This entry was originally posted on Sunday, August 12, 2012
Today’s Sunday Secret is from Emma from Victoria, BC
She says, “I’m not very good at drawing and find myself constantly trying to fix my sketches. I can spend hours drawing before I even start painting. How much time should I spend on drawing for my paintings?”
Emma, thank you for your question.
Drawing is a very important skill to have if your painting technique is going to improve.
It is the foundation to a good painting.
It is especially important to have a good foundation in watercolor since it can be difficult to repair a watercolor gone wrong.
And the more detailed you want your painting, the more detailed your drawing will be.
Thus it will take longer.
As with all skills that you wish to become good at, it takes practice and time.
We don’t become maestros overnight.
However, there are a few things that can be done to speed up your drawing process and get you moving on to your painting faster.
One is to use a grid for your drawing.
Another option is to transfer an enlarged photograph to your paper using graphite paper.
The grid and transferring an image will actually help improve your drawing skills.
In the meantime, practice drawing whenever you can.
