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What sketching can teach us
Over the years, I’ve reviewed high school portfolios for my alma mater, the Rhode Island School of Design. I’ve seen about 300 portfolios in my time. I see a lot of amazing artists. But there’s one piece of advice that I give to every single one. It can seem rather silly and inconsequential when your ultimate goal is to be a graphic designer or photographer or something that doesn’t “need” drawing skills.
Before I drop this advice, let me say, I’m not significantly better than the average art school grad. I went to three times more art school than my peers (middle school, high school, AND college). And yet, I’m still just “fine.”
Ok, here is the “trick” to getting good:
Draw. Every day. From life. No, really.
Don’t draw from memory.
Don’t draw from imagination.
Look at something, and draw it.
What I learned from all that art school, is that art is a conversation between the maker and the audience that asks “have you ever really noticed this thing?” Art takes some small thing and amplifies and elevates its unique qualities so other people can appreciate and understand it as well. By extension, design is an attempt to solve human problems, with a foundation of…
