The reason I wanted to start this forum is I had a discussion with my wife and son concerning me drawing so many beautiful women. lol. It wasn't like a major arguement or anything, but more like they were teasing me.

But it got an interesting discussion started. My thesis was that it had nothing to do with beauty or if I like the subject or do not like the subject.

I gave the example of Charles Manson as an example and i could very well have used my own portrait as an example to support both arguements.

My son said that if he was married he would draw his wife and not a lot of super models. My wife wanted to know why I haven't drawn her lately. (It's been several years.)

I tried to explain that I like to be inspired to draw from something I see in the photo or the subject.

I'm wondering if any other artist has to put up with this type of harassment from spouses or family? lol. And also do you think an artist should be obligated to produce art because of relationships?

BRB.

Well... it's really kind of weird in a lot of ways. I find myself taking lots of photographs of people I don't know, or don't know well. Our vacation photos are mixed with shots of interesting faces I see along the way. Many of those people are beautiful women, many not so beautiful. Many are children. Sometimes I feel like it's kind of creepy. I think professional photographers must have to grapple with that somehow, but I don't know how.

Then I find myself drawing a lot of women and children, mainly because that's what I seem to enjoy drawing the most.

Somehow, my wife is OK with it. I think maybe ten years ago, she would have been jealous and suspicious. Now I think the trusts me. It's been a happy 17 years together so far.

But I have never drawn a formal portrait of my wife. I've drawn each child several times, but I'm terrified to draw the wife. I feel like there's too much danger of showing her something that she doesn't find flattering, and hurting her feelings -- and probably mine at the same time. I've sketched her a few times, but nothing that's really supposed to be a good likeness. I've been trying to work up the courage to do it. Any tips?

I'm sure you've thought of this one, but you might try asking her if she has a photo she likes.

BRB

Interesting discussion and probably deeper than that of simple art.

I've drawn for 30 years and have never had a spouse question who I draw or what I draw. I've gone to life classes for years drawing male and female forms and I find the males can accept the female forms, but not the male ones as well. It seems to create a threat and I find that interesting. The last thing I'm thinking about when drawing a nude male is what his tackle is like!

I've drawn portraits of spouses and am a realistic artist, so some are liked, some not. Many men are drawn to the female form as it is a more traditional form to draw. Males and females are drawn to beauty. All our eyes are trained to look for pleasing features, symmetrical features, large eyes, etc.

Many beginning artists start with what I call 'soft porn' found in magazines and this is the stuff that women find objectionable. Real art isn't airbrushed and perfect. Real art and life has wrinkles and character. Real art shouldn't mimic a magazine ad. Real art should be from life and from thoughtfully created reference images using real people with character and background. The light and scene needs to be the inspiration, not just the face. Yes a pretty, youthful face is pleasant to look at, but it is generally pretty boring to draw.

Personally, no one can tell me what I should or should not draw as an artist and I don't believe anyone I know would do so. (even if they did I wouldn't listen to them ) Inspiration comes from many forms, however if found that if I continually drew one specific genre, I would find it stifling professionally.

So gentlemen I think that you should dust off your pencils and get your closest model to sit for you. Yes, you run the risk of the pencil telling the truth, but I do think that the final result will be pleasing to everyone.

There's another option for a thread Bob - draw your spouse from life!

If she teases me any more I might just get inspired to do that, lol.

BRB

Like Jeanette I have never ran across this problem in all the years I have been drawing .. I find myself drawing a person not because of the exterior beauty but because they have character ....when I go shopping I find myself always looking at people and thinking .. Man I wish I had my camera lol .....last week I was at the mall and this older man of about 65-70 was waiting most likely for his wife outside a store .. he was sitting in one of those comfortable chairs with bads all around him and he was taking a nap ....ok maybe he was doing all the shopping but I hardly think so .. I wanted to draw the image so bad .

So my answer is No he never tells me or teases me about what I draw ..maybe it comes from I use to tattoo .. and I have tattooed men in some pretty strange places so maybe he feels he would rather I draw it then tattoo it lol

I get teased by my family for the same reason. I keep my laptop next to my recliner. I use it for my references. They are always looking at my screen and laughing at my choices. I think I am just afraid of messing up and embarrassing my wife. Maybe I'll try soon.

I thought it was just me who thought this way.

Interesting topic, but my problem in my hubs eyes are that I spend too much time either drawing or doing some sort of research as I call it on the computer, and not spending enough time with him or the kids.
When i get into one of my modes where I am working on a new picture, I am blind and deaf to anyone who tries to communicate with me. Thats what he doesn't like. Other than that we usually have no problems.

I am pleased to say that there is never a problem with what I draw. Nev often asks "why don't you have a go at drawing some wow male with a 6 pack.... LOL ... lots of shading there in the muscles
But I can understand about the jealous wives...maybe men feel more secure in their relationships.
You could suggest that your wife picks your next subject to draw.
My husband's hobby is photography... I would never object to what he takes pics of ..but then he does tend to go for the birds ,frogs and unusual objects.

dors

Finally drew my wife:
[attachmentid=7409]

Ernest thats beautiful......and my opinion, If I had a boyfriend at the moment (no spouses yet) he would be my main focus so of course i would draw him all the time...but that is a preference...and I am not to great with the male figures...so I stick to females!!! So I wouldn't have a promblum there!!!

ID

When I do a serious drawing of a person, it tends to be a male I find attractive (actors, musicians, friends, whatever), and it's pretty obvious so my friends have made fun of me for that haha. When drawing from my imagination, though, I tend to draw women. Other than a bit of jesting, no one's had a problem either way

No problems with my family I draw whatever I want and they respect my decisions. I just get a lot of askings from my friends and relatives to draw them, but I just can't.. maybe after some time I will, but now it's too hard. My picks of what to draw always comes spontaneously.. I sometimes think: ok now I'll do a break, but then I see a picture which I MUST to draw lol

Way to go Ernest, I bet your wife loved that one!!

Bob, your wife seems the jeolus tipe, does she have a reoson for that?

I haven't had that kind of problems with my husband, in fact I always ask him for advice, showing him the original and whatever I'm doing, He knows nothing about art, and can't do a straight line but he sure has a good eye, and always tels me where things are wrong, like that ear is to big comparing to the photo...etc...but also I havent's drawn many people yet and mostly it has been babies or friends. So I don't really know how he would react if I started drawing mostly male models...maybe I should try

Hubby doesn't say much of anything. He is the one with a one track mind. He gets involved with his television programs and never hears or sees anything I say. I show him the finished products and he has never said anything about what subject I do. Of course many of my drawings are of animals.

I find that drawing "pretty" people is less pleasing. I enjoy lots of character with wrinkles, and wear and tear on their faces. I have done a couple of my hubby and he likes what I have done as long as I don't put his big belly in them.

Kim who woulda thought. You seem like a shy, southern belle type. I can't even imagine you as a tattoo artist. And not a tattoo in site.

He he he. Well, maybe.

I read through all of these posts, and thought about what you all were saying. I don't think my husband has ever given a thought to what I draw - he just always likes it regardless. As far as drawing him, I have many times since we first met - several when he was asleep on the couch!

This one, though, was one of my very first portrait trys. This is my husband when I first met him. We were sitting in a dark bar and the bartender gave me this crumpled piece of paper to draw on. I just did this quick drawing as we sat at the bar for about 30 minutes. He was impressed - lol! I was actually pleased with it since I had not really done any portraits up to this time, other then stuff for my college classes, and it actually looked like him. He wanted to keep it so it is still in a little frame on his chest.

Click to view attachment

of course he would keep it! its awesome..as usual

i am lucky, my hubby encourages me and he cant draw either but always spots things i miss..whether i want him to or not
i have to say i am rather spoiled in that dpt..he always buys me art supplies when i need them, and sticks by me thru all my hobbies these last 16 yrs and always has something good to say in the end...as for always trying to draw a beautiful woman, (most of us do) the way i see it is not like 'BEAUTY' but i dont know 'BEAUTY' i dont know how to explain it..i figure if i can ever (it eludes me horribly, and being a woman is most embarrasing ) capture the softness of a womans body then i can draw anything..so i am always trying to draw the woman, not in a lewd way but an artsy way, and for those of you who have already reached that stage it must feel awesome. and hubby doesnt mind me drawing naked beautiful women at all

I guess I'm fortunate that DH is an artist in his own right. Though he teases me about the media I use (pencil and colored pencil), he's really very supportive. He paints digitally, says he likes the delete key if something doesn't come out the way he likes. He even says things like, "I'd love to see you draw that in colored pencil." when he sees something he thinks would look good, though it is mostly vegetation and scenery. I haven't done a lot, well only one portrait, so I guess it isn't an issue. I would like to see if I can draw a portrait of him someday. He's said he'd like to use me as a model, but has yet to do so. He also tends to paint people who have character, rather than beautiful people in his portraiture. So, I don't know if it'll ever become an issue or not. We do critique each other's work, which I find very helpful.

I'm much more 'drawn' to female beauty , but let's face it..smooth young female skin is much easier than the wrinkles and textures in other characters!
(my wife could care less)

John

As I see it, draw your family whenever you feel like.
Sure you have pictures of your wife and family around the house,
so what is the fear of drawing them whenever you want?
What's that story about Picasso? He was painting a woman, but had
only done a sketch of her when she queried his skill with " who is
that you are painting?"..To which he replied, "Madame, when I am finished
it will you!".
That I suspect is the existing fear of drawing your family, especially your
wife. Would you be doing justice to her beauty? Would she feel slighted that
you cannot portray her in real reality? No need to take the coward's way out...
just draw the lady from some existing picture. She is too busy to sit down
and model for you as there is so much house work to attend to!

I am spasmodically working on improving my drawing skill ( still a long way
to go ), but I occasionally draw my wife from some current or old picture.
So far, none has impressed her, but she has offered comments on what I
should correct and improve. I always draw myself and started drawing her
when she questioned my approach with " why are you always drawing yourself?"

So folks, draw your family especially if your drawing skill is good and does produce
realistic portrayals. Besides you will be leaving a legacy for the family to treasure.

I am the opposite to you John. Give me wrinkly people any day at least there is something there to draw. My nightmare are teenage girls when they start experimenting with makeup. But saying that, I drew my friends daughter the other day while she was in her full Goth mode and that was fun because it was so over the top

I don't blame you for wanting to draw those gorgeous super-models! After all, us women are beautiful creatures.

I personally think you're lucky for having family members who acknowledge your art. None of mine give a **** about what I draw. But anyway, having a variety of subjects to draw is the spice of life! There's nothing wrong with drawing both average people and super-models, though you may want to draw your wife again sometime soon before she gets too annoyed with you!

I don't think my hubby would be to keen on me drawing from real life naked men, hot or not. But I am also never allowed to draw him.
In his defense the first time I tried to draw him he looked like homer simpson! OOPS!