At my studio, beginning students get their first opportunity to copy a drawing by one of the Modern Masters (think Van Gogh, Degas, John Singer Sargent) after spending several weeks working from the still life in charcoal. With good drawing habits now firmly in...
Perfectionism has defined me for much of my life. It lurked behind the endless hours spent studying & later, working; behind the good grades & later, the promotions. I’ve been called a perfectionist by teachers, bosses, co-workers, friends & family....
At the beginning of my first drawing lesson, the art instructor sat down at the bench & demonstrated how to begin a drawing of the fruit & bottle arranged on the shelf in front of us. I was amazed to see him searching for the correct lines as he worked...
In an earlier post, I wrote that the greatest hindrance to learning to draw is one’s resistance to the process itself. Resistance occurs when one knows & understands the good drawing habits, but fails to apply & practice them. Resistance can be partial:...
In my previous 2 posts, On Being Mindful & On Learning to Draw, I mentioned the importance of drawing new lines before erasing old ones. In this post, let’s look at why this is a good – in fact, essential – drawing habit to practice. Imagine this scenario: ...
We’re hearing a great deal about “mindfulness” these days. On talk shows & webcasts, in self-help books & even college-level courses, we are being taught the importance of “staying in the moment.” Of course, the concept of mindfulness is an ancient...
