my drawing class....uncomfort zone
 

I signed up for a drawing class last week. It had been a last minute thing and I did not have the right supplies but went anyway and was able to pay for the class right then and there.
Before I went I had had a beer and was feeling good about the class...
felt very good about my pencil drawing and then went to leave and discovered that the instructor was one of my clients' son....It really surprised me and caught me off guard...I could not rmember his mom nor any specifics about her which he wanted to have indepth conversation...I finally told him that I could not remember any specific thing as I have a lot of clients. But it was embarressing to say the least. I could not get out of there any quicker. The actual drawing part was challenging me to be bold and brave to make big lines gestures on the sheet of paper.
We drew a wine bottle being lite from a far. I was happy how it turned out.
Tonight I forgot to have a beer and went in feeling a bit timid...we were to use charcoal, sweeping lines and what a mess. the charcoal is very easily disturbed and my knuckles constantly got in the way of everything.
I was very frustrated...just willing myself to get thru the class. at one point I put my head on the desk....I even asked the instructor what I could do....he said what don't you like and i said all of these areas are wrong...he kind of walked away. Letting me to figure out what I needed to do.
I took this class to challenge myself...learn something new...park in a strange area meet new people,social interaction...not just learning to draw...I had these other goals as well.
I need to throw myself into different things more oftn...they say we only grow when we put oursleves in uncomfortable positions that is where we grow.

So I came home a compared last weeks to this weeks and it was better.
Going to do charcal again next week...he has given us home work...get a sketch pad and do 15minute drawings every day before class...bring them in for next week.
I will keep this updated....for anyone who wants to follow my progress.

I enjoyed the class, not sure that it came across this way or not....
bizi

Bizi

It came across that you enjoyed the class to me. Because I can see my son in this. Because last year at points even though he found a talent in drawing when he took a beginning art class in school. He at times would come home and tell me about something he was having trouble with.

He didn't feel like he was doing his best, and this would frustrate him. He always wanted it to be his best. And he wanted things to come out looking better than he thought they were.

He always seemed to come through with a great project and it surprised the heck out of him.

So I can sure see how you are feeling this way. He had one thing on his side that you don't have. He had a paraprofessional that helped by thinking through the projects with him. She would help him figure out the things he needed to do to make the projects fit the requirements that the teacher set.

Like when he needed to do the protrait of his teacher she helped him think through how to make the squares they did and fix the paper so that he was ready to finish the picture.

I personally believe you have this going just fine.

Get yourself some charcoal too, and use some at home, that might help you be ready for next week.

Donna

Bizi,

That is so neat you are taking a drawing class. I start an Itermediate Office class tomorrow for 6 weeks. I would love to see how you progress. Well wishes with this class of yours.

befuddled2

Hi Bizi,

I think you should just go to class and have fun. Don't be so hard on yourself.

Once you feel more relaxed, everything will fall into place. I would love also to see your drawings.

Good Luck, Enjoy and have fun!!!!!:)

Nikko:hug:

Dear Bizi,

Keep us updated. http://www.thesmilies.com/smilies/outfitted/beret.gif

About 3 yrs ago I took a pottery class w/ a friend.

I only have one piece that survived the class. Everything else was messed up in the firing or at some other point in the process. Still I enjoyed working with my hands and dealing with the clay.

I especially enjoyed thinking about something completely different from what I deal with in my every day.

Mari

I hope you get a lot of enjoyment out of it bizi, it's awesome to draw, very relaxing and rewarding to see your work improving. And it will get better over time. Even if you just practice on your own. My step father, I call him Dad, used to teach art, he was so good...I wish I had some pictures to share of his but I don't. He brought the Minature Art Society down here to our part of florida, helping Found it back in 76' and he was always encouraging of new art students.

I miss him. He was something else, and I had the joy of completing one painting under his tutalige back after the accident when I said I wanted to and it came out pretty good, I no longer have it, but it was fun to do and gave me memories I'll treasure forever. :)

how exciting.....I am so proud of you....set your expectations low and then let yourself in for a big surprise....I hope you don't do what I have done in the past...have unrealistic expectations and little patience.
that must have really been embarrassing about his mother....I am sorry that had to have happened.
fondly
Bobby

:hug:

I went to a drawing class several years ago as Art Therapy while coping with depression. We had easles with large sheets of newsprint and charcol. I know what you mean about trying not to smudge the charcol!

It was my first time taking lessons in drawing, but I had been to the studio quite a bit for drop-in sessions trying out other mediums (block prints, knitting, photography). There were some wonderful artists in the drawing class and at first I felt intimidated, but I found most everyone to be supportive.

The art instructor was also a dancer and she hired other dancers to be models for our class. Sometimes we worked on still-life and other times we tried to capture the dancers in motion. Swirling the charcol around was kinda fun! That reminds me, to warm up at the start of our class, we just swirled charcol around all over the page, using our whole arm and sometimes while listening to music. I found it felt quite freeing and it didn't matter if it ended up just looking like scribbles!

Good for you, bizi, for pushing yourself a bit to try something new. :hug:

what a great idea scrabble and thank you for sharing.
Did you have nude models at all during your class?
I like the idea of practicing making circles at the start of class....
I bet your dance class is fun!
hope you have a great day.
((((HUGS))))
bizi

bizi...

i haven't read the whole thread :o


but think outside the box. charcoal smudges....so...smudge it. some of my favorite charcoals have been where that is all i did. smudge...then go back later and add some lines for details. there is a fixative spay. i'll see if i have a can, so i can give yo the name.

even doing a mixed medium. use the charcoal, then ink for details.

oh...art can be messy. hehehe...but finger painting is fun. :D

I hate it when I can't remember someone. I do it all the time at work. If I have only seen them once, I will never remember their name. (let alone their kids.) It's so normal. I was reading an article in Oprah yesterday that says everyone in their middle age starts having memory problems. You don't know how much better that made me feel. lol

You are so brave. I can't draw, paint, schetch. Any of it. I am very proud of you!

will try this again...hubby has been helping me to try to load this picture...
bizi

that is so great! you must be so proud of yourself. I hope you keep on showing us your work....I especially love the top of the bottle....it has real feeling if a bottle can feel.
CONGRATULATIONS
bobby

:winner_first_h4h:

awesome bizi! your shading is fantastic. so is your reflection of light.

:hug:

incase you don't have adobe...here it is.
 

Wow! I'm so glad you're taking this class Bizi...you have real talent. :hug:

Bizi

This is great. Glad to see your work.

Donna

:)Bizi, that is really good!!!! Thanks for sharing, keep them coming.


Nikko:hug:

Well done, Bizi! :hug:

It is nice to see some of your work. Keep it up!

Bizi,
I hope that the class is still working for you.
Share if you have more drawings. We love to see them.

:Painting:


Mari

well this last week was sort of dissappointing...he did a demonstration and ended up drawing the entire 2 hours...so I came home with a blank sheet of paper and I have not sketched daily like he wants us to.
thanks for the encouragement! I will try to get some drawing done this weekend.:)
bizi

this was done in black sharpie pens.
last class is next week...trying to figure out this attachment stuff...I forget how to do it everytime.


bizi

It is upside down!

:)Cool.......................nice................. .that is so great that you get out and take a course that you really get into. Good work.....:wink:


I need to do that, I want to take a dance class, like Salsa dancing..OMG I am 49....oh so what, I love to dance, been doing my own dancing forever, so why not......

I also now can get back to my animal volunteering work or a part time job at a animal clinic/shelter. I am so ready to go now. Once these holidays are over, I am going for it.

Life is too short, and each day is a blessing................wow, I really felt that today.;)

Hugs, Nikko:grouphug:

looky what got emailed to me ;)
 

oh wow...you really have talent....I am so impressed
Bobby

I love seeing your drawings. You have a flare for it, that is for sure.

Beautiful. :D

you have a good eye...Bizi...
 

Next for you is DESIGN... it will be a snap for you.

I had alot of fun in art school. I did it decades ago after being self taught.
I think the self consciousness goes away with experience. But I saw many
people just tremble in critiques! Don't let that get to you!

Art is a wonderful release of tension and pent up emotion. Very therapeutic!

I found with experience that I preferred drawing to painting...it is much more
intimate. I prefer realistic styles too.

edit-- removing personal data, now that bizi has seen it

Thank you! I like your work as well!
Thanks for sharing.
bizi:)

Bizi
 

I like this picture.
The shading makes you look professional.

Do you have plans to continue in the next class?

Mari

cool
 

bizi i loved your drawing :)

(i enjoyed the upside down version too! lol ... just a matter of perspective in art, rofl)

i will have to read back in the thread to see why it is titled this way ... anyway i hope you are feeling more comfortable in the class by now.

~ waves ~

Thank you....
I did enjoy useing the black sharpie...no turning back and no erasing ...so I just had to be brave.
I will continue taking the drawing class...he wants me to take a figure drawing class with nude models...I jsut am not into that....maybe some day...
bizi

Bizi, I can picture you drawing/sketching sleeping babies and Cherubs. They are as still as a nude and much more moving.
So glad you are following a dream.
di

hairspray works as a fixative on charcoal drawings

WEll it was the last class.
Talk about uncomfort zone....
The model wore a very skimpy bathing suit and I was so uncomfortable with drawing her.
She was beautiful and great figure...it felt weird...maybe I am jsut a prude...
I kept getting more self conscious as the evening progressed.
Ever line that I put down was wrong...it was like I was judging myself....anyway...I quit drawing after so much frustration and jsut sat there. :(
anyway...
it is good to get out of my routine and do something different...
I will probably take another class maybe with a different instructor.
bizi

Hi Michael
 

How are things with you?
M.

discomfort zones
 

Hey Bizi

I think i'd be uncomfortable too. It would feel too intimate for me given the context, especially with a bunch of people present. I even kinda get weirded out when they have love scenes on tv and my parents are watching with me for instance. Prude? i dunno. we have our boundaries.

Years back, I had a new friend at my house use the bathroom without closing the door. well i asked her afterwards if next time she could please shut the door. said she hadn't thought about it because she was comfortable with her own body. well i was pretty stunned and said something about custom or culture but i felt like i was somehow defective or that i had to question my comfort with my own body. that is a valid question.

but you know, i don't care if SHE's comfortable with her body, I'M not comfortable with HER body. SO THERE. It ain't against the law!!!

anyway, your class is over now whew. i like the idea of taking another class with a different instructor.

:hug:

~ waves ~ who is comfortable with her own body and also comfortable closing the bathroom door.

She was going to be nude as she has posed for years for his classes before...but this was not a figure drawing class!
I asked that she not be nude....
Thank you for validating me.
I walked in today to see a new client who was in her bra...I stepped out embarressed...and her daughter insisted that I continue in...what happened to privacy?

I hope you find another class that is more enjoyable and less stressful.

You do so well, don't give it up.

Nikko:hug:

Most beginner classes
 

do not expose you to totally nude models. The adult ed places here only do nude for experienced artists.

Learning to draw, puts alot of people into a very self conscious mode,
because looking at a blank paper, is in itself intimidating.

I have 220 college hours in fine art..which I took after my professional training.
My husband was in Vietnam, and I took the courses as a "post degree" status, which allowed me to take whatever I wanted.

I was self taught at that time, in my early 20's. They placed me in 3rd level drawing, then I took two design courses, and then the life studies. The first round of these classes were in the 70's, and the males wore jock-straps.
Thongs were not invented yet.

When I went back in the late 70's to continue, the jock-strap was gone, and it was au-naturelle! We had pregnant models, fat ones, one had 3 nipples, but most of the males were very good. The weirdest one by far was a gal who had a genetic disease that didn't allow any fat on her body...she was going to a teaching hospital to figure out what to do about it... she had a very strange body to work from as a result. We had a trapeze there, which no one ever used, but she used to hang from it for 20min poses! LOLOLOL

I found that as I grew in skill, the anxiety left for the life work. But I saw many who were younger than I was who were very uncomfortable with it all.
It didn't take long for me to "get into my space" and work well. Eventually people used to come up to me as ask how I "did it", and it is hard to explain, it is like auto-hypnosis, or auto relaxation therapies.

I have some interesting studies I could send you, Bizi, but I can't put them here. Send me your email, thru PM and I'll send you a couple examples.
I got into doing the whole room as a total situation, and not just the model.
I have a good color one of that! revealing the other students trying to work!