Think you can't draw, but would like to?

One of the things I learned with our move to Washington is to prepare myself for the Fall/Winter months ahead when it is too cold and bleak outside for gardening, my favorite thing to do. What did I want to learn; what projects can I take on, other than cooking and baking. Given that trying out dessert recipes is what I am inclined to try out most of the time, not good for my diabetes at all.

The Fall schedule of Peninsula College listed various interesting classes but the Colored Pencils class describes teaches drawing using colored pencils. I've dabbled in drawing before and got good results but it's always with a lot of trial and errors before I get the desired result. A frustrating process although it allowed me to get by in drawing things on objects, such as my watering can shown here>>>>>>:







Our instructor is very good. She gave me a different perspective on how to look at the object I am trying to draw.























We used colored pencils and didn't try to sketch out the object with a lead pencil which was how I used to draw - sketch it out and then fill in the space with color (my medium before was watercolor). With the colored pencil technique she was showing us, we were developing the picture while using the colored pencil; the process is almost like burnishing.




You keep adding color with the colored pencil and the resulting picture almost has a glow to it. For this class, we stuck to recreating the object. I was excited to realize that I can do this, and produce the results shown in my first couple of tries.


It is a first step and I will sign up for more classes. But, in the meantime, I am happy that with this class, I am able to add a repertoire to the development of my art skill.


This frog in my shoe drawing is all out of proportion. I was trying to add to the original picture and as you can see - not good at this yet. Oh, well, such is life.










Drawing below: I was trying to capture the lightness of background of a calendar picture.























I was very glad to share this newly acquired skill with our neighbor's daughter, Heather, who has a definite passion for drawing. I did several projects with her, the Chestnuts being one of them. She entered one of her works that we did together in an art contest. She earned prize money for this. Now, that felt great. And, I'm happy that I got her started on it.

She was a fast learner. Her parents enrolled her in other colored pencils classes after our sessions together, and I am happy to report that her skill is much better than mine at this point. Well, to be honest, I think she'll definitely be way better than mine.

It was a great project to take up that fall!