I always wanted so much to be able to draw, l never tried because l new l couldn't , l so love looking at other peoples artwork, l can look at drawings & paintings all day somtimes even getting teary at how beautiful they are, l went to a painting class & was told l should learn to draw first , so went home & had a go at it , l think my drawings are good for a beginner , but l'm missing the wow feeling l get from artwork from others , why is this ? do most people feel this way ? , maybe its the mystery in other peoples art , what they were feeling at the time ? the process in the work ? , l don't mean to ramble but l dont really have the want to draw there anymore , l guess l just want to know do any of you get feeling from your own artwork , ;-) , ty gyps

you are not alone friend..i feel the same and i am sure we all have had these feelings, even the very best of us..i for one love your art and can assure you there are plenty of others who do too..i dont know the whys or where fores..but i seldom draw something that makes me go wow..but my husband has said it a few times and that really made me feel good..cause i know how hard i really work at it..for some it really comes so easily, i struggle all the time..but am very proud of my progress and you should be proud of yours as well..

I just looked at your album and I think you are very talented. I am also very impressed by others work I see on this site and then think my work is just terrible. Please do not stop drawing or painting or whatever art brings you pleasure. When we stop being so critical of ourselves, and just enjoy the process, we can come up with some amazing work. I love your portrait of the little girl. Try to look at it with fresh eyes. It's beautiful.

Judyvan

Maybe you just haven't found the correct meduim for "You" ? Your portraits are very good, but for some reason, graphite doesn't seem to POP for me to much. I like lots of contrast and detail, probably becuase I don't know anything about "art" and want my finshed pieces to look like photos . I try and find subjects that when finished will POP and say WOW. I beat myself up a lot while doing the piece but reguardless of how "imperfect" it is, once I get it on the wall I noramaly go.. "Wow, that did turn out good" sometimes it takes a few months to see it in that way, but if I stop looking at it and picking it apart, then come back to it later.. it normaly look better.

You say you wanted to paint, so paint! You don't need a class, you have all of the internet at your finger tips! Try it, you may find a new medium inspires you.

thankyou all for your comments , l'm glad you understood what l was trying to say , l think l'll just doodle for a bit and have fun , ;-)

It's very unusual for me to finish something and say wow! Usually I just think "hmm, not bad" or "Well, that was awful" but the next day it almost always looks better

Hi Gyps,

Your portfolio is great for somebody who just started,you have lots of talent,i find that in my own work i get inspired by the technical execution ,rather than the wow factor.When i have finished a drawing i have no emotional attachment to it at all.It goes into my portfoilio ,ready to be framed and exhibited.

We all go through periods where we stop drawing,i have only recently started drawing in the last six months,after taking a ten year break from producing artwork.In that time i helped other artists exhibit their work in galleries,and i did a lot of work with underpriveledged children.

Keep at it and find something in the work that inspires you.

Regards Wayneo

thanks wayneo thats what l was trying to say , l didnt mean l want to say wow this is great , its the emotional thing l dont get feeling from what l draw as l do with artwork from others , maybe its just the mystery side of it in other peoples art ? or maybe l analyse my own to much ,

It's always the current sketch that interests me. The feelings I have are similar to having a crush on someone, I guess. As soon as I move onto the next, the feeling for the previous one starts to fade so within a few days they're just pieces for me to analyise and I wonder what I saw in them in the first place.

When I finish something that shows improvements over old pieces I do experience that 'wow' feeling. It's more towards me than the picture, like "Did I draw that?". It helps me move forward and gives me confidence. The more you draw, the more chances there are that you'll find something to amaze you even if it's just a single line in a whole sketch.

Mooks.... you have hit the nail on the head, a single line is always more imprtant than the whole sketch, it often defines and controls the emotion in the finished drawing.

regards wayneo

thankyou mook , what you have said really makes sense, l think l'll be looking at my work with a different view from now on ,

Another thing, if you're interested in painting don't wait to be 'good' at drawing. I have a huge interest in inking and drawing with ink. Everytime I do a sketch, if I think it looks interesting enough I'll get out my brush and nib and use it to practice on. Drawing can become a chore if you just see it as a means to an end, so have fun with your paints.

Gyps,


I , for once feel that in this particular thread that I can add something necessary. There are many things that go into what a person allows themselves to do. I f you searched forever on the net, you would find nothing done by me anymore. I , too, allow others works to speak to me. I have 11 children and a small place , so I have no real workspace, I have no real "space of my own." I have no place to be where I can work without someone looking over my shoulder. I currently have 13 works as of this morning and none finished. so, i say to you, like the others, not to quit. I use this forum like the person who has been hit by a car while riding a bike, and slowly has to convince him/her self that all bike riding does not end in a crash, this forum, reading the threads, admiring the others works and their progress, their beauty and the movement and philosophy behind a piece. This forum and others like it, tell me on a day to day basis, that I must not "QUIT" that it is alright to move slowly and if necessary with the proverbial "baby steps" I listen to the comments and advise given here because it is all geared to the advancement of ones-self in the arts. I know that I will finish these pieces eventually, I believe in myself, I believe in the advise of these people from all over the world with the same things in mind, with the same purpose. You must believe in "YOU." I stopped believing in me I figured that the rest of that part of life moving around me became of more substance. But I came to realize from visiting these forums, that this thing called art had become a part of me a long time ago and that i was doing myself a disservice. Do not do yourself the same 'dis-service.' If you do not like one part of art or genre' then try another. try whatever you want, take the advise of these people that have posted before me. It is good sound and reasonable. I am more motivated everyday by the happenings here. Perhaps it will help you as well. I really listen and watch the others here, I found it became necessary to do so. I found a pure definition to the things that before had been undefined. I believe it will you as well.

It is helping me, little by little. My brother in law sent me at his expense all the video lectures and studio lectures from "The New York Institute for the Arts" and my children and wife just keep on buying these tools of the trade, pencils and pens and papers of all makes, and to speak to you here specifically, I , a few days ago, looked around and started to cry, I came to realize that I was not responding to the very core of my being, and that all these people saw a thing in me that they new was as inherent as my blood type, and I see all the encouragement from one to the other here, and I just knew that I should not quit, or remain silent. So, if you are like wayneo and take it up after ten years, or if you approach it like mooks and airscapes, where each thing is new and different, the end result is to have fun enjoy yourself, find your self and be your own best supporter.


Marc

Hello to all following this one,

I remember my first attempts at drawing and there was no "WOW" as you say. I also had trouble to finish a work. It all seemed out of reach. The "WOW" that is. Now I get the "WOW" with almost every piece. I remember when I finished "Waiting at the Station". I almost couldn't believe I had done it.

Shameless plug..
There is a WIP on my website if you want to have a look.

So what did I learn on the way? Well beyond working many hours to master techniques, I took Mike Sibley's advice, "Draw as if you had all the time in the world". Marc's advice is right on but I specifically liked when he said, "I know that I will finish these pieces eventually, I believe in myself"

I had a look at your gallery and I bet that you will be very pleased with your work in less time than you think. Keep at it you won't regret it!

thankyou so much for your support you guys are all great ,
Marc l'm so grateful for your words , yes you did have something necessary , l think you know exactly what l was trying to say ,
you can walk in a gallery & there'll be maybe just 1 painting that jumps out & says look at me l have something, & you could look at it for ever , that's why l wanted to learn to paint & draw for that feeling , ;-),

find yourself and be your own best supporter , wouldn't that be something , thats exactly what l'm going to do , thanks guys

This is a very interesting thread. I see that my point of view is a little different. I thought just like you, gyps, untill I came to drawspace. Then my drawing skills increased a lot. I was proud of my drawings - "Wow, I did that". And two things that helped me realise that, were my friends and my art teacher. I don't want to be a boaster, but I think that being proud of your pictures is one of the keys to success. When I came to fifth grade and first met my art teacher I was amazed. She looked children's works that looked quite terrible to me, she said "Oh very beautiful! Oh, and very straight lines. Great!". Then I realised that she sees everything considering their age and abilities. When my friends saw my sketchbook they were like "Oh my god, this is beautiful. I wish I could draw like that". So I've learned to not demand and expect too much from myself. Everyone should appreciate and develop their skills. I like my drawings and I'm atached to them. I like to keep them and look at them from time to time. I don't know how, but somehow I always see beauty in my drawings. I can't see the bad things that others see (I'm not talking about technical things). If I enjoy making a drawing, looking at it and I feel proud about it , these are the only things that matter and I don't care if my family says that it's just crap. For me, the thing is that you have to look from a normal, not drawing person's eyes. It always makes me feel happy about my creatons.
I hope that my post didn't sound silly.