Back To The Drawing Board

Kevin gives some wonderful tips on getting back to the basics.

- Kevin N. Roger

We all have fond memories of drawing on scraps of paper when we were kids. Smudging those messy oil crayons around a giant sheet of butcher’s paper drawing Mum, Dad and your brothers and sisters in front of that square house with the mandatory smoke billowing chimney was where it all started. It was here and throughout school that most young artists were inspired enough to pursue art as a career. Some of us loved those art classes where others loved mathematics and chemistry. But once the call of art is heard, it is nigh impossible to deviate from that calling.

To be a good artist I believe one must be able to draw proficiently first and those skills need to be honed on a regular basis; pulling them out of the cupboard and dusting them off so to speak. I do not agree with some art instructors who say you do not need to be able to draw well to be a good artist. It would be like owning a Ferrari without having a driver’s licence. I believe an artist must be able to draw perspectives and understand the basic principles of anatomy etc before painting, as I have tried to get exact perspectives with a paintbrush only and 90 per cent of the time, I have failed. I must pre-draw my paintings with a pencil first and most times I will do three or four drawings prior to painting so I get my composition and tones right before touching the canvas.

Not only do we need to re-evaluate our skillset, but we need to integrate new technologies and products into our arsenal. One such product I have found to be cutting edge for artists is the Zest-it product range. They have revolutionised drawing by inventing a liquid which when used with a Tortillon or Blending Stump has an amazing ability to blend tones perfectly. They also make products for oil painting and are working on a product to enhance acrylic paints.