Member-only story
Stop Saying You Don’t Know How to Draw
It hurts the art teacher’s feelings
People love to tell me they can’t draw. Not, “Oh wow, you teach art.” Not, “We need more artists and art teachers.” In my over twenty years as a visual arts educator, “I can’t draw” has been the most repeated phrase I’ve heard.
It’s been said that 26 others feel the same for every lodged complaint, but I think the numbers are higher. Most folks believe drawing is a talent mystically bestowed upon a rarefied few. But that’s not true. Anyone who can write their name can draw.
Practice an O, a J, or an L, and you have the building blocks of drawing. Add a bit of spatial understanding, light logic, perspective, and boom. Anyone can learn these things step-by-step if they put in the time. Tutorials abound in live drawing classes or on YouTube. As motivational speaker Zig Ziglar said, “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”
Maybe I can’t convince you with logic. Maybe I need to teach you. Granted, the best time to learn is when you’re young, but adults can learn anything a kid can. Julia Child didn’t learn to cook until she was 30. Before that, she couldn’t crack an egg.
