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Ronald Walker

9 Years Ago

Can You Draw?

I was always taught that drawing was the cornerstone of the visual arts so I was just wondering what you think of that and can you draw? Whatever that means!

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Mary Armstrong

9 Years Ago

I draw all the time, not always the same way, but love drawing!
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Joseph C Hinson

9 Years Ago

I would love to be able to draw... but I got zero talent for it.

 

Mary Bedy

9 Years Ago

I've always loved to draw - graphite, colored pencil, pastels, pen and ink but Ii still love a good pencil drawing:

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Edward Fielding

9 Years Ago

Everyone can draw up to the age they become self conscious about their skill level. Ask any child to draw something for you and they will.

 

Mary Bedy

9 Years Ago

Well, it's like anything else, practice, practice, practice. I'm not very good at keeping it up. The two I posted above were done a few years ago. It takes a few days of drawing all the time to get back up to speed. I used to be able to do a decent portrait. Now either the nose is too long (my usual problem), or the shape of the face is off.....I should pick a face and try it until I get it right.

 

Greta Corens

9 Years Ago

I love to draw: trees, portraits, figures. Eye-hand coordination takes constant practice. Yes, drawing is the cornerstone of all art, even if the art world is split between predominance of color versus line. Many find the perfect excuse in that, so as not to have to do the lifelong effort to learn and to become good at the art of drawing. But to the professional or "awakened eye" one cannot get away with lack of competence in drawing.
However, I do think there are chosen specialties and fields of interest within the drawing experience.
Photography Prints
This model is famous and does sport a cross-eyed look.

 

Ronald Walker

9 Years Ago

Beautiful drawing Mary! I have a friend down in So. Cal. that I feel is an excellent painter but does not think she can draw very well. Her work makes use of line shape composition etc. all which are drawing issues. She is an abstract painter but although she feels she cannot draw I disagree with her.

 

Ronald Walker

9 Years Ago

Should say Marys! Greta, awesome!

 

Bill Tomsa

9 Years Ago

I started drawing about the age of five. But I really started drawing in the late 70's when I had a full time job as an art director for a CBS affiliate tv station. I was given an hour for lunch and ate in about 15 minutes, so I started to walk a couple of blocks to the downtown area and sketch. I also started to do pen & ink drawings of cars and airplanes, etc. and submitted them to magazines like Road & Track, PRIVATE PILOT, Soaring, Cyclist (bicycling), Cycle Guide (motorcycles), FLYING and a few others After a few rejections I started getting checks for many of my submissions and during the "80's and 90's had over 200 "fillers" and illustrations published I have since filled up over 100 sketch books and draw almost every day including when I go to the bookstore and sit in the cafe with my wife reading. Lately I've been using my Ipad for this on an app called ArtRage.


Whew that answer was a bit longer than I intended.

 

Jim Taylor

9 Years Ago

I think most people can draw more than they think. Maybe not realistic portraits but in their own style.
I draw all the time. That is my Art whether it turns into a painting or not.
I've done a few realism portraits but draw strictly from my imagination. That is what I enjoy and love the creative expressive process.
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Ronald Walker

9 Years Ago

JIM, LOVE THAT!

 

Drew

9 Years Ago

Been able to draw in a photo realistic manner since my early teens. Mostly oil paint and work on computer animation and film production any more. Will sketch a base cartoon before I start a 3d computer model or an oil painting.
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Mary Bedy

9 Years Ago

I'm pretty much self taught but it helps to take classes. I did take a couple of life drawing classes. One where the male model would walk around during the break and talk to us. Thing is, he didn't put on a robe and it was kind of weird talking to a naked man looking at himself (on paper) over your shoulder ;-).

 

April Moen

9 Years Ago

Yes, most of my digital paintings begin as pencil sketches on paper. Here's the before and after of my "Bow Maiden":

 photo BowMaidenBeforeandAfterSmall_zps69176041.jpg

Photography Prints

 

Ronald Walker

9 Years Ago

April, thats cool to see!

 

Roger Swezey

9 Years Ago

Can I draw?

From this pen and ink sketch I did 40 or so years ago

Photography Prints

To this drawing done a few years ago:

Photography Prints

I still hope I can

 

Ronald Walker

9 Years Ago

Roger, you sir are a drawing animal!

 

Nancy Ingersoll

9 Years Ago

Yes, like April said - even Digital Paintings should start with sketches. I teach high school and very few of them appreciate the habit of a sketchbook. They all want to go straight to the computer and I am mean when I make the sketch and plan out their space first. Even in photo, I have a few space planning sketch activities.

 

Drew

9 Years Ago

I remember Ross stating on one of his PBS shows that one does not have to be able to draw to paint. Then he scratched one of his lopsided shacks with a knife on a canvas. I was convinced LOL!

 

Rose Santuci-Sofranko

9 Years Ago

Yes...I used to do Pen and Ink drawings years ago...I need to get back into it. I loved it but it was very time consuming. Photography was "quicker"!

 

Melissa Bittinger

9 Years Ago

I need to dig some out and take pictures. Pen and Ink, woodburning mostly, years ago. I make little figures in polymer clay too.

 

Ronald Walker

9 Years Ago

Seems as if drawing is kind of the pot of art. Leads to bigger things!

 

I think so, Ron. I love the immediacy of drawing and the outcomes so deft,light,right or not .....................pen,ink,charcoal,paint.....

Art PrintsArt PrintsPhotography Prints

more at viviansartworks.com

 

Ronald Walker

9 Years Ago

Vivian, wonderful drawing, love your line quality!

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Thank you, Ronald.
When I was very new here, I put up the At The Ballet drawing.......and got the most gorgeous response, so early days here at FAA, that I've never forgotten it, "I'm in love with your line", he said. I did virtually swoon..............I'm much more 'contained' now,lol........but love your compliment too, with thanks.

 

Mario Carta

9 Years Ago

I some times draw a very crude sketch before I start working on a sculpture but I make sure I destroy them as I would not want anyone to see them.

 

Ronald Walker

9 Years Ago

Mario, I would not normally show working sketches but I do hang on to most of them that are contained in sketch books. A few years ago I did a show up in Chico, Ca. and the gallery had me leave my sketch book so people could get a better idea as to my thought process. I admit I was uncomfortable with this but agreed to it because I could understand the value of this.

 

Drew

9 Years Ago

Ron, Absolutely, even the so called abstract purists' works have definable form. It's much harder to determine because of the SPLAT Effect.

 

Jani Freimann

9 Years Ago

The accuracy of the rendering is not the end all of art!!!

I agree. Nothing's perfect. There's beauty in flaws. The reason, I've taken my art from realism to impressionism.

Kevin, don't misunderstand my non art statement. I did NOT call non-objective art non art. I said the persuit of striving for creating art that is so deconstructed that it pushes against the non art line in the sand doesn't take intelligence nor talent.
The lady creating a textural rubbing, that took 2 weeks to do, does not apply to what I just said.

Btw, there's a difference between editing and deconstruction.

I'm not interested in arguing about what is and isn't art.

Mario and Ron, you should keep your sketches, but of course that's up to you. They tell the story of how the final piece was made. The story of how a piece was created is very interesting to collectors. Hence, the reason Kevin enjoyed the woman's rubbing artwork. Who knows, they may buy those too. Whatever, helps you make mileage with your final piece.

 

Kevin Callahan

9 Years Ago

Photography Prints.

Explaining modern art standing on an elegant line...

 

Marlene Burns

9 Years Ago

Show me someone who can master hands and you've shown me someone who can draw!
BTW, if you cannot, spend some time with your next cup of coffee and take out a pen and get to work with your built in model.

 

Sheena Pike

9 Years Ago

I've been told by some I'm really good and by others I lack vision......can I draw? ......yes......anyone can draw. For years my priority was realism....and in that I lost the passion and realized it wasn't suited to me. I'm not good enough to be a realism artist, there are way too many talented beings that I don't even come close to in the realism department. For so many years I looked for perfection in my drawings and along the way lost something. I was missing .....The passion wasn't there, so now I do more illustrative work. If I practiced more I could draw better....more realistic ......but now my goal isn't realism ....it's simply to create something beautiful.....something that connects with others.

Anyone can draw in my opinion.....it's the ability to connect and "draw" in an audience that is important. (Just my opinion)

 

Harold Shull

9 Years Ago

Marlene years ago my good buddy Neal Adams, http://www.nealadams.com/ (he's the artist who made Batman a Batman) he told me that anybody who can draw hands and hair well can draw.

Ron, I'm sorry but I have to disagree with the whole concept of abstract art can be good drawing. Because if that's the case anybody can draw well by merely saying "But that's the way I see or feel it." Sure, for that person or you, the drawing looks good but that don't make it good drawing. Anybody, such as myself who has taken years and years to perfect my seeing and drawing abilities would say, "Then I have wasted years and years of my life for nothing." Can you imagine somebody saying, "I can design a bridge as well as the best bridge builder." Then he has his bridge built only to see cars descending into a river with all their passengers. But then he stands at the edge of the cliff where the bridge had been attached just to say, "But that's the way I saw it." Of course not. It's only the poor artists who are always picked on by people saying, "Heck my grandson can draw your picture so well you would think it was a photograph." Hogwash! All the masters took years of study and practice in order to draw well. I, for one, will not diminish the importance of good drawing "skills" it takes to paint or draw realistic pictures.

When I took the '12 Famous Artists Course" years ago, on every single page of their course this line was repeated "You Learn to draw by drawing."

 

CECILY MITCHELL

9 Years Ago

I agree that drawing is the cornerstone of visual art. I believe that understanding the importance of line drawing as signal for the eye to fallow is vital to all successful representational art.
Art Prints

 

Harold Shull

9 Years Ago

Cicily, I couldn't have said it any better if I tried to, I like the word "cornerstone" as the description of good drawing making good realistic art.

 

Sheena Pike

9 Years Ago

I used to believe that the more realistic I drew the more I proved to myself how good I was......but I wasn't happy with my artwork. All technique and no fun and I was nowhere to be seen in my work. When I say anyone can draw....I mean that....anyone can draw, whether they are any good.......whether their work inspires others is an entirely different thing.

I used to believe realism was it, it was where it was at!....that was all I focussed on.....I have a huge respect for realism artists not only because of the time it takes but the technique and skill that comes along with it. I have nothing against realism my hat off to those who do it and do it well.

I however have evolved and realized whether a person can draw realistically or not does not determine whether they are talented or not, it just demonstrates their expertise is in realism. Most of my idols are illustrative or surrealist artists....some with realism in their work and some drawing strictly illustrative and cartoon like artwork and therefore I have learned the ability to MAKE something beautiful...to CREATE something that stops someone in their tracks is far more my cup of tea..no more focusing on perfection, because I will never achieve it.

so to answer the question again....Can you Draw? .....Yes I can.....and so can my 5 year old

 

April Moen

9 Years Ago

I reject the idea that a drawing has to be realistic and representational to be good. Can anyone honestly look at this and say it's not good?

Photography Prints

For my money, it's better than good. It's exceptional.

 

Sheena Pike

9 Years Ago

Exactly April! I agree.

 

Jani Freimann

9 Years Ago

Marlene, being able to draw hands and feet are definitely a sign of ability to draw. One of my assignments in my life drawing classes was to draw 25 hands. I used my own hand as a model. Holding things, making a fist, pointing at myself, etc. It wasn't easy. My hand would cramp up. It was the best exercise for learning how to draw hands. I did not do the same with feet and I struggled to get myself to draw them well for a long time.

In my opinion, if you can draw a person or a person's face you can draw anything. People are the hardest subjects to draw. There is no straight lines in people. Even if you hold your hand with your fingers together, the line between is not straight.

I also agree with what Harold said about hair.

One of the keys to being able to draw well is understanding on how to make "it read right". You don't have to draw every hair, every line in a person's face, every leaf on a tree, etc. You don't have to be good at hyper-realism. If the viewer understands what you've drawn and doesn't say, "That's not how (fill in the blank) looks", then you are successful.

 

Drew

9 Years Ago

I can draw just about anything I can see or imagine. What's more important is I live in a country I can draw a pistol. LOL!
All kidding aside, I agree that super realistic drawings don't guarantee a great work of art, it it is a good goal though.
I enjoy works that exaggerates nature with style and implied motion.
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Ronald Walker

9 Years Ago

Harold, please don't be sorry you disagree! I would expect and hope I would find disagreement. If everyone agreed this would be such a boring world! Here is another question, in your mind can a very well crafted realistic drawing be poor?

 

Drew

9 Years Ago

@ Ron, I agree and yes. super-realism can be a result of artist challenging themselves and expanding their skills. some of them simply copy photographs verbatim.

 

Sami Tiainen

9 Years Ago

My sister's kid is very interested in drawing and often wants to copy exactly the way I draw something. But his drawings (not influenced by me) already have great creative expression. So I think you really don't have to know how to draw perfect hands, etc. you just have to have inspiration to draw and you will be great.
Everyone can draw.

 

Jani Freimann

9 Years Ago

I just remembered that there is such thing as deconstructed art. It figures that I would use that word for a different reason and there is actually an art style with that word, haha.
https://www.google.com/search?q=deconstructed+art&client=ms-android-att-us&source=univ&tbm=isch&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=QbaxVL_9EM3zoASdoYGwCg&ved=0CBwQsAQ&biw=360&bih=640

 

Jani Freimann

9 Years Ago

Nobody is saying you have to know how to draw hands or draw with hyper realistic skills to be good at drawing.

Only that one who can draw hands or hair can draw very well.

Kids are awesome at drawing. Love kid's art. Partly because they draw and do art with no inhibitions and no judgement.

I personally recommend that artists learn how to draw people, nude or clothed, because it will help improve drawing skills ten fold.

I know a few adults who can't draw to save their life, but they could learn how to.

 

Jani Freimann

9 Years Ago

Setting up Ronald's next question again:

Here is another question, in your mind can a very well crafted realistic drawing be poor?

 

Lisa Kaiser

9 Years Ago

I always tell my friends who want to become more active in life that it's not what you can do that makes any difference at all, rather it's what you will do everyday and then become great rather than just good. This the best advice I have for myself. It's not that I can draw, of course I can draw...I'm an artist just like all of you. But it's what I do everyday that can make the difference between something that is good and that which turns out great. I draw everywhere I go with unforgiving pen and ink. One to Two minute drawings can be the beginning of masterpieces. By the way, I heard that good is the enemy to great the other day at work and I smiled because good might as well be nothing at all in the art world. I draw with a paint brush for the most part, but I've drawn with pencil, pen of course, the computer and with colored pencils and oil pastels too. No medium makes it easy. I've had to draw things out that will be painted on a wall. I've had to draw something on a canvas only to ruin it with paint and vice versa. The computer can show me the flaws so I can fix my errors on the real canvas. No matter how we configure our skills, drawing usually occurs when we create masterpieces.

 

Sheena Pike

9 Years Ago

I agree Jani especially with .......

"Nobody is saying you have to know how to draw hands or draw with hyper realistic skills to be good at drawing.

Only that one who can draw hands or hair can draw very well. "

With my statement I should clarify my point was that when I was younger I used to believe only people who could draw realistically were the most talented. I now have matured and realized that I no longer believe that to be true.




 

Carol McGunagle

9 Years Ago

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I started drawing when I was very young. This is a pen and ink I did in my high school art class 39 years ago!

 

Robert James Hacunda

9 Years Ago

Me? Not a so good, but I can fake it with composition ... but than there is drawing and there is rendering

 

Marlene Burns

9 Years Ago

I'm real good at drawing a bath and drawing conclusions

 

Robert James Hacunda

9 Years Ago

I like to render a good cream sauce and draw upon my wit

 

This discussion is closed.