My Thoughts On Drawing

I have always loved to draw, but I've always been that person who really needs to work on a project, or even a simple sketch to make it look nice, or that's what I think at least. I've always been extremely jealous of those people who can just sit there and start sketching this amazingly beautiful picture in a matter of minutes. Despite that though, I really just love to finish a drawing and feel so proud of what I was able to create. I really enjoy doing more fun types of drawings, like logos, cause I always break my drawings down into simpler shapes before I make them more complex. I don't really mean to do that, but rather I think it's more subconscious. It makes drawing easier for me I guess.

This class was definitely more of a challenge for me. I took art for four years in high school, so it wasn't the drawing itself that was more difficult, it was dedicating more time outside of class to my work that was more of a struggle for me. In high school all of our projects were done during class hours everyday. However, I really enjoyed the challenge of this class. It allowed me to really challenge and push the potential of my drawing abilities. Despite how much I may have struggled with my projects, I was relatively happy with the outcome of most of them.

Drawing is something that I love to do to de-stress, so doing it with a deadline and on such a large-scale was a little more difficult for me. It's something I want to continue to do for the rest of my life, and I think that this class truly helped me to gain a better understanding of my strengths and weaknesses in drawing, and certain techniques and skills that are more suited to me. So thank you for allowing me to have a better understanding of myself and my drawing abilities, as well as a great  way for me to challenge these talents and abilities.

Thoughts on Drawing - Amanda Abrams

I have always loved to draw.  I was quick to catch on to new techniques and developed my skill through repetition of the motions I grew used to.  However, my drawing abilities reached a plateau by the time I hit high school.  I continued taking courses, but I sheltered myself within the artistic boundaries I knew well. I was not experimental, I didn't want to try new mediums, and would hesitate to draw subjects that were alien to me.  

Drawing at Duke really pushed me to my limits in requiring large scale works each week.  Qualifications for good art were clearly outlined, allowing me to break down exactly what I needed to do for each project.  Before this semester, I had never really put too much thought into drawings before doing them.  It was just "go ahead, draw an animal in pencil".  This granted me liberty in my pursuits  but no expectation. There was nothing to live up to in drawing, so I continued to draw only what I was comfortable with (which didn't include landscapes... or still lifes!).  Additionally, before this semester at Duke, the time I committed to drawing was reduced to the time I spent doodling in class.

The high expectations each 18 x 24 project inherently held ultimately drove me to produce works I could be proud of.  After 6 to 8 hours of drawing, I looked back at each project with fulfillment.  As opposed to my work in other classes in the sciences, where I feel as though I could always study more in preparing for a test, this work was different.  Once a drawing was complete, I felt complete. I felt happy and excited that I challenged myself and followed through.  

Learning to draw is like learning to speak a new language. The ultimate goal is to transmit the idea in your mind into something people can interpret, as with conversation.  To do that, you must first understand and interpret the subject yourself.  This class has given me much insight on how to do that because it required me to sit down, think, compose and translate imagery. The process was demanding in time and effort.  But all that time and thought was worth it because I'm a better artist as a result. 

So... thanks!

My Thoughts on Drawing

            Drawing has been a hobby of mine for as long as I can remember. Drawing used to be my favorite thing to do to pass time while growing up. I used to draw cars and cartoon characters while in elementary. I was always competitive with my friends with my drawings. I drew just about everyday and I became pretty good at it, so I decided to take an art class as an elective in high school. That was the first time I had any instruction on how to do things like shading. It was also my first time to have my drawings critiqued, and my first time having the graded.

            I also got involved in sports in high school, and that in turn made my drawing assignments feel like a chore rather than the fun it used to be.  I mean, I enjoyed it but I didn’t have the time to do it when I felt like it.  That’s when I got away from what I liked so much about drawing. Even though I wasn’t drawing a lot, I still would do a little something here and there.  Also, the fact that I don’t have as much time to actually draw a piece, I have become more drawn to art as a whole from graffiti to paintings to sculptures and all I between.

I decided to take drawing here at duke to rekindle the passion I once had for it, but due to the season I found myself rushing a lot. The main thing that I had to get adjusted to was drawing on such a big surface. I was used to drawing in my notebook and this class changed that. The assignments were interesting, but I wish I had more time or wasn’t so tired so much. Drawing is one of the most fun things that I do, but it can also become frustrating.  I enjoy the feeling of completing a complicated piece. But I really enjoy it more when I can just draw when I get the time to relax.

heres a link to some great work
www.samspratt.com

Make a mess, clean up the mess-Adiel Mora

Adiel Mora

“Don’t cat’s have their tails up?” Oh no, did they? In one of my earlier drawing memories, I am trying to hide the orange cat I just drew from my mom.  Above the cat I had written “I love you mami,” an intended gift for my mother. I used to be proud of it, that is until an older girl pointed out I had drawn the tail incorrectly. As I grew older, I soon realized that there is no correct way to draw anything.Drawing comes from the depths of the imagination, and is an expression of the artist’s heart.

Drawing for me has never been about a destination. The process of putting my ideas on paper relaxes, inspires, and surprises me in the end. When I was about 12 years old I would make up stories for my siblings with a pencil in hand. It was a "make it up as you draw" story. As I spoke, I would draw, and, as the character I drew happened to have surprised looking eyes, I’d draw something for him to be surprised by, perhaps a dragon. The dragon I’d draw might turn out resembling a retarded rock more than a dragon, so I’d change my story to say the dragon had been turned to a rock. The original character would then set out on a quest to awaken the rock. And so on.

That is my favorite way to draw, with no predetermined destination. In highschool I would draw during lectures. The longer they spoke, the more intricate the drawing would become. I’d look up at my teacher every few seconds, but my heart was elsewhere-in the world I’d be creating in my very notebook. It was a beautiful escape.

When I came to Duke, I stopped sketching during classes. Until this semester, taking Fick’s drawing class, which has been  wonderful.   

I used to draw only from my imagination. At first drawing from actual buildings and objects scared me. I felt pressure to make my drawing appear like the real thing, and I felt cramped. However, I’ve learned through charcoaled hands that drawing from observation is nothing like snapping a camera. The artist must observe the world and return the image in their own way.  Still life and landscape sketches have expanded my skill set so that I can better express what is in my head. Each week we look over student’s drawings. You get a glimpse of everyone’s unique style and perspective. It is beautiful

I used to be afraid to make dark lines. I would spend minutes on end staring at the black paper, imagining all the possible places I could make my marks. As a result it would take me forever to draw anything. Now I’ve developed a "go for it style, where I just start drawing. The eraser is my new best friend. It’s like drawing backwards! I used to pick up an eraser to correct a mistake. Now the eraser is a tool, and I can use the eraser to draw too. No pressure, no mistakes. One day Professor Fick said my style was to “make a mess, clean up the mess.” I love how much I’ve been able to develop my confidence and personal style this year. I am so thankful for the opportunity to take this class, and all that I have learned from it. Thank you, Professor Fick!

Thoughts on Drawing - Wenshun Liu

I was always "scared" of the idea of drawing. The only drawings I did were the "non-sense" sketches in kindergarten and elementary school (lol!). When I grew up I frequently had the idea of taking some classes and learning some kinds of drawing, but my friends who can draw scared me away. Their drawings were so crazy, so complicated, and I was always like "Ohhhhhh.. that's too much I can't do that!"

I went to study abroad in Berlin this summer and was enrolled in a course called Art and Architecture. I would never enrol in that class if the professor would email us before (instead of after) enrolment that we would need to sketch during the class. That freaked me out, partially because I can't draw (and I wanted good grade haha), and partially because I was worried about the people in that class who could.  The very first class was a mini drawing practice. The professor, instead of talking about practical skills, told us one tip of drawing: we need to get rid of the stereotypes and simply draw what we saw. For example, he said, when you think of the sun you probably will think of a red circle, as when you were a kid that was the kind of practice you were given to symbolise stuff. But that is a very dangerous idea, because sun doesn't necessarily look like that. When you draw it is very important to get rid of those ideas and drawing exactly what you saw. That was mind-blowing to me indeed! Then he handed out the first practice - some tree brunches - and I was like "okay.. I guess I will just draw exactly what I saw?"So I picked a spot as a starting point and focused on the outline, even though sometimes it looks weird, and never thought about what tree brunches are supposed to be like or what kinds of art styles I was supposed to be have. When the time ran out I looked at my drawing and it actually made sense! We continued with more mini practices and I think that day was my moment of enlightenment - For a time I thought drawing was about "techniques", and I can't draw because I don't have the "technique" of shading/drawing figures/ drawing landscapes. But actually, drawing is not that crazy/scary because I need simply to draw what I saw=).

It turned out that was the only drawing lesson the professor gave us. He then handed us sketchbooks and asked us to draw whatever we wanted. And I went aggressive because I had no idea if something would be hard/easy to draw at all. The first object I drew was a random opened packet of chips in my room because it looked cool, and it took me the whole night to sketch that. I had no idea of shading, so I just darked the places where I found was dark on the packet. The result of course looked good but more importantly, I was not scared of that drawing the whole time, even when I was having trouble. I mean, how hard it would be to draw what you see?=)

I didn't get any actual skills or serious drawings out of that class yet I carried that mind set to our drawing class (which I think should be more important). As a result I was still nervous about our drawing class at the beginning and our class indeed is full of concepts I'm not familiar with, yet each time I got relieved when telling myself that I would simply draw what I saw. (I think the only time I was concerned was the subtractive drawing, as I can't really just draw what's there. That's why I went to the Monday class for extra practice haha.) I love the in-class practices also because it's so cool to see myself from completely confused of the concept to having something that makes sense on the sheet. I think I'm good at finding where the problems of my practices were because I was always comparing it with the actual setting (like "why the shading of that chair on the left of that corner looked different!" haha). I think that's also the reason why I tend to go to the extreme - I didn't really know (or care) if something is complicated and each time when I needed to speed up I was always like "ahhh but there's also something going on at that tiny little spot! And that tiny little spot! I need to finish those cuz I saw them!" But I really enjoyed the process (and wouldn't mind the time consumption) and learnt so much from it. I'm also proud of myself because now I have actual proof that I can actually draw! =)

I think to be actually good there are more I need to do because drawing is not only about what you see. I can't really do abstract drawings or intensively using charcoals as then I can't get the details out and that freaks me out lol. So probably "draw what you see" would become the new stereotype I need to get rid of, but nevertheless I'm very grateful that I'm in both drawing classes as they closed the gap between me and drawing=).

Thoughts on Drawing - Eileen Lu

Art has always been a significant part of my life. I’ve been drawing ever since I could remember and it remains a key part of my identity. I used to doodle all the time during class and instead of notes, I’d have a few words jotted down with the rest of the sheet covered in drawings. These preliminary doodles would later become the primary source of inspiration for my studio paintings.

            One thing I noticed is that it definitely is true that the more you enjoy doing something, the better you will be at it. I love drawing and the more I drew, the better I got at it. This then further increased my motivation to draw even more. My drawings were something that I could be proud of and it helped me develop a sense of self-confidence as I was growing up.

            I love art because it provides an outlet for me to express my feelings and thoughts when words fail me. There are no discriminations or limitations on art because it can be universally appreciated and understood. It does not differentiate between race or social hierarchy and can produce a deep connection with people without the inhibitions of language. When I draw, I enter another world where the only restrictions are limited to my imagination. I am free to create anything and it is this creative expression that is so incredibly satisfying to me.

            Art has also taught me to perceive the world differently. People look, but not everyone actually sees. Beautiful moments occur daily, but many fail to recognize it. A simple image of a tree may not be immediately striking, but if you are forced to draw it, you will notice the intertwining crevices and rich textures of the wood. It is then juxtaposed with the vibrancy of the smooth waxy leaves and interrupted with pops of color from the vibrant blossoms. This tree is thus transformed from a mundane object to a magical work of art, entirely within the mind. Drawing is not merely skill and control of the hands; it requires re-shifting of the mind as well. I can see this directly in my life because I am constantly open to inspiration from daily objects and events. As I move onward towards my life, the future remains indefinable, but one thing I am certain of is that art will continue to remain an essential aspect of my life.

Thoughts - Min Su Kang

            Growing up as a child, I was fortunate enough to have a lot of exposure to arts. My family background is deeply rooted in visual arts; our family owns an art gallery in Korea, my mom graduated college with an art history degree, and my sister works at the National Museum of Korea. Because I grew up in an environment where I was surrounded by a number of art collectors and artists, I used to spend most of my time drawing with crayons in a sketchbook, all of which my parents kept. Looking at my daily drawing journals from kindergarten still helps me remember little details that I would have otherwise forgotten. So, I personally understand what a powerful tool drawing can be, whether one is good at it or not.

            As I grew older, I sadly began to face the reality that I may not have the talent it takes to be a professional artist. Instead, I turned to other things – school, sports, music, etc. – and I thought that would be the end to my exploration in arts, until I got to Duke. Frankly, I’m glad that all the classes I had planned on taking were full and I was given no choice but to go through every single course on ACES, the night before registration. Drawing class happened to fit my schedule perfectly, and even until the first few weeks into the semester, this class meant nothing more than an academic requirement that I should get a decent grade on. First, the freedom of choice I was given was rather uncomfortable; I had become too used to being given rigid instructions – those “Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1-inch margins, double-spaced” – that I didn’t know what to do when Professor Fick told us to choose any five objects. In the beginning, I literally chose any objects that were lying around my room. Later on, I took his advice to “tell a story” and began to look for a certain theme. Weekly assignments became more than what I got graded on. I constantly wanted to challenge myself; instead of drawing objects that I felt confident doing a good job on, I would pick an object that I struggled with. I began to start the assignments earlier than the night before it’s due. When I had the extra time on me, I could actually enjoy drawing and take pride in my work. Another delightful surprise was to see how much I improved over the semester. I had previously thought that artistic ability is something innate, and practice could never outrun talents.

            Obviously, there are other students who are talented, much better than myself at drawing. I know that taking this course and getting an A does not mean I should take a different path and now become an artist. However, what this course made me realize is that I don’t have to be a naturally gifted artist to draw. Anyone can draw, and when we invest the right amount of time and effort into a piece, it can never go wrong.