A Bit About
How To Draw And Paint
Hello and welcome!
My name is Bob Davies and what I aim to do is to provide you with a site that answers all the questions you want to ask about learning how to draw and paint.
- More importantly, I hope I can inspire you to actually start painting and drawing, if you're new to the subject. Or maybe you've not picked up a brush in anger for some time and you'd like to start again - but don't know where or how to start.
I've taken note of the questions which students ask - over and over again.
Believe me, the same themes keep cropping up, time after time...
Together we'll look at all sorts of areas that will add to your skills and enhance your enjoyment of the wonderful world of painting and drawing.
I don't hold with those art theorists and purists who say you shouldn't do this or that, because it's not "real" painting...
"Don't copy from photos... never use a ruler... if you use white paint in watercolor then it's not a 'proper' watercolor..."
Rubbish!
Learning how to draw and paint is all about using whatever tools or techniques that make YOU feel most comfortable and inspires you to keep going.
The simple fact is that to learn how to draw and paint good perspective, you need a straight edge or ruler at the outset to draw some guidelines on your paper.
In my experience, this helps most students better understand how perspective works, much quicker. As for using photos... Do you think the great masters of two and three centuries ago would have turned their nose up at any aid that would help them as professionals?
No chance!
If Monet had been able to take photos of the areas in France on which most of his great works are based,I'm sure he would have done so.
I'm not advocating that photos, white paint, rulers or any aid can replace practice and perseverance. Just that having them around when you learn to draw and paint is a great source of comfort and support.
Like much in life, painting successfully is about maintaining and enjoying a positive outlook and getting the most from it.
A Bit About My Own Background
My own background as an artist is probably not too far removed from most people who've found or re-discovered art at that certain age...
I enjoyed art at school in Liverpool, here in the UK. However, after I moved into 'a proper job', I only dabbled occasionally with art over a long period.
In fact I hardly picked up a brush in anger for nearly 30 years, until I came across "A Brush With Art" - a Watercolor Series on TV in 1992 by well known UK artist Alwyn Crawshaw.
His infectious enthusiasm and obvious enjoyment of the subject fired up the old artistic juices and since then I've found a creative outlet that's given me so much satisfaction and pleasure.
I'm largely self-taught, mostly by reading about the great artists of the past and watching TV artists such as Alwyn Crawshaw, the late Bob Ross and many others.
And above all, by painting...
Selling your first picture is a big thrill. I got £15 for my first sale in 1993. Since then I've been fortunate enough to sell many more. Like lots of artists, these were initially to family and friends but nowadays it's to a widening clientele.
Today, I'm very proud to have paintings hanging in places as far afield as the USA, Canada and Australia.
I've run an art class for beginners for several years, which has been great fun. There's only one rule and that has been for tutor and students to enjoy the process of learning.
So many of my students have told me that they passed through school wanting to learn art, but were frustrated that they were never taught basic techniques like drawing skills.
Far too often they were told to 'follow the rules of art' and concentrate on creating 'mood' and 'energy' and 'themes'.
They tried, but floundered because they were never shown how to draw simple shapes like trees or led through the principles of perspective. So they gave up altogether. Sadly, they lost art - and art lost them...
This mirrors my own experience at school i.e. "...develop your theme and you'll pick up the basics as you go along..."
Well no, actually you don't!
You need to understand some simple building blocks of drawing and painting techniques before you get into the heady heights of symbolism and representation in your work.
Why have so many "TV Artists" enjoyed such popularity in the last decade or so? It's because... they show you how...!
I often wonder how long Catering Colleges would survive if their students weren't shown how to beat an egg before they were let loose baking a Christmas cake...
Anyway, let's get off the soapbox!
You've now had a bit about me and my philosophy on painting. I could also go on all day about how I'm also into golf, soccer and steam trains.
My wife Pam would tell you that, given half a chance, I usually do!
But hopefully, some of the things I've mentioned will strike a chord with you.
All the best,
