Learning to draw again as an adult is a tad bit different from learning to draw as a child. There is a freedom of imagination and expression in childhood drawing that gets overshadowed sometimes by the need to control and plan in adulthood.
Some say that learning to draw is learning how to see, but that isn’t quite right. It is important to see certain aspects of form, shape, light and atmosphere in order to better observe what you want to represent realistically. But learning to draw is all about learning to control lines, shapes and edges on a surface in order to build a picture of what you see. So drawing involves much more than seeing.
Drawing is a constructive and organizing activity that communicates ideas. In this way it goes beyond seeing and simple observation. It is related to speech. It organizes lines and shapes on a surface so that something new can be seen, felt or understood. A cave drawing organizes lines so that viewers understand a horse and other animals are represented on the wall. Other lines and shapes represent a human holding a hunting spear or a bow with arrows, which communicate more ideas and complete a greater picture. Viewers are meant to see and understand.
Not all drawing is representational. Some lines and shapes are not symbolic of real objects, yet they invoke certain moods and feelings by reminding us of feelings from real world experiences. In this way, even abstract art can be symbolic of reality.
I don't want to bore you, nor use up time describing all the possibilities of drawing. Your imagination is better at that than my words can express. However, I do want to ask one question. What do you want to communicate with your drawing? An idea, a story, a feeling, a mood? Go for it. There are no restrictions on how loose and free or tightly controlled your drawings should be. Let your imagination get to work.
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| A watercolor sketch from direct observation |
Some say that learning to draw is learning how to see, but that isn’t quite right. It is important to see certain aspects of form, shape, light and atmosphere in order to better observe what you want to represent realistically. But learning to draw is all about learning to control lines, shapes and edges on a surface in order to build a picture of what you see. So drawing involves much more than seeing.
Drawing is a constructive and organizing activity that communicates ideas. In this way it goes beyond seeing and simple observation. It is related to speech. It organizes lines and shapes on a surface so that something new can be seen, felt or understood. A cave drawing organizes lines so that viewers understand a horse and other animals are represented on the wall. Other lines and shapes represent a human holding a hunting spear or a bow with arrows, which communicate more ideas and complete a greater picture. Viewers are meant to see and understand.
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| Digital drawing by a 1 year-old |
Not all drawing is representational. Some lines and shapes are not symbolic of real objects, yet they invoke certain moods and feelings by reminding us of feelings from real world experiences. In this way, even abstract art can be symbolic of reality.
I don't want to bore you, nor use up time describing all the possibilities of drawing. Your imagination is better at that than my words can express. However, I do want to ask one question. What do you want to communicate with your drawing? An idea, a story, a feeling, a mood? Go for it. There are no restrictions on how loose and free or tightly controlled your drawings should be. Let your imagination get to work.
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