I often have people admire my work (which is always a buzz!), who then go one to say that they couldn’t do it. For some I can hear the longing in their voice, that they would love to be doing it but lack the confidence to start. Danny Gregory, who wrote the blog I am reposting is a master at making people understand that they can draw. He began Sketchbook Skool, an online series of drawing classes which are fantastic. On this post, which is the beginning of a series, he chats about why developing simple skills of seeing are important in the first steps of drawing. If you are one of those people who long to pick up a pencil and draw, Danny Gregory may give you the inspiration to begin.
I’ve made some simple videos to walk you through the steps of seeing and drawing as I outline them in the first section of my book, Art Before Breakfast. This first one is about why you don’t need talent to get started, just a couple of simple ideas that might jog your brain, including a demonstration of contour drawing. If you’re new to drawing or are struggling with the basics, I hope this series will be helpful.
Every Friday I work through an idea from Art Before Breakfast. It would be lovely if I could imagine you out there drawing along with me. This particular exercise comes from page 25. If you decide to do it too, please share with me how how it turned out! (Share the results on your own blog or on Facebook and post a link in my comments section. Use #artb4bkfst on Twitter or FB).
Anne Lawson Art 
3 replies on “Art Before Breakfast: How to see.”
I like what he said about actually /seeing/. As writers, we have the same problem, especially when we’re editing – you see what you think should be there rather than what actually is.
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That’s really interesting, Meeks. I hadn’t thought about it in relation to writing, but of course the same issues would be there. We see and hear what we are expecting to see and hear, and disregard the parts that don’t fit.
The inner critic must take hold of writers too. I would imagine that the blank page for a writer must conjure up the same doubts/questions as it does for an artist ~ am I going to be able to achieve what I have in my mind? What if I stuff it up? I am not good enough for this, etc, etc etc. It takes work and confidence to go beyond that, to silence the critic. Is the blank page an issue for you?
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-face palm- oh yes, oh very very yes…:(
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