Drawing Class

I have my drawing class tonight, and I am really enjoying it. I still can't draw all that well, but I can see improvement, and that is the main thing. The professor even told me last week that I have improved. It will just takes more practice to become better, which is common sense.

Last week, we had to do an exercise where we basically scribbled something and kept scribbling until the shape we were doing filled out more. Then we worked at it and added more definite lines a little darker than the scribbles (which are done rather lightly). Then we start adding darker and darker lines until we are getting whatever it was we were attempting to draw. The professor had done an example for us to show us the technique and what he was meaning. He demonstrated by drawing a man's head/face. Our task was to draw something natural, not man-made.

I set out drawing and working away at it, making light scribbles then darker ones. I knew what I was drawing, so I got to the point where I started putting in the darker, more defined lines. Then, I put in the lines that basically outlined and formed the animal. I couldn't get the legs just right, but they weren't overly bad...just looked a little awkward and, well, not quite right.

By this point, the teacher is going around and seeing how we were doing, making comments or demonstrating something at each person's easel. He got to mine and said it was good and seemed a little "excited" when he said it (in a way that was encouraging and positive). I said it wasn't very good because of the legs, so he came back and showed me how I could improve on that part and said that even the legs had improved from when I first drew animals at the beginning because now I had the back leg 'bent' in the right direction.

As he walks away again to check on the next student's drawing, he said "That is a nice pitbull." I looked at him and said, "Umm...it's supposed to be a cat." His next word was a simple "oops". I laughed though and wasn't offended.

The scanner isn't working right now (the software might need to be reinstalled or something, not sure off hand), but when it does, I will try to scan my drawing so that you can see what it looks like.

Anyhow, I am off right now to go practice my drawing for tonight so that if I attempt another cat it won't look like a pitbull. I kind of thought maybe I should try drawing a pitbull and see if it ends up looking like a cat...