How do I know if a drawing or illustration is any good? I could critique the character of the line. I could rationalise the colour palette – analogous, harmonious, complementary, and so on. I could critique the composition – is it dynamic? Does it adhere to the rule of thirds? Is the cropping suitable? What does the angle say?
The other way is to simply ask, is there life on the page? Because if life isn’t there, no amount of illustration or image theory will make it any better.
When you feel like drawing flowers, but someone will pay you to draw monkeys, what comes first?
You can catch the flu from another human, but can you also catch their mood?
If I can’t draw a circle how can I draw the sun?
You may be able to find a tool or technique to make a process or drawing more efficient. A digital camera show the photographer the result of their work quicker than a film camera, but it doesn’t make the photo better or the photographer more competent. One still needs to understand tone, colour and composition… Continue reading No shortcuts
If no one else gives a hoot about your art, why should you?
