Learning to Draw

I’ve always been a sketcher and a doodler. Some days are better than others, but without formal training I’ve always wondered about my ability. Lately I find myself wondering less and less, but enjoying the process more and more. I also find myself sketching a bit quicker, I think I see more now than I used to. Could this come from practicing actually looking at things?

Last evening, while having my evening tea on the back deck, one of my dogs went on full alert. Baci, my rescued dog, thought he heard something up in the woods, but he’s not brave enough to actually go after anything, just stand and make a lot of noise! While he was standing, I attempted to capture the shape and definition of the back of his front leg.

Immediately my mind started a loud verbal critique of what I had done. And the other dogs started running up to the woods and the moment was lost. There was nothing in the woods, but there had been a snake there earlier in the day.

While reading through parts of “The Artists Way” by Julia Cameron again later last night, I was struck by the statement that for a beginning artist to criticize their work and compare it to others is a form of self-abuse by the left brain.

Point taken, I like this image for what it is, the best of my ability to capture the back of Baci’s leg last night in a short span of time at this given point in my life.