Learning New Things

Here is something that you probably don't know about me... I have never learned how to draw realistically.  I have great fun drawing whimsical imaginary critters and I can recreate faces in fabric - but I have never learned how to actually "draw" what I see.

So I am taking an on-line class.  And it is great.  My brain practically hurts from stretching but I am loving it.  I figure that anything new that I learn about art will add to my own fabric creations.  And it will certainly add to my art journals.

The class is called "Draw and See" and this first drawing is leaves (I know - obviously!).  But here is the thing that I learned:  It uses charcoal.  I never did that before and it is a whole different experience.  And it uses a technique of measuring distances and angles with a bamboo skewer.  Really!  Strange but surprisingly effective.

This is the second one.  Flowers (obviously!) but the technique starts with watercolor blobs in the general shape of the flower first - then charcoal.  And I was amazed that they actually do look like flowers.  Some more than others of course - but a good start.

And then a Bird.  Again using the bamboo skewer to be sure the drawing is accurate.  You would be amazed at the Ugly Stage this went through.  I truly did not think it would ever look like anything resembling a real bird.  But I am feeling more confident.


Obviously the teacher is excellent.  To lead someone like me with basically no experience to a point where I feel pleased with what I am learning and also looking forward to not only the rest of the lessons but also to making up my own challenges and seeing what I can draw is a real accomplishment.

This lesson was very strange - but my eyes are learning so much.  This is an eraser drawing.  Yup.  You start with a smeared charcoal background and start erasing to find the shape of the Moths.  Then add charcoal and white pastel and white ink.  Again using that goofy bamboo skewer to make the size and angles accurate.

I am especially amused by how different each of the lessons is - but how they all flow together and build on simple techniques and new combinations of different media. 

The next class is Pears.  Hmmm..... can't wait!