Category Archives: Drawing in Life

Inspiration, School

I Can’t Draw!

I’m starting to hear that voice again.

Still only a faint whisper, but growing steadily louder, is the annual mantra that echos in every teacher’s mind, “Prepare yourself for back-to-school madness.”

Planning drawing lessons for six high schools is quite challenging, especially while mother nature tempts me with perfect summer mountain biking weather outside the studio door. Also challenging is the mental preparation for that inevitable group of students who will lay down the gauntlet, at the very first moment of class, proclaiming outright, “I! Can’t! Draw!” Continue reading I Can’t Draw! →

Enjoyment, Inspiration

Lifelong Drawing

Drawing is a skill you can learn and never forget; sort of like…well, you know…riding a bike. But you can get out of practice, and over the years stop altogether.

Perhaps it’s been a long time since you’ve felt the wind on your face, but your inner child always remembers the thrill. As written in the important little book, Art & Fear, “Quitting is fundamentally different from stopping. The latter happens all the time. Quitting happens once. Quitting means not starting again—and art is all about starting again.”

Doesn’t it feel like it’s time to pick up a pencil and put it to paper? The hand may be a little wobbly and wonky at first, but give it a while. You won’t be able to resist a pleasant giggle as you feel the joy of sweeping your hand across the page, as spontaneous graphite trails traverse an eager drawing composition.

It’s never too late to start again.

Parents/Teachers, School, Tips/Tutorials

3 Ways Drawing Can Help You In School

3-ways-drawing-school

Parents and teachers, please pass this on to your kids who enjoy drawing:

Decades ago, when I was in elementary and middle school, other kids sometimes said I was weird because I was really involved in my drawing. But they also thought of me as “the artist”, and that made me feel cool and gave me self-confidence in other school subjects besides just art class. In high school the label of artist became official when I started drawing cartoons for the school newspaper. Quite honestly, my drawing skills helped me get through school.

If you like to draw, your drawing skills can help you make friends, impress your teachers, and get better grades—even if you don’t think of yourself as an artist. Here’s how drawing can help you in school: Continue reading 3 Ways Drawing Can Help You In School →

Inspiration, Work

Graphic Recording: Sharing Complex Ideas Through Drawing

Are you one of those people who likes to solve problems on the job by sketching your ideas for coworkers? Are you a visual communicator interested in putting your drawing skills to work for businesses and organizations? Check out what these sketchers are doing to answer the call of duty as graphic recorders and graphic facilitators. Continue reading Graphic Recording: Sharing Complex Ideas Through Drawing →