Micron pen sketch along the Emma McCrary trail, Santa Cruz, California.
On urban streets or nature trails, where I enjoy sketching swiftly, I often find myself struggling with how to show realistic depth in my drawing. I’ve come up with a few strategies that use … Continue Reading ››
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 … Continue Reading ››
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 … Continue Reading ››
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”, … Continue Reading ››
I learned to draw flowers at a young age. You probably did too. As children, we were encouraged to make each flower an object of beauty. But what about wilted native sunflowers? Why would anyone spend time drawing such dreadful looking things?
Throughout life, … Continue Reading ››
Every drawing you do has the potential to suck. Or not.
The fear of making mistakes is what keeps many of us from even trying to draw. However, it is possible to embrace failure and actually enjoy salvaging a drawing from the brink of disaster. Sketching through your mistakes on paper is an important and fun part … Continue Reading ››
Imagine yourself playing your favorite sport. Forgetting all limitations, you perform flawlessly and are unstoppable as you tally up point after point. You're in a state of mind where time is suspended and movement flows without having to think of fundamental skills. This is called being in the Zone, and it's the state of mind … Continue Reading ››
The very first thing my students learn is how to hold the pencil on its side while drawing basic lines and shapes. The overhand grip, as it's called in the art world, is a bit awkward at first. But with practice, it quickly becomes second nature to sketchers. One advantage of the overhand grip is … Continue Reading ››