Learning To Draw Is Also About Unlearning Bad Habits
Practice Drawing This Draw-along.
ur brain is inundated with information and deals with it by simplifying things into symbols. When we set out to learn to draw realistically, we need to “unlearn” that so that we can see the abstract shapes in front of us and copy them to our paper, so the same scene magically re-appears. This is what much of the book “Drawing On The Right Side Of The Brain” is about, and it is why it is such a good book for beginners.
We also develop “bad habits” that are unique to us. In Marshall’s Heinrich Kley courses, he gently guides students to drawing more loosely. He shares meticulously-drawn drawings he made when he was young. He had to get rid of a bad habit: drawing too tight, not loose enough.
I had the opposite. I had been programming for a long time before seriously taking up drawing. Programming is an adrenaline-fueled rush; it is a hectic, fast-paced, frantic activity. Quick and loose. Hacking. Cowboy-coding.
When I started drawing, I drew as I programmed: fast and furious. I drew too loose. I needed to learn to slow down.
Your “bad habits” are likely different from those of others. My advice is not always suitable for you. Marshall is one of the best art teachers today, but his advice might not be for you.
What are your “bad habits?” Figure out drawing exercises that help you unlearn them.
Wooden Horse Head
There is this art event around my area where they put wooden art on the street, and I discovered this amazing horse head. This Week
So this happened!
In this video, the YouTuber presents, explains, and waxes lyrical about my memory drawing routine, detailing why and how it rapidly and dramatically improves your drawing skills. He says it better than I did. He doesn’t agree with one aspect of it: he thinks my explanation focuses too much on memorizing the 2D part, and he might have a point. I’m still figuring this out myself, but the exercise helped me a lot.
Check it out! Give it a listen; he explains the exercise really well, making you want to do it. The more people who discover this exercise, the better.
The Socials
I’ve been less active in the Discord and on the newsletter articles over the past few weeks because I was focusing heavily on developing a plan to make more art students aware of “Practice Drawing This.” It’s a great website now, and it would be a pity if it didn’t reach the right audience.
I made nine long-form YouTube videos, which are doing average, not too bad, but they are also not taking off.
I resisted doing Shorts and Reels. These are watched mainly by people who just want to procrastinate. Which means I waste time making entertainment so other people can waste time looking at it. I wish for both you and me to be in our sketchbooks!
But after seeing a few really cool Shorts or Reels, I’ve changed my mind on that. My goal is to 1) draw more and 2) show how cool the “Practice Drawing This“ resources are (which I use myself). To that effect, I have made my drawing space “Instagrammable.“
Now I can just sit there and draw. I do my own exercises anyway. I film myself and end up with footage showing how I use the website, effectively striking two birds with one stone. That’s my thinking now, at least.
I am not holding my breath; my experience is that while views on a Reel or Short may skyrocket, engagement is almost non-existent.
But it’s a fun thing to try.
Yours sincerely,
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