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Drawings
"I can't draw...I have no talent."
Think again!
What if we were all taught to draw in grade school? Just like we were all systematically taught to write and do arithmetic. Then we could all draw (to some degree), just like we write, read, and do math (to some degree).
Remember, drawing is a learned manual skill like shooting a basketball, swinging a golf club, or typing at a keyboard. Those who can draw well are not necessarily "talented" or creative. Creativity and imagination are the spiritual and mental ingredients that make art happen. Drawing what you see is skilled copying.
The point I'm trying to make is this: anyone can learn to draw. And it's possible to make art (a very subjective word), because imagination and creativity can also be developed.
If you're just starting out, I've included a list of drawing tips to get you started.
This mouse was drawn with a fine point felt pen, copied from a photograph. Shading is achieved through the density of the overlaid parallel lines, known as crosshatching
I like to draw faces and try to get a good likeness each time. The following are mostly famous faces drawn in pencil and ink, from way back in 1989-90. The files are small and load fast.
William F. Buckley . . Ed Koch . . Kareem Abdul Jabbar . . FDR . . Tom Snyder . . Jean Stapleton . . Jean Kirkpatrick . . Manuel Noriega
I draw practically every day. Even on a bus or at a boring meeting I like to draw what I see around me. While they're unaware, I sometimes sketch others , using a ballpoint pen. Other times I draw from my imagination, in this case faces using a 2B pencil.
I learned to draw the human figure in almost any conceivable pose while I was in my early teens, by copying George Bridgeman's illustrations of anatomy. Here's some action sketches from my imagination, somewhat resembling comic book action figures.
Life drawing classes are challenging opportunities to hone your drawing skills:
This guy is rather lean. But any body type is fascinating to draw, including these nude penguins , which I sketched at the Portland Zoo (now the Oregon Zoo). "They say that it's all happening at the zoo", where I sketched more mammals
Quick, loose figure studies are good warm ups. Later in the session, longer poses allow time for more detail. I used black and white conte crayon on a toned paper for this one. Some poses look comical in hindsight: this model looks like she's hiding from a bad hair day! .
In this human male figure, I deliberately emphasized the block-like structure of his anatomy; and also in this twisting, seated male model .
"Foreshortening" is a long word that simply means human limbs in nearly straight on perspective . If you keep your visual wits about you, proportion and scale will fall into place. This fetal position was also an interesting challenge to draw.
More life drawings from class: back, sleep, pose, turn, bend, perch, lay, and kneel.
If a life class is inconvenient, draw from magazines (Sports Illustrated or Victoria's Secret) . Draw on the bus, at home, or draw your own hand .
Relying on imagination alone can lead to stale formula. It's more challenging and interesting to draw from everyday life, as I did when I quickly sketched my beloved cat, Tawny (passed on to cat heaven), atop her favorite radio.
A rough drawing of a symphony performance led to this painting
When I was much younger, I drew dozens of heads from the World Book encyclopedia. They were usually less than an inch square, and it helped me see the overall picture first, details second. Gaugin was drawn with a small pointed brush dipped in water-based ink. Here's what happened when I added some layers of color in Photoshop 4.
I've added some of my erotic drawings. I'm not ashamed of the beauty of erotic love. Eroticism is the amazing and fantastic gift to us from the Creator. I consider my drawings a celebration and praise of sex. For artists, poets, and writers any subject is open for creative exploration, in my view. However, if you think erotic art is pornography you will probably not want to view these pages.
All art work Copyright © Harlan Simantel
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