The Internet scares me. Through it, I’ve reached and connected with a larger group of people like me, of artists working to improve their skills, than I could have ever thought possible. I’ve learned a huge amount about art and approaches to practice that I would have struggled to learn otherwise. But the Internet still
On Fresh Starts – and Learning to Ride a Bike
I’m teaching our five-year old son, Luc, to ride his new bike (a Christmas present from his grandma and granddad). Here’s how we approach it: We begin at the top of a steep hill. He climbs on, and I give him a hard push. He has to hang on and try not to fall off.
Habit Change for Artists – Leo Babauta of Zen Habits
A few days ago I had the priviledge of firing a few questions at Leo Babauta of Zen Habits. For several years, Leo has been writing one of the most useful blogs on the Internet (for my money) about habit change. In this interview, Leo talks about habit change with specific reference to artists and
Six Simple Drawing Projects to Help You Learn The Right Things
Photo by Maura One of the most common things I hear from people is that they feel the need of a structure to their practice. They feel that they’re just thrashing around aimlessly without learning anything. It’s a good question: Which building blocks do you need? And how do you need to combine them to
Why Drawing is a Kind of Meditation
Japanese calligraphy (called Shodo) exists somewhere between art and meditation. The lines between drawing and writing are equally blurred. The word Sho can mean to write, to draw or to paint. There is perhaps little real difference between them, for us too. The part of the word Shodo that interests me most, though, is the
Perfect Imperfection
This morning, drawing jasmine leaves, I noticed my attention following all the beautiful little imperfections of their outlines. Two of the leaves don’t seem to join properly to the stem. The outline of one leaf is disturbed by a crease. My drawing of it, too, is full of imperfections. Earlier this morning, I drew my
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
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
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. Does that seem a little pessimistic? Or, let’s be honest with ourselves, perhaps just realistic. There are few feelings more toxic to your spirit than the disappointment that
Five Reasons You Should Accept My Daily Drawing Challenge
“Practice means to perform, over and over again in the face of all obstacles, some act of vision, of faith, of desire. Practice is a means of inviting the perfection desired.” – Martha Graham, dancer and choreographer. There’s something about sharing a struggle that makes it easier. There’s something about sharing a struggle that unites
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