Sorry for the slow start, everyone! We are still in school, because we had so many snow days this year. I did get my book, and some of my kids (ages 14, 13, and 8) have agreed to join me. Lots of readers are planning to participate! I’m really excited.
Here’s a recap: a bunch of us are going to go through the book Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain to beef up our drawing and looking skills. The idea is that, while some people have a natural, inborn talent, just about anyone can learn to be a competent artist. People who follow this course typically see dramatic improvement in their drawing skills. Here are some “before and after” examples from the book:
It’s not a gimmick; it’s just system for learning how to think in a new way about what you see. (There is a workbook available, but it covers the same material as the book, and it is not necessary to buy both. I have only bought the book.)
Every week, I’ll post pictures of our drawing results, and I will set up a blog link-up thingy, so anyone who wants to join in can provide a quick link to his blog (or Tumblr, or Flickr, or any other image hosting site), and we can all see each other’s pics — kind of a virtual drawing club. LOW PRESSURE. FUN. This is just meant to be a pleasant change from the things we spend our time thinking and doing every day. No criticism, just encouragement!
So, there is still time to order your book, if you would like to join in.
You don’t need expensive, professional materials – just regular paper, pencil and eraser will be fine. The first lesson includes a self-portrait, so you will need a wall mirror and a hard surface to draw on.
Read through the introduction and first chapter, and then do the exercises in chapter two. It says it will take about an hour to do all three drawings. Don’t worry about being a super duper artist! The point of these first drawings is to leap in, and to give yourself something to compare your later work to.
The first Summer Drawing Club Link-Up will be next Tuesday, June 24. I hope you can join us!
