Proving Something to Myself.
I've always loved creating and at school, art was one of my favourite subjects. I wasn't particularly great at it, but I enjoyed learning new techniques and practising. I worked with pencil the most (easily transportable and accessible) and had a photo of my sister that I wanted to see if I could draw. However, life got busy with exams, then jobs and I didn't find the time for art any more. If I'm entirely honest, I probably also found excuses not to start that particular project, because I didn't want to fail.
10 years ago we immigrated to Australia and I found myself with a little bit of time on my hands. Determined to finish this unfinished business, I dug out that photo, got my pencils and paper out while the family watched tv and finally started drawing. I wasn't happy with the finished picture, though. The face was too long and rectangular, because somehow I'd gotten the dimensions wrong. It wasn't a terrible picture, but it wasn't my sister. So I started again and this time I got it right. Later that year my sister visited us and it went home with her, so unfortunately I can't show it.
Once I'd finally proven to myself that I could do something that I was happy with and wasn’t as terrible as I'd expected, I got the bug and decided to try drawing my girls as fairies. I used a variety of photos as references and started out drawing them both on a single A4 sheet of paper.
Unfortunately, I made the mistake of leaving the picture on the coffee table and one of the girls dripped something on it. I did manage salvage the side with my youngest on. As it happened, I wasn’t entirely happy with the other picture anyway, so I used it to practise a bit more.
I didn't even realise I'd kept this until today!
I hit a sticking point with the hands. I'd always struggled with drawing them, they'd never looked quite right. This time I outlined them and it was the same. They looked wrong. I checked the dimensions over and over and they were right, so I bit the bullet and started the shading to add contour and depth. It was then that I discovered that this was what had always been missing. Without 3D, hands don't look right!
Sorry, photos are a bit dark as they are behind glass and kept reflecting.
I got really ambitious next and decided to have a go at doing a picture of my hubby in his camo holding a fish. It was fun and a challenge, with the camo detailing, but I found myself with less and less time again with my girls doing ballet and starting calisthenics too, so I've yet to finish it.
I'll tell you now that I don't consider myself a natural artist. I can't draw straight off like many artists I admire, so there was a lot of erasing and trying again in these pictures. They probably took me ten times longer than most artists would have taken!
So why bother? Well, precisely because of that. To prove to myself that I could do something that others seemed to think I couldn't do or that I took too long to do. To prove that just because it took me a long time, it didn't mean it wasn't worth it. Maybe even to prove that my sister could have done her art exam if she'd not listened to that teacher who told her she shouldn't bother. That same teacher who rarely had the patience to let me finish my work without interfering.
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I had an art teacher tell me to always start with the least obvious thing, and go from there! I really think it is a mindset change from drawing outlines when we were children. It is the shading that tells you what something is! Good job!
Well that's something new learnt for me. I probably learnt the most from my first art teacher. My second one was just opinionated as to what he thought looked best.
Aww! Kitten looks sad. Have a hug.
Love the motive behind it. No one has the right to restrict our talent based on their opinions. They are all pretty good too
Thank you.
I sometimes use it as an example to my girls when they want to give up on something because they think they're not good enough. I'll tell them to prove to themselves they are good enough and capable enough.
Dear friend, you do not appear to be following @artzone. Follow @artzone and get added to our voting list for valuable up-votes!
Oh hi! I didn't realise you were an account. I had a spare tag and that was what the artists I follow were using! 😆
I think most great artists are people who just powered through it and kept at it.
Not sure if natural talent is really much of a thing. The girls were so cute :)
You should see Angel draw! She's fast, doesn't make nearly as many as mistakes as me and it's pretty amazing. She never really practises either. Must be a fine motor control thing. 🤔 I'd never make a surgeon!
I forgot how chubby cheeked the girls were!
Well you did good work despite the erasing and all. Your sister would be really glad for that picture though, so the skill is definitely worth it. Do keep at it. Who knows where you would find your art one day; probably illustrating children's books, you know?
Why would a teacher discourage someone from pursuing a dream? That's weird and sad.
Thank you. Drawing isn't something I prioritise at the moment. I'd like to say my art is now in the garden, but that's very much a work in progress! 😆 Who knows, in the future I may come back to it.
These are really good. My life is seriously busy right now but I would love to get back into art again.
I know that feeling!
Do you still sketch? The hubby's sketch is amazing.
Thank you. Maybe I should try and finish it, but then I might ruin it...😟
Love it how you remove that "posted using ..." all the time. lol.
Maybe start new if you have time, so no problem of ruining it. You are truly talented.
It gets on my nerves for every little comment. I don't mind it too much on larger comments, but it gets a little ridiculous for single lines. It's a bit of a pain having to edit it every time though. Looking forward to them making it more optional.
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The one of RTB is striking! What strikes me is that it seems as if you have captured kindness.
Thank you.
I keep fixating on the dimensions. The head looks too long! I remember checking it several times, but it still doesn't look right.