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October 08, 2005

Secret Revealed

I am taking a huge chance today. I have decided to reveal a big secret. A secret that can actually help turn a perceived 'non-artist' into an artist in under thirty seconds. I am taking a chance by doing this because revealing this secret will annoy companies that make and sell expensive art supplies. It will probably also irritate some artists who don’t want ordinary, so-called, un-artistic, soccer moms or accountants or steel workers to suddenly be able to join their elite and mysterious renaissance ranks.

I have decided to reveal the secret because almost every day someone asks me what the secret to my drawing is. What secret graphite pencil do I use? What secret charcoal powder do I use? What secret technique do I use? What secret paper do I use?"

Well, I’ll tell you. The secret is a good old #2 pencil and a piece of paper. And an open mind, of course.

Yes. I heard the collective gasp! “What?"

You heard right. Believe it or not I drew the picture above from a postcard with a chewed up #2 pencil on a piece of paper from my laser printer. I just looked at the postcard and drew what I saw. I was not trying to draw a perfect replica of the picture. If I wanted a replica, I would have taken a photo with my digital camera.

In fact, I did not try to do anything other than letting my hand follow direction from my imagination. Believe me, the first time I tried to draw by looking at a picture, the results were really disappointing. This happened because I was trying so hard not to make a mistake. I was holding the pencil so tightly that, like a bent garden hose, I blocked the creative juices flowing from my imagination to my hand. I was rather frustrated and quite disappointed that my drawing looked so amateur.

Later that day I saw a man doing Tai Chi in the park near my house. He seemed to be painting a giant invisible piece of art in the air with his hands. The movement was so fluid and effortless. I wondered what the drawing would have looked like if he had a brush in his hand and a canvas in front of him.

I thought about the Tai Chi man that evening while trying to draw again. Just thinking about his fluid hand moments soothed me and I felt my whole body relax. The result was amazing. My drawing was so much better. The more relaxed and uninhibited I became, the better I drew. It’s really as easy as that.

Quite simply the secret to discovering the art within yourself is you and the good ol’ #2.

Please do me a favor. If you have always wanted to draw but were afraid to do so, buy or steal a pencil, grab a piece of paper and sit yourself down somewhere comfortable. Preferably without a peanut gallery nearby. Take an orange or an apple from your fruit bowl and draw what you see. Try not to draw too small because tiny drawing tends to tighten you up. Draw your orange or apple about half its actual size and try not to hold your breath while drawing. Forget about the end result and enjoy the process.

Now, here’s the trick.

Try one simple line drawing with your average pencil. Then (and this is vitally important) quickly admire your work and enjoy it for what it is because, if you’re like I was, your inhibitions, your inner critic and your striving for perfection will quickly rob you of the pleasure of your drawing. The more you allow yourself to enjoy your art, before the judging ruins the process, the more you will have the power to control your own judgments.

After a little practice at both the drawing and suspending judgment, you’ll discover that your art will become more and more pleasurable.

Posted by trevor at October 8, 2005 11:37 AM

Comments

Posted by: madame babushka at October 8, 2005 09:21 PM

Posted by: Charlie at October 10, 2005 01:43 PM

Posted by: Shirley at October 12, 2005 10:00 AM

Posted by: Nicole at October 13, 2005 12:00 AM

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