“In spite of everything I shall rise again: I will take up my pencil, which I have forsaken in my great discouragement, and I will go on with my drawing.” ~Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890), Post-Impressionist painter.

I love both of the quotes above. Matisse’s observation that drawing ‘puts a line around an idea’ is spot on. Sometimes getting an idea from the head to the hand is harder than one might think. Other days it flows easy as silk.

The Van Gogh quote speaks to me at a gut level. The advancing osteo arthritis in my shoulders and hands has been an ongoing block over the past few years leading to great stretches of time where I do little drawing and instead concentrate on writing (often using a voice-to-text app). Still I push on because making art is simply part of my DNA.

Drawing is still my all-time favourite way of expressing myself artistically. Whether as a simple HB lead pencil scribble or a more ‘finished’ example, such as the canine eye study shown here. Drawing is the skeleton that underlies all other techniques. It is the base construction. Here, I was demonstrating how sharpening coloured pencils to an extra long point offers a variety of line and shading techniques to the artist—from fine lines to broad shading.

What is your favourite medium? The ‘go-to’ tools you pick up when a spur-of-the-moment idea strikes your creative funny-bone? Pop them into the comments section.

All artwork and creative writing is Copyright ©️ of Patricia White. No use of this content or concept may be used without the express permission of the artist/author.