Need talent to draw with hand?

[Mike Lin]

Dear Land8 Member,

I have often heard from many designers who said they can’t draw because they don’t have talent, or don’t have good drawing ability in their blood.  So after 40 years of teaching people how to better themselves in graphic skills and have written three graphic text books, I like to share the following proper attitudes toward good hand graphics.  If you can comprehend the list below, you have won half of the battle. 

* You don’t need to be talented to draw well, you just need to work hard, learn graphic tips and imitate other people’s work.  Most accomplished illustrators start from zero level and become so good with great attitudes.

* Remember, you can always draw better than your clients, so why feel bad.  If you don’t make mistakes on
your drawings, how can you expect to improve upon it. So go ahead and make mistakes, but seek advice to improve.

* If you fail on a sketch, it is simply an experience for you not to repeat the same mistakes for the next ones.

* If you can’t draw, you need to know graphic tips (listed on our web site) so you will have good directions.

* No matter how bad you are, at least you are still alive, so be happy and it is just a piece of paper you are ruining and 
not your life, so relax and don’t get frustrated and discouraged. Think this way, it is so nice to make mistakes on paper and paid by your clients. 

* It is not how good you can draw, it is how nice you are and how much you care for your clients.  Drawing is
simply a vehicle to communicate between you and your clients.  So don’t be afraid to destroy your sketch as
long as you can relate your ideas well. I have noticed that most great designers often can’t draw well, but they believe in themselves and not afraid of drawing badly, that may be why they are so successful. You do have this option as well.

* Sketching is just a design process and not an end product like art, so consider it is a fun journey from your ideas to a finished project.  Therefore, it is quite alright to ruin a drawing because it is just a process. In other words, a designer doesn’t need to draw well like an artist, we have a license to kill a piece of paper and get paid.

During my graphic demonstration, most people have told me I was born with talent.  Honestly, I can’t draw at all when I started my architectural school, but after years and years of making mistakes and with my persistence in trying and willingness to fail, I now become the BEST drawer in my family.  When I have a bad day, I always never forget to ask my wife to show me how she draws a tree, of course her drawing made me laugh and made my day.  Therefore, I no longer am interested in competition with the best illustrators around the world, that indeed gives me less pressure.

Remember, sooner or later, we all are going to kick the bucket and rest forever, so why try so hard to compete with others and receive unnecessary stress and perhaps die younger.

Hope you will agree what I said above and just draw, draw and draw with good attitude, soon you will find the joy of sketching.  To learn Graphic tips taught by our BeLoose Graphic Workshop, click here,  To see more drawing attitudes, click here.  Hope you have a good day.

Mike Lin

Designed and Rendered in less than 4 hours by Matthew Kerr in our January workshop 2009.  Outlined with black LePen and rendered with Chartpak markers and little colored pencils.  You are still not too late to join our January workshop 2013 in Manhattan Kansas that we will increase your graphic level beyond your dream and your life will be filled with fun and joy.  We have special discount for Land8 members.

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