At what point during a flower's life does it achieve perfection?
Is it when it's still a seed, filled with potential?
Or is it when the green shoot first breaks the surface of the soil and reaches the light of day?
Is it when the first bud appears?
Is it when the flower opens fully, or is it when the flower dies and goes back to the soil, to become food for other plants, giving itself to create new life?
How To Take the Frustration out of Drawing Practice
For a lot of people, practice is frustrating.
After all, you know where you want to be; you want to be drawing and painting really well. At least, better than you do now.
You might even have particular artists in mind whose level of accomplishment you'd like to be able to emulate.
It's just that boring part of doing all the practice you could do without. Wouldn't it be great if you could just skip to where you want to be without having to go round the houses first?
Artists see differently.
Someone who sees in this special way that artists see can look at a collection of buildings and see a design, become entranced by a pattern of light and shadow.
The greater your ability to see in this way, the more you will be able to look at something and see a picture. The better your ideas for pictures will be. And your life will be enriched with the simple pleasure of seeing.
Honestly, it's worth it just for that.
Debbie is walking past her living room. She is struck suddenly by the shadow of a plant, cast on a glass door.
She stands enraptured for a moment, then rushes to find pencil and a sketch pad, so she can catch this fleeting moment that has impressed its beauty on her consciousness.
What is it about Debbie that privileges her with this wonderful moment in her day?
Three Ways Brain Science Can Help You Draw Better
Ultimately, I believe we all teach ourselves.
Taking classes can be helpful because it can help motivate you and give you a structure, removing barriers to practice. But you need to be actively engaged. Just turning up doesn't guarantee you'll make any progress.
How effective a class is will also depend on how well it meets the criteria for effective learning.
A Simple Guide to Drawing More in 2014
It's that time again - New Year's resolution time.
That time of year when we get to sacrifice our self esteem on the altar of failed commitments.
All You've really managed is to create a stronger barrier to achieving your artistic goals. Hardly the point. Let's try not to let that happen this year.
Were You Failed By Your Art Education?
What is it about birthdays that makes us reflective? Or is that just me?
Here's my thoughts today on art education, and why so many of us have been failed.
And perhaps, too, what we might do to turn that sad state of affairs around.
Five Reasons You Should Accept My Daily Drawing Challenge
There's something about sharing a struggle that makes it easier.
There's something about sharing a struggle that unites people, too.
And if you're anything like me, you will have days when it's a struggle to keep your practice going.
Well, I've got something I think might just help to get you started.
How Regular Practice Will Make You More Creative
There's been a lot research into what creativity is in recent years.
Presumably it's an attempt to understand where creativity comes from, so that we can make ourselves more creative.
I'm not a professor of an illustrious university. I'm not a researcher or a well known author.
But I think I have an idea how to help you become more creative:
Why Getting Started Is So Hard, and How Make it Easier
We've all done it.
Turned over a new leaf, decided that this time, we really are going to practice harder. We're going to draw every day until we really see some improvement in our work
It's a positive impulse, often borne of frustration with our work. It's a good thing to want to do. We want to get better, of course we do.
So why is it so rare for these new leaves to stay turned? Why is it so difficult to keep up a regular practice routine?
Artists: Are We Natural Introverts?
Have you ever felt slightly out of step with the world around you?
Are you often happier with your own company? Do large groups of people and social events drain you and leave you needing to recharge?
Would you often rather stay at home and work on something creative than go out socialising? And do you ever feel slightly guilty about that?
If so, this post is for you.
The Only Composition Rule You'll Ever Need to Learn
Composition makes or breaks a picture, so we often hear.
I wouldn't disagree. The more I practice composition and the more I become sensitive to it, the more I realise the truth of that.
But frankly, if you want to go about improving your compositions, you'll probably struggle to find an effective way forwards.
Why?
