One of the ways I want to move forward in my recently named “job” or calling, is to encourage others to draw their life. The thing is, I really don’t feel that I have much to contribute to the already full and rich resources available to you via the web for learning drawing, painting, sketching techniques or for learning how to use materials for these endeavors. There is just so much out there for you to learn from fabulous artists who have taken the time to show you and share with you techniques and materials either on their websites & blogs or through YouTube. Though I COULD certainly teach you these things, what I have to offer you is in some sense more to the heart of the matter. Some may say they are “side” issues to chronicling your life in a sketchbook. But I think of them as of supreme importance, if not the topmost lessons needed in order to begin and to continue to celebrate your life in images, whether drawn, painted or collaged. These lessons are not rocket science! They are simple, foundational yet enduring.
So. I’m going to begin a little weekly offering to you. Let’s say, every Friday, STARTING THIS FRIDAY, I’ll have here a mini lesson. At this point, I’m calling it Drawing Your Life: 12 mini-lessons for Celebrating your Life in images drawn, painted, and collaged. This “course” is designed to empower you to see the Beauty in your Life no matter how artistic or NON-artistic you think you are!! It will be a series of little lessons meant for artists in all stages of their creative journey, and ESPECIALLY for any of you who have ever said: I couldn’t draw a straight line even if you gave me a ruler!” Of course, between the Friday posts, I’ll sprinkle my ongoing life-drawn-to-paper and pinned to this blog.
Definitely tune in every Friday, 12 weeks of “baby steps” we can all take together. I’m looking forward to you visiting. There’s no fee! It’s for you to enjoy! I’m tagging all of these posts into a Category titled: Drawing Your Life Mini Lessons. Hopefully this will aid you in coming directly to my blog to review the lessons as you need to. Or if you join mid-way through, you can get to the others. One day, I’ll post them all in a section to themselves and then I might create a Zine compiling them all together for any of you who might like a paper copy.
I look forward to Fridays! I hope you’ll join me! Oh, and 12 lessons? Hmmm…it might be more:). We’ll just see how it all unfolds.
**Click On the Highlighted words to go directly to a particular Lesson:
Lesson #2: Draw From the Feast
Lesson #3: Peer Behind the Veil
Lesson #7: Scribble With Purpose
Lesson #10: Develop Selective Sight
Lesson #12: Be a Beginner…Always!
“Why I Draw” Video : A little video I put together on the many reasons I love to draw! Enjoy!
*These 12 lessons on Drawing Your Life are offered to you in hopes that you will discover each day the beauty that is right at your feet, all around you, in your everyday life. So many times I default into thinking I need a new life, or I need to travel, or to be doing something I’m not, in order to find richness and beauty. Drawing my Life in a sketchbook has taught me and continues to teach me that if I’ll just Draw Up a Chair and really look at my life, there are incredible things to draw right where I am. Drawing teaches me to Look. To really see the wonders that are all around me no matter how mundane they may be. I am hugely indebted to the following authors/artists for their inspiration in my own journey to chronicle my life in a sketchbook. It is by no means an exhaustive list!! There are so many wonderful author/artists out there for you to “draw” from! I reference the following in the lessons for you to also gain inspiration and instruction.
Danny Gregory. The Creative License. Everyday Matters. An Illustrated Life.
Bert Dodson. Keys to Drawing.
Kimon Nicolaides. The Natural Way to Draw.
Steven Aimone. Expressive Drawing.
****There is a lot of traffic on these Drawing Lessons! I’m so glad! I would really love to hear from you, if you might take a minute to let me know how these lessons are helping you! Any questions too! I’m working on getting them into paper form, but in the meantime I’d love to know who you are and how these encourage you. Just leave a comment here on my blog, or you can message me via Etsy, or contact me on my Facebook page, Drawn2Life. Thanks!
April 26, 2012 at 4:53 am
Thank you for helping and wanting to be there for other artist. You are a specialperson for doing this for us.
April 26, 2012 at 10:06 am
You are so very welcome!! Thank you for taking the time to comment and for visiting!