Thoughts On Drawing

I am a master student major in economics, and this is the first semester that I've decided to take some class that I really like. I studied drawing from four to eight years old, basically following parents' will, but it was the most enjoyable extra curriculum I had at that time. I never seriously draw anything afterward but doodle from time to time. I sometime would spend hours drawing just because I have an idea, or give my painting as a gift to my friends.

As time goes by, my desire to go back to drawing grows. I would like professional, and systematic training, since that is the only way, at least I see, to improve. I thought the drawing class is a great combination of exercise and flexibility, and I'm glad I've taken this class.

It was hard at the beginning for me to pick up the things I've long forget, I felt I was drawing like a baby. This class is not like the class I've taken previously: instead of telling you the technique of drawing each object beforehand, in the class, I got to observe things myself and decide the way to express them. I was not used to this and felt like have nothing to hold onto when finishing my assignment, but as time goes by, I was able to build my own approach of understanding and describing the objects I need to draw. This is my biggest gain from this class and it is way better than what  I expect to get. I put in more time than I anticipated, but it is worthwhile since I do not only have assignments that I'm happy with, but have a better understanding for the subject in general.

I am glad I have taken the drawing class soon. I will not come back to school any time soon after graduating from Duke, and this experience will definitely makes my life more interesting along the way.

Wen Ou