My Drawing History

I began drawing with my mom at a young age. We did all kinds of crafts together, and she encouraged me to draw whenever I wanted to (which was often). My mom is artistically inclined and considered going to art school. Now she uses her interest in art in watercolor classes at our local community center. Her interest sparked mine, and I continued art in school.

When I was twelve, I took drawing classes with the mother of one of my friends who was an art teacher and artist. I loved the classes, and to my own surprise from those sessions I produced a rather life-like self-portrait. In the class we also did contour drawings, shading (all different techniques), still life drawing, and landscapes. I remember enjoying the challenge but also feeling discouraged at times when my work did not come out the way I wanted it to. I loved drawing fictional things from my imagination mostly, drawing from real life was always frustrating. This art class would be my last investment in drawing until Drawing 100 at Duke.

In high school I stopped drawing almost entirely because our curriculum demanded that each student pursue only one “art”, and my choice was music. Further, during my first three years at Duke I did not have time to devote to drawing because I had to take so many classes to fill my major and other requirements. However, I have greatly enjoyed coming back to drawing in class this semester, and I am happy that my interest and ability have not disappeared completely.

Additionally, I have also greatly enjoyed using charcoal as a medium. I like the effects it can produce, especially when depicting this such as fur, trees, hair, and shadows. In my future with drawing, I hope to develop more feeling and interest in my drawings. I admire the work of drawing artists who can convey feelings, stories, and humor through only a few figures. For example, Kenneth Koskela (see image) often has very animated drawings. Although most of his drawings are fictional and not drawn from observation, I like the way his organization and depiction invites the viewer to look at each part of the picture, and in doing so the viewer notices the details Koskela has added.

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