Art

I have been drawing and painting for numerous years now and I passed my A-Level art exams after which I decided to continue my art only for personal enjoyment and not have to have the pressure of deadlines and constraints in my work. Art is not about the grades for me it's about the enjoyment and fulfillment.



That's not saying that it was a waste of time doing the course I did as it taught me a great deal about what makes good art. The great thing about art is all you need is an open imagination, a pencil and something to work on. Most people I speak to have a very negative attitude towards art - either you can or you can't and what they should realise is that there is no such word as can't.

There is probably very little comparison in the skills I have now compared to two years ago and two years before that. You don't have to be naturally gifted with the ability to draw or start from when you are two years old. Like anything the more practice you have the better you will become, it is a great journey to embark on where your progress is easy to see through the work you produce.

Aside from the outcome art is about the thought processes which is very therapuetic, how I interpret the world will be different from anyone else. The fact that no two drawings can be the same is very humbling, every small stroke makes up the big picture and just because my work is different from someone else's it isn't wrong in fact it is encouraged.

I can't understand people who are afraid to be a little bit different and who would always look for a written answer to an open question rather than use there own thoughts to make suggestions. For those who have always thought of Art as being too difficult why not give it another go? The Main point is to start off simple, just choosing your favorite picture may just lead to frustration that it doesn't look how you imagined. The best thing is to start simple, you wouldn't learn to drive in a 18 wheel truck.

Use an image/ subject that has simple lines and smooth textures to start with. Examples may be a bottle, a door or something small like a pencil sharper. Observing the form and getting the perspective right are the first things you may concentrate on. One tip I would give is if you do get frustrated while drawing you may have the temptation to reach for the eraser, this isn't always nessesary especially with more complex pieces, if it looks wrong it could just be because you havn't drawn enough of the shape for it to look right. It may be best to continue and then even if it was wrong you will have a better idea of where the correct place would be.

Once everything is in perspective shading is key to making an image stand out, experiment with different techniques, you may wish to even draw the same object at different points in the day if using natural light or if you have an adjustable lamp that is ideal for the study of shadow. With pieces that require a range of tones (light & dark shadows) a range of different grades of pencil maybe a worthwhile investment.

But overall art is a very personal thing and it doesn't matter if it doesn't look right to anyone else, your work is personal to you. It's about thinking outside the box and while I and anyone else can give you advice it is up to you if you listen!