When I was at school art lessons consisted of being given an object to draw then being expected to draw it with no instruction how to do it. Needles to say, if you didn’t know how to draw or have a natural aptitude, you learned nothing.
Although I’ve often thought how lovely it would be to be able to draw, I’ve never needed to be able to draw and spent most of my life thinking ‘I can’t draw’ – yes, I know that’s a negative belief that stops me learning to draw. However this year I’ve really enjoyed quilting….
I wanted to do more ‘drawing on fabric’, but apart from a bit more quilting…
… and scribbling on cards…
…what more can you do if you don’t know how to draw?
So last week. armed with an HB pencil and a sketch pad, I headed for YouTube. First I watched Connie Gordon’s how to draw a landscape method, because serendipitously an old book had fallen open at a page about this technique when I was clutter clearing couple of day before. Here’s the landscape I drew…
I then watched various how to draw videos. I learned how to draw a ball…
… then applied the principles I’d learned to draw a picture of the tree stump in my garden…
Since my ultimate aim was to be able to draw pictures with my sewing machine, I had a go at drawing a landscape in thread…
I also wrote my name freehand to help improve my dexterity with the sewing machine- unfortunately concentrating so hard was too much for my dyslexic brain and I forgot how to spell my name..
Quite pleased with my first foray into drawing.
Until next time,
Bekki x
PS Any hints tips or recommendations appreciated.
Dartmoor Creative - Bekki Hill 
YOU ARE SO BRAVE! My art lesssons sound identical to yours. The way I have got round the I can’t draw thing, is tracing paper. Not a solution. I think you have done a most credible tree stump, and a very good landscape and I am so impressed I shall follow the link and watch the You Tube too. Please keep posting. And thank you.
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I don’t know about brave, it just felt the right time. Like I believed in myself to be able to do it when I haven’t before – It’s always about belief! One thing that actually gave me a lot of confidence was when we were away a couple of weeks ago and my hubby pointed out that our generation of schooling never actually taught you any skills about art – or at least neither of our schools did – and I realised for all the time I’d spent in ‘art classes’ at school thinking I was rubbish, nobody had ever attempted to teach me or me attempt to learn. Sounds as if you had the same experience. My answer until now has also been tracing paper!
Thank you for the compliments. I’m really very pleased with what I’ve done so far – but then that they’re recognisable at what I’m attempting is enough for now 🙂
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I am impressed with your first efforts – I too always say I can’t draw but, in my case, it’s probably true.
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You say probably, so maybe not and one day we will be able to realise that dream of fighting each other to win the Turner prize 🙂
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Looks great. Looking forward to seeing it progress. I honestly can’t remember how much art I got taught in schools but most of what I know now I have “learnt” in the last few years.
I picked up a pen again yesterday to try and complete #inktober as I haven’t drawn in ages. First image was rubbish, today was much better but I’ve got to remind myself about perspective 😂
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Thank you. Will you be sharing your art with us? I can’t remember seeing any before – although I get more and more sieve brained, so I may have forgotten. Good luck with the perspective!
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I’m not sure if I have posted any on the blog tbh. I should do that. I do post some in IG from time to time
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I must take a look at your IG posts. In fact since I’ve said I’ll do one sketch every day IG would be a good place to post to keep me to that plan – thanks for the prompt.
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I remember having art lessons at school like yours – they kill any belief we have an inner artist! I still am not a very good drawer, which is why I mostly stick to simple pics of faces and teddy bears and cats and dogs…. but you have done it exactly right because all we have to do is learn to look and then copy. Like your tree stump drawing which you did after learning to look via shading a ball. You are clearly an artist – a few lessons and off you go!! What a gal!! But the sticky thing is practise. You have to draw every day or the wheels fall off. Don’t ask me how I know this. I love your freehand landscape on the machine – that’s fabulous.
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It’s all about belief! So terrible so many people’s school experience leaves them believing they can’t do certain things when in reality they just haven’t learned.
Your pics are fab – think you’re doing yourself down here. Thanks for your kind words about my progress.
My mantras since last Wednesday are, Draw every day and Draw what you see.
Hopefully a post tomorrow about attempting to draw every day.
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That is super cool. Well done.
Here is a little bit of South African inspiration for you, going forward to “drawing” with your sewing machine.
https://threadsthatbindus.co.za/
Have a wonderful time and have fun.
🙂
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Thank you. Will take a look at the link wjen I’m home xx
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There must be something in the air (or water or whatever) at the moment, as I’ve decided to try a month of ‘arty’ things. My reasoning’s a little different, in that I want to put aside an hour or so each day for something mindful and creative after this last year of grief and stress, and there’ll be more than drawing involved (applique, printing and such), but it seems like a coincidence that we’ve both chosen this month 🙂
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Hello. Great to hear from you. Sounds like a great plan, I’m sure it will do you the world of good. Can’t explain us both having an October arty urge though 🙂
Enjoy your crafting xx
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Oh, how I chuckled at the last bit! I can see that concentrating on the sewing could cause on to forget how to spell one’s own name! I think you have made amazing progress!
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🙂 Thank you.
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