I am refreshing my art training, and getting back into it.
There are many new tools out there that were not available when I was doing most of my work, in the past. Notably the computer!

Many here may be somewhat housebound with illness. Creative work is very therapeutic and I find it helps with pain and frustration.

So I've been going thru YouTube and have found some very good videos by some generous artists.

This thread will be for that...to encourage people to start a drawing/painting hobby perhaps.

To start off, the first hurdle is "drawing". People often have internal critiques telling themselves they cannot "draw". Well there is a brilliant teacher, Betty Edwards, who has written 2 wonderful books on learning to draw.

She has a long video of 7 lessons, that should inspire new artists and experienced ones too. I read both books several years ago and am now refreshing myself with them again. Then today I found this wonderful, gentle video. It is amazing what she has accomplished with inexperienced artists within a short time...2-4 weeks!

Good drawing skills sharpen perception and improve problem solving and other life time skills. Drawing is also fun and therapeutic. If you love to paint, these skills will create a foundation for your painting style...whatever it may be. This attention to drawing will also improve your photographs.

Here is Betty Edwards on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8DDtkkcdXc

I'll be putting up videos in the future as well, as I find them.
I do a little bit each day. That way it is not so much a work task, as it is fun.