Connection with the Past

I began drawing in fifth grade after I was enrolled into an art class in my neighborhood. I was taught to draw from photos, or sometimes other drawings. My teacher was of the belief that after drawing something enough times I would be able to instinctively do it myself. It was true to a certain extent. I learned shading, and how to visualize objects from 3-D to paper. However, I didn't know how to simplify objects, or emphasize others. I began to get tired of drawing and copying art, and decided to start up painting.

I painted from eighth to twelfth grade, starting with acrylic and then graduating to oil. The biggest difference between painting and drawing is the different ways the artist visualizes their subject. Drawing is about lines and shades, while painting is about blocks of color. However, I didn't even realize this until I found myself working on one of the landscape assignments. The way I tackle drawing something now is fundamentally different from how I used to before I started painting. A pencil to me is now something that creates blocks of color (shades). I don't think of images as lines anymore, and this is reflected in my drawings.

Drawing 199 was a flashback to my previous experiences in drawing. It is reminiscent of my teacher and the ways she taught me art. However, at the same time I have realized how much I have grown and how my perception of images have changed. I greatly enjoyed the class, especially when we given the freedom to decide the content of our drawings. I would highly recommend this class to anyone interested in art.