My Thoughts On Drawing

Osaro Obanor

Drawing Blog Post

 Before I went into this class, I always would say “I suck at drawing.” Honestly, my opinion of this really hasn’t changed. I do, in fact, suck at drawing. But I enjoyed this class because it pushed me out of my comfort zone. It made me tap into a portion of my brain that I rarely utilize in my science/ pre-med courses. I have enjoyed my previous experiences with art through the mediums of photography and film but these experiences were not difficult for me to grasp because there were tangible instruction and steps which one could follow to improve their work. But unlike my prior experiences, my experience with drawing this semester was more dependent on a mental development of not only artistic skill, but also an understanding of the space around you. Having to analyze and interpret the world around you in order to capture a scene and have it translate realistically onto a canvas is honestly the hardest task I faced during my senior year. But the more I was tasked with having to  “be artistic,” the more I found myself visually appreciating the world around me.

In the hustle and bustle of everyday Duke life, it is easy to become accustomed to going through life with blinders on, focusing only on things that relate to your future goals.  I found that this Drawing course, and just drawing in general, was a nice break from the monotony and stress of Duke life. In addition to being a great stress reliever, drawing was also a productive and stimulating way to spend my time.

At first, I underestimated the amount of thought, presence, and awareness that is required when executing a drawing. But after many failed attempts to recreate the space around me, I realized that I needed to channel a stream consciousness that, before then, I never really thought was important. I needed to be present when I attempted to draw and really visualize things as I progress through drawings. Once I mastered actively thinking, I was able to move through my drawings and really pay attention to the way lines worked and how objects were related to one another spatially.

Although I still think I am a terrible artist, I do think that I have made a lot of progress in terms of how I think about drawing and visual space. I believe that it takes a bit more experience for my progress in thought to translate to progress in the quality of my drawings. Through much frustration and trial-and-error, I have come to appreciate the drawings that I have the ability to create and enjoyed the experience of going through the creative process. But overall, I really appreciated this course and its reoccurring tendency to push me out of my comfort zone in order to tap into a fuller understanding of the things we see on a daily basis.