Barrington Barber - The Ultimate Guide to Drawing: Skills & Inspiration for Every Artist

Learning to draw is not difficult. Everybody learns to walk and talk, and read and write at an early age. Learning to draw is less difficult than all that. Drawing is merely making marks on paper which represent some visual experience. All it takes to draw effectively is the desire to do it, a little persistence, the ability to observe and a willingness to carefully correct any mistakes. This last point is very important. Mistakes are not in themselves bad. Regard them as opportunities for getting better, and always correct them.

Many of the exercises in this book incorporate the time-honoured methods practised by art students and professional artists. If these are followed diligently, they should bring about a marked improvement in drawing skills. After consistent practice and regular repetition of the exercises, you should be able to draw competently, if not like Leonardo da Vinci that takes a little longer. You will find that assessing your ability will help to make you more objective about your work. However, this new knowledge wont happen overnight, so be patient. And remember: the time you spend altering your drawings to improve them is never wasted that is how you will improve your skills.

Making contact with other people who are also trying to become better artists will help your progress, too. Drawing is not a private exercise but a public one, so do show your work to other people. It may not be to everybodys liking and you may have to swallow criticisms that dent your pride. If this happens, look at your own work again with a more objective eye and see if those criticisms are justified. Of course, not all criticism is correct. But usually we know when it is, and when it is we should act on it. Your best critics will be other students of art because they speak from their own experience. If you know any professional artists, talk to them about their work. You will find their advice useful. Go to art shows and galleries as often as you can and see what the competition is up to. The experience will help to push your work further in the right direction. Notice your own weaknesses, try to correct them, but dont ignore your strengths. And while you build on success, try to eliminate the gaps in your knowledge and expertise. Above all, dont give up. Steady, hard work often accomplishes more than talent.

In the following sections we will be looking at all sorts of drawing; with some you will be familiar, and some will be new to you. Many of my examples are close copies of the work of first-rate artists, who provide a wealth of ideas and methods from which to learn. Some of the drawings are my own and hopefully they will also teach you something. In considering the drawings of master artists and how they were done, I have tried to relate them to our experience of drawing and suggest ways of improving your abilities.

Topics such as anatomy and perspective are looked at in some detail, as is the difficulty of drawing movement. Detailed on the facing page are some of the major themes running through the book and how they can help you develop your drawing skills.

It is hoped you will have a great time with the suggestions in this book. Having taught art now for a long time and practised it even longer I can say with confidence that if you want to learn to draw well there is nothing to stop you.

Some of the styles and techniques will suit you instantly whereas with others you may find yourself having to work hard. Dont worry if you dont instantly get on with some of them. See them as a positive challenge. You will discover that just trying a new technique will help to improve the other methods you use. Seemingly difficult exercises firm up our talent. When you succeed at them, give yourself a pat on the back, because it means you are really getting interested. That, ultimately, is what counts and what improves levels of skill.

Above all, remember that the desire to draw and the use of your senses are all that are required to start the investigation into the visual world that this book hopes to encourage. Art is a marvellous part of life, and the more deeply you engage with it, the more you are adding to the cultural value of our society.

Finally, do not despair if your drawings are not masterpieces. If they were, you would not need this book, nor any other.