All posts by Rob Court

Founder and drawing coach at the Scribbles Institute, Rob helps adults and kids learn basic drawing skills for work, school, and enjoyment. He is the author of a number of how-to-draw books.
Inspiration, Tips/Tutorials

How a Road Trip Can Ignite Your Desire to Draw

A drawing road trip is great for trying new tools and exploring techniques

Several decades ago, as an avid surfer, nothing excited me more than packing my surfboards and heading up the coast to discover new places to ride waves. Recently, I decided to conjure up my youthful fervor for exploration and set out on a sketching safari to the Pacific Northwest. What happened on the journey was totally unexpected; I rediscovered the thrill of drawing for pure enjoyment.

And along the way I came up with some essential tips that I’d like to share with you. Here’s what I learned about the art of sketching while on the road. Continue reading How a Road Trip Can Ignite Your Desire to 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.

Inspiration, Tips/Tutorials

The Great Lions of Drawing

Learning to control your line work is crucial in learning to draw well. One way to tame the lines in your drawings is to take time to read the line work done by great masters. In studying the confident strokes by legendary virtuosos—from ancient cave artists, to Albrecht Durer (shown above), to Eugene Delacroix—you’ll become a skilled observer of life and dramatically improve your drawing.

Following is the shortlist of my heroes who have laid down some of the greatest lines ever drawn in history. I encourage you to be diligent in studying these Great Lions of Drawing. Let’s dive in! Continue reading The Great Lions of Drawing →

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, Parents/Teachers

Born to Draw

An endearing little mouse named Celestine proves that it takes determination, and oftentimes courage, to keep drawing—even when being told by over-bearing adults that drawing is a complete waste of time.

In the 2014 Oscar-nominated animated film “Ernest and Celestine”, the young mouse forms a forbidden relationship with a bumbling bear, thus beginning a heartwarming journey from fear to true friendship. Although the story’s main theme is about the power of friendship, the sub-themes of being steadfast in your art and the importance of nurturing creativity—in particular, drawing!—resonate with me.
Continue reading Born to Draw →