings from yesterday that aren't horrible, but they took a lot more time than expected.



Don't let my example sway your dedication to study drawing! Everybody feels awkward and fumbles around with it in the beginning. Even if you can draw, but have been delinquent in doing it for a while, it can make you feel downright inadequate and uncomfortable. But that's what growth is all about! Accept the challenge and enjoy the process. If you work through it, and dedicate some time everyday (as little as 15 - 30 minutes), I assure you, that drawing will become easier and more enjoyable the more you do it. (Scrolling through my blog archives here may help get you inspired.)

Thanks So Much for Stopping By & Happy Creating!

X ♥  O