How many artists do you know who dont know how to draw? How many curators do you know who dont know how to draw one bit. I have noted this over and over and most recently this has become problematic. I have actually heard artists say, “I don’t do faces well or I don’t do hands well so I just work around them in my work.” What? Whaaa? What are you talking about? If you cant draw something then please don’t fudge it. It is quite apparent to a seasoned viewer I assure you. Your work suffers and on an unconscious level even the unseasoned can tell if you have a deficit in the drawing department. The Emperor surely has no clothes.

This is a good time to get back to basics. Just pick up a pencil and paper and do it. Practice makes perfect they say. Too many art schools let students off without even a rudimentary understanding of drawing and  we see effects this outcome. Some schools don’t care if their students can actually draw or not. This has become one of the biggest problems in art, especially given the fact that so many artists are now curators. While feelings, flair, flow and ideas are all well and good, think about what that same work would be if the artist or curator knew personally the realization of drawing. You can do contour drawings on your own or even join a figure drawing class of some sort. These classes are most everywhere if you just look around. If you can’t afford a figure drawing class get a group of interested artists and let a different person pose each week. Everyone wins. You will find that the practice of drawing is not only liberating but confidence building. I have known video artists, sculptors, ceramacists and others say that after they learned to draw it opened their eyes to expanded ideas of contour, symmetry, spacial arrangements, etc; Drawing helps you go within and that is not such a horrible place to be these days especially if you are willing to trust yourself. As an artist, you owe yourself this much.