Drawing
A pencil, paper, and eyes that see.
There are few hobbies that require as little to get started as drawing or sketching. Although this may seem like an intimidating hobby at first, drawing is really more about the way you see things than anything else. And like anything else, it can absolutely be learned. There are countless books or online tutorials about how to draw. The one thing that connects them all is the learned ability to look so closely at something or someone that you can break it down into shapes, shades, and angles. Besides, who doesn’t love an artist?!
When we’re children, we intuitively draw things we see without even thinking about it, and drawing used to be taught broadly to children in school. Now it’s become a sort of specialty in the arts. Drawing is now thought of as the sort of thing you only dabble in past a certain age or pursue if you are already naturally good at it. But this doesn’t have to be the case! Drawing is for anyone, anytime, anywhere.
There are multiple ways that drawing can enrich your life if you allow it. Some of these are by giving you improved concentration, visualization, hand-eye coordination, analytical skills, stress relief, a sense of accomplishment, and the ability to communicate without words (FantasyGhosts, n.d.). Sketching is also an incredibly easy hobby to take “on the road.” It’s versatile and mobile, something you could do at your own kitchen table or in the middle of a busy train station.
Maybe you don’t need convincing that drawing is an amazing hobby and that you should dive right in! Maybe you already have. If that’s the case, then here are a few tips that can take you further in your drawing adventure (Thom, 2021)!
Draw the same thing more than once. The major benefit of this is that you’ll get to compare your first attempt to your second, third, fourth, etc. and see where you’ve learned something and made significant improvements. I know someone who does a self portrait of herself every year. The style may change, but she draws herself at least once a year and as a result can look at a growing collection of work!
Begin drawing with simple shapes. This lets you create the base structure of what you’re drawing first, then the complex details are added on later.
Try out a number of different types of pencils. There are pencils that require almost no pressure to leave a mark and pencils that require more. There are pencils with a very soft graphite that leave light lines and pencils with hard graphite that leave dark ones. Experiment and find what works best for you.
Lastly - play! Drawing is meant to be fun, not stressful. Let it add interest to your life and follow the whims of your drawing pad.
P.S. Everybody loves the gift of a personally done drawing!
References:
Thom, J. (2021). Tips for pencil drawing as a hobby. Felt Magnet. Retrieved from https://feltmagnet.com/drawing/pencil-drawing-as-a-hobby-10999.
FantasyGhosts. (n.d.). 10 reasons why drawing is a fantastic hobby. Fantasy Ghost. Retrieved from https://fantasyghost.com/is-drawing-a-good-hobby/.
Challenges/Points:
Drawing is a hobby for anyone, anywhere, anytime and is super easy to do on the go.
Follow a tutorial online or get a book from the library on drawing technique if you want a little more detailed help at the start.
Once you’ve started drawing, draw the same thing more than once and play with your approach. Have fun!
Questions:
Have you ever sat down and tried your hand at drawing just for the fun of it?
Where is a good place you could go to practice drawing that’s also in public?
Which form of motivation would you be most likely to use to encourage your drawing practice?
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