I’ve had countless people say to me, “I wish I could draw as good as you!” And as I’ve had more connection to younger artists by means of social media and conventions, I find my response has changed from a simple, “Thank you,” to a more useful, “You can!” The truth is, sometimes I look at other artists and also think, “I wish I could draw/paint as well as them!” And at that point, I need to remind myself, that I can too. Or, to be more accurate, I will be able to. The secret? Practice.
While art-making, in general, is often intellectual and inspired, the thing I’m talking about here is the skill. Not coming up with ideas, but actually making art. And just like any other skill, it just takes practice. And practice requires dedication. It’s the second point, the dedication, that trips up a lot of people when I tell them all they need is practice. So many people respond with, “I don’t have time,” and to those people, I don’t think their wish to draw better is genuine. But to those who truly wish to improve, they will make the time to study and practice. Sometimes it means giving up other things we like doing. But sadly the truth is there isn’t enough time in the world to do everything we want to do, so we must prioritize and choose.
If you practice the thing you want to do though, you will get better. So as a reminder to myself, and a boost of encouragement to other young artists, I want to share with you the first drawing from my first sketchbook, which was given to me as a Christmas gift from my uncle when I was too young to think of writing the date on it. Anyways, I hope you like it, and keep drawing every day!