A friend who’s a school librarian sent me a link to a video called “Austin’s Butterfly” in response to yesterday’s blog:
I love the “look like a scientist” line, that if you want accuracy in a drawing you need to look at the subject in a different way. Look like a scientist, not everyday looking. Learning to look is as much part of learning to draw as mark making.
It’s also about persistence and developing on what you did before. Too many adults pick up a pencil, give drawing something a go, and then give up because it doesn’t have the degree of realism they imagine they should be able to produce effortlessly.
The “it must look real” in order to be good or worthwhile art is a can of worms, not least because there are many forms or styles of drawing, realism being but one. Rather than saying “what is it?” try “tell me about your drawing”.
