What do we gain by drawing the same thing again and again?
- skills
- muscle memory
- a series of cohesive drawings
I can get bored with drawing the same type of images, but I see value in the process. It might even lead to mastery of a skill or subject matter.
Sometimes I get stalled by thinking that I need to vary the drawing. But I have noticed that when I give myself the space to repeat a drawing my skills improve.
Lately I have been drawing horses, flowers and trees. I have plenty of “bad” or less than pleasing drawings, but the value is in the process of getting the marks on the paper.
For example, often the horses I draw have legs that are too short. So instead of running out of room for the legs, I can now draw the legs first or exaggerate the length of the legs.
I like to combine a little observation and a little abstraction. I do this a lot when drawing trees. During my daily walks, I notice how branches grow off the trunk.
Reminder, this month of April, the Monochromatic Mountains class is on sale for $50. Read all the details on the workshop page.
