What do you hope to find on the Drawsketch site?
Monday October 23, 2006
I recently revisited this old poll: How did you learn to draw?. When I first posted it, I noticed a lot of votes for 'I haven't learned to draw, and I'm not learning now.' and wasn't too sure what to make of it: perhaps people were visiting Drawing/Sketching by mistake? But now, after over 2300 votes, there is still a whopping 23 percent of responses for that answer.
So my question is, if you aren't learning to draw, what is it that you wish to find here on Drawing/Sketching? Is it a quick 'draw this now' type of step-by-step for a school project or craft? Are you viewing the drawing gallery, or looking for someone to commission a drawing from? Or something else? Now that we have 'comments' on the Drawsketch blog, its quick and easy to add your thoughts. And even if you are learning - or have learned - to draw, of course I'm happy to hear your suggestions too!
Comments
http://www.animezone.ru/
I’m an art teacher. I’m looking for things I can use with my students.
(I teach K-6 now, but when I taught 9-12 You were unknowingly responsible for a couple take home assignments.)
I’m taking up drawing again after a five-year hiatus. I’m pretty much self-taught, so I’m confident I have everything to learn. And your site is one of the ways I intend to do that!
I am looking to improve and develope new skills.
To go beyond the “you draw well” stage into a real art form.
Thanks for your comments! Quite a range of ideas there – from kids to adult refresher courses to advanced material, and more Anime….
I am learning to draw at age 62 so need all the help I can get. I’m taking lessons and learning a lot but want to go faster and do better.
I AM FOREVER LEARNING TO DRAW. I USE THIS SITE FOR A LOT OF MY INFO. I HOPE TO FIND MORE OF THE SAME ON IT. I AM VERY HAPPY WITH IT. I HOPE TO IMPROVE WITH PRACTICE.
Lately I’ve been watching people draw at Rate my drawings. It’s not really like drawing on paper but you can see how people start to think when they draw.
I am returning to my first love – drawing – after a lifetime of doing what I was expected to do, rather than doing what I loved to do. I look to this site for tips, guidance, feedback, ideas,and inspiration. One area I would like to see more on is tips for the ‘older’ artist. Those of us who’s eyes are no longer sharp! ;-D Any out-of-the box, creative workarounds that folks have discovered?!
Cheryl’s comment is very expressive, and near enough to my own.
I’ve marched through 68 years of doing what NEEDS to be done – as in mortgages, parenting, civic interests, etc – rather than what I would like to do. I started really drawing at 10, when an interested and artistic aunt showed me what “perspective” does to a drtawing. Still life with pencil was a lot of fun, and I wound up making a living at signs, silk-screening, gold leafing, antique restoration, wedding and portrait photography, certified welding, driving long-haul truck, and programming coordinate measuring machines in a factory.
Now, with the time to devote, I anticipate developing those interests which were sidelined earlier. I look to your site to help expose to my interest things which I have overlooked in the “mad rush years”.
One such item is giclee printing, for intstance – I knew that people somehow, had reproductions made, but I had only the foggiest idea that a printer must somehow be involved in the process.
Your background articles on materials and techniques provide information that seems to be tailored to my needs of the moment.
What you are providing is information that I could possibly gain for myself, but only through much time and many experiments. It is nice to read the work of someone who has already sorted through the myriad possibilities and reduced them to clear and comprehensible description.
Moreover, you do not talk down to your readers. (I have met some folk who do, but theirs surely must be a friendless world.)
Thank you,
Robert L.
I was an art major in college and after many years of fabrics and fiber projects, jewelry making, writing, quilting and all sorts of creative thinking I want to get back to drawing (preference is pointilism and charcoal) and I’m looking to refresh the point of view to take it up again. Seems to me that my inspiration has dried up and subjects are not as forthcoming or interesting as before. Was inspired by the skull, though. Must do more research on such subjects.
I am 63 and would like to learn how to draw. I have yet to see a beginners book that shows you how to draw from beggining to end. Such as a box. Can you recomend any?
You asked whether we wanted short cuts and my honest answer is yes, please. I am 41 and have just started my journey into art and while I work on building up proper skills on way too little spare time, I would love a few short cuts which would allow me to draw something OK while I also work on learning things properly. Online there seems to be lots of tutorials on the kids level and lots of ones on an advance level. I sometimes miss something in between. For example, I would love to learn basic lines in sketching different poses in a cat so that I could use it either for developing more cartoonlike cats or use it as starting points for more professional drawing and shading exercises with my own cats as models. What I’m trying to say, very poorly I fear, is that I’d like tutorials which are in between the near 2D look of cartoons and the very detailed 3D of very detailed proper drawings.
Trine
I always hope to find more illustration and less words.
I am learning to draw again after more than forty years. I would like to eventually illustrate childrens’ stories. I realise that I am a long way off from that right now, but it is my dream and I am doing my best to realise it. The site offers pointers and tips that are useful. Even though I don’t draw as often as I would like I am encourged to do at least one a week.
Thank you.
A trigger for creativity.
I had an art teacher in Grade 3 that told me I couldn’t draw. I believed her until I was about 40. Then a book I bought for our son caught my interest and I’ve started drawing. Right now, work and life interfere with my time with a pencil, and I find this site keeps me in touch with techniques and keeps my interest up. Some day I will have more time… Sound familiar?
I would like to see “A Daily Draw”. This could be a simple drawing assignment perhaps with a reference photo or sketch to copy. The idea is to give those of us with little time a quick daily practice. Perhaps there could be a daily Quick Sketch and a daily Challenge Sketch for those who need a little something more challenging.
The main thing is that there would be something everyday ready and available to get that oh-so-important daily practice in.
If any of you know of a site like this, please let me know. I’d appreciate it!
Thanks
Robert, thanks for your kind words! And thanks everyone for these fantastic ideas.
I’d been noticing a few more advanced readers visiting the site, and I can see this is an area that needs a bit of work since I’d focussed on building beginner content earlier on. So I’ll certainly keep that in mind.
I love the daily drawing project idea, Vicky! I’d been thinking about it but so far haven’t been too sure how to do it. Daily might be rather a lot to start with, but maybe two a week might be a reasonable place to start.
Sister Shirley, I’m with you on the ‘more illustration, less words’. I guess words are ‘easier’ on computer – breaking drawings into clear steps and presenting them takes more time, but I agree that its worth the effort, so I promise you’ll be seeing a lot more pictures from now on!
I’m learning and really enjoy all the info. I get from you. You have no idea how much it has helped with confidence, etc. Thank you Thank you Thank you
Sandra
i’ve been drawing for as long as i can remember, and will hopefully be starting at art school next year for graphic design. i’ve always wanted to do comic books and graphic novels, and i really want to learn how to- obviously this involves learning about a lot of aspects of drawing, because however little my art teachers want to admit it, drawing good comics and cartoons takes a great amount of skill. plus i just need to put together a really good portfolio…yeah.
This is the only drawing site I visit regularly.
I use the site to keep my mind in drawing.
I would like to use the site to improve my knowledge of drawing well, i.e. no to improve a drawing, but to improve all of my drawings.
I also would like to learn new techniques. Maybe how to begin to incorporate colored pencils, washes, etc. Love the site. Even if some days seem simple, it is still useful. Thank you very much for all you do.
Have visited your site many times and being new to drawing and painting have trouble with what I want to create. Took some class at Michel’s learned so great tips but some projects are not for me. Not like taking a real art class. I’m 61 and can’t get out of the house very ofen,have a lot of time on my hands and have to fine some thing to do. Have any Ideas how to get the creativity flowing.
I am very creative with needlecrafts, but I cannot draw very well. I keep hoping that if I look at enough tutorials, I will be brave enough to try drawing! I like your how tos for drawing figures (eg a horse, etc.)
well, i would happen to be one of those that never learned to draw and am not presently. i often dream that i could draw, but i’m a little too much of a perfectionist to let myself free. i also don’t trust myself to be able to do any better with practice, so i havn’t been doing good in practicing… i come on here and got subscribed to dream and hope that i would one day pick up my courage with my two hands and start practicing.