{"id":1030,"date":"2012-10-25T10:58:55","date_gmt":"2012-10-25T10:58:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thomastaylor-author.com\/?p=1030"},"modified":"2022-01-17T12:27:52","modified_gmt":"2022-01-17T12:27:52","slug":"five-steps-to-starting-to-draw","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.paulkirkdesign.co.uk\/devblock\/ttaylor111\/five-steps-to-starting-to-draw\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Steps to Starting Drawing"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The YA author <a href=\"http:\/\/www.piccadillypress.co.uk\/teen\/caroline-green\/index.html\">Caroline Green<\/a> left a comment on one of my recent drawings to the effect that she wishes she could draw. In later comments she admitted to drawing more in the past, but that she now can\u2019t find the inspiration or motivation. I suspect a lot of people feel like that.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1945 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.paulkirkdesign.co.uk\/devblock\/ttaylor111\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/CupsandStuff1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1181\" height=\"715\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.paulkirkdesign.co.uk\/devblock\/ttaylor111\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/CupsandStuff1.jpg 1181w, http:\/\/www.paulkirkdesign.co.uk\/devblock\/ttaylor111\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/CupsandStuff1-300x182.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.paulkirkdesign.co.uk\/devblock\/ttaylor111\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/CupsandStuff1-1024x620.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/www.paulkirkdesign.co.uk\/devblock\/ttaylor111\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/CupsandStuff1-768x465.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1181px) 100vw, 1181px\" \/>The standard response from those who draw all the time is to say, \u2018oh, come on \u2013 anyone can draw!\u2019, but I won\u2019t say that. I\u2019ve been on the receiving end of \u2018anyone can dance!\u2019 and \u2018anyone can sing!\u2019 often enough to know how annoying that can be. And yet, it remains true that anyone capable of making a mark is able to draw <em>something<\/em>, and anyone who practices will improve. So I suppose the best thing to say would be \u2018anyone can try\u2019. And in case anyone reading this wants to try, here are five steps to getting started.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-1946\" src=\"http:\/\/www.paulkirkdesign.co.uk\/devblock\/ttaylor111\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Shoes1-255x300-1-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"100\" height=\"118\" \/>Buy a cheapish, blank, <strong>hardback<\/strong> notebook. Not an expensive sketchbook, because that can be intimidating. Make sure the paper isn\u2019t too smooth, but also not too absorbent. Ideally the book will fit in your pocket or bag, but still be big enough to accept your whole hand. Decide to draw in it regularly, in the same way you might decide to sing in the bath or dance about when you are on your own (as I, er, believe some people do). It&#8217;s private, that\u2019s the point.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1948 alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/www.paulkirkdesign.co.uk\/devblock\/ttaylor111\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Telephone-300x291-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"100\" height=\"97\" \/>Choose something to draw with. Don\u2019t automatically reach for an HB pencil (though if you do, make sure you sharpen it with a knife) &#8212; a pen would be better. Biros are great for sketching with, but a thin fibre-tip pen might be best of all. A fibre-tip will force you to be decisive. Whatever you choose, though, make sure you are comfortable with it. Attach it to the book with a rubber band.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1949 alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/www.paulkirkdesign.co.uk\/devblock\/ttaylor111\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/trees-203x300-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"68\" height=\"100\" \/>Scribble all over the first few pages. This isn\u2019t just a gimmick, it\u2019s a great way to break down inhibitions. But while you\u2019re scribbling, explore the way your pen makes marks, and enjoy trying to vary the line. Also try holding the pen at different angles. Try not resting the heel of your hand on the book at all. Try anything that occurs. Remember you were a child once. If the book is still pristine after all this, you\u2019ll probably need to scribble some more.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-1950\" src=\"http:\/\/www.paulkirkdesign.co.uk\/devblock\/ttaylor111\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Implements-223x300-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"74\" height=\"100\" \/>Try drawing things around you. Pick simple things with volume \u2013 ornaments, shoes, pots and pans. Don\u2019t worry about the result, just think about the shape of the object and the marks you are making in response. Use as few lines as possible, and make them quick lines too, and do it again and again till the pages are covered in \u2018goes\u2019, even little ones in the corners. When a cup gets boring (and it will), move on to the toaster. Don\u2019t draw <em>anything<\/em> from the imagination, but\u2026<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1951 alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/www.paulkirkdesign.co.uk\/devblock\/ttaylor111\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Max-249x300-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"100\" height=\"120\" \/>\u2026remember that you are not a camera (Christopher Isherwood notwithstanding). You aren\u2019t copying what you see, you are drawing it. For this reason you won\u2019t make any mistakes (so don\u2019t even think about rubbing anything out). If you decide what you are doing isn\u2019t \u2018right\u2019, just start again \u2013 what does it matter? None of the drawings will be \u2018right\u2019 anyway, but then none of them will be \u2018wrong\u2019 either. They\u2019ll just be drawings. If this sounds unlikely to you, you might need to repeat step three.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">When the book is full chuck it in the recycling bin. Or not. If you want to show it to someone then fine, but don\u2019t feel the need to. I can\u2019t guarantee you\u2019ll be sketching like Leonardo by then, but several things will be true: you will have explored mark-making far more than most people do in adult life, you will have created a private pen-and-ink world of your own that you might not want to leave, and you will have filled a book with increasingly confident drawing. What happens next is down to you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The YA author Caroline Green left a comment on one of my recent drawings to the effect that she wishes she could draw. In later comments she admitted to drawing&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32,33,34,35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1030","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-drawing-tips","category-sketchbook","category-sketchbook-keeping","category-sketching"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v17.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Five Steps to Starting Drawing - Thomas Taylor - Author<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"it remains true that anyone capable of making a mark is able to draw something, and anyone who practices will improve.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Five Steps to Starting Drawing - Thomas Taylor - Author\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"it remains true that anyone capable of making a mark is able to draw something, and anyone who practices will improve.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"http:\/\/www.paulkirkdesign.co.uk\/devblock\/ttaylor111\/five-steps-to-starting-to-draw\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Thomas Taylor - Author\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2012-10-25T10:58:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-01-17T12:27:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.paulkirkdesign.co.uk\/devblock\/ttaylor111\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/CupsandStuff1.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Thomas\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.paulkirkdesign.co.uk\/devblock\/ttaylor111\/#website\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/www.paulkirkdesign.co.uk\/devblock\/ttaylor111\/\",\"name\":\"Thomas Taylor - Author\",\"description\":\"Eerie-on-Sea &amp; 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