Jon Gnagy Draws an Old Oak Tree

My week of sketching along with Jon Gnagy has come to an end today. It has been an enjoyable walk down memory lane. I think it's important to mix things up, stretch your boundaries and break out of your daily routine from time to time in life and in art. These drawings were all done in about 20 minutes and made me draw fast without getting bogged down with details. I think drawing along with someone like Jon primes you for drawing quickly. These exercises help you see big shapes and values which is the foundation for any type of drawing you may do. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Jon Gnagy Draws Canadian Geese

Today, while sketching along with Jon Gnagy, I had to laugh when Jon describes how these wildfowl winter in the middle US region in the winter and then migrate up to Canada in the summer. Well, they certainly don't migrate around here anymore!  They are abundant year round residents to residential lakes, recreational areas, roadway edges, shopping centers, industrial parks and golf courses.

Jon Gnagy Draws A Bucking Bronco

Here's another Jon Gnagy lesson of a bucking bronco. It was fun!  I thought this one was going to be difficult, but it really wasn't. Perhaps it was because I'm familiar with horses and draw them often, or maybe if you just get into the frame of mind of drawing shapes instead of things, everything becomes easier, no matter what the object is. I did this with a very soft, 6B pencil about  5" x 7" in my sketchbook. I haven't gotten any feedback on whether anyone has tried any of Jon's lessons yet. I think the one I did here first of the snow scene was the easiest one to get started on if you are considering giving it a try. Or you can always start by drawing the four simple shapes. Please let me know your thoughts about drawing with Jon Gnagy.

Jon Gnagy - Taught me How To Draw

Like many other kids growing up in the 60's, I got my first Jon Gnagy "Learn To Draw" Art Set when I was around 7 or 8. Believe it or not, they are still popular today, more than fifty years later! I studied the lessons until I could draw them from memory and drew along with him when he was on TV. He was the first one to introduce me to shapes, value, composition and perspective. At the beginning of each show he would draw the four simple shapes that were the building blocks of all the others. "If you can draw these simple shapes", he said, "you can learn to draw." Jon stressed the importance of tone (or value) and said a drawing should have all three; light, medium and dark.

I especially love this Jon Gnagy quote: "I believe that in the life of everyone there comes a time when the Art Spirit is dominant. You may have passed it when you were 5 or 7 or 11 years of age. But it will come again several times in your life when you are looking for something outside your practical everyday routine". 


Check out the Jon Gnagy website maintained by his daughter, Polly Gnagy- Seymour