I have two small children. I have been an artist for years freelancing and what-not. I have recently have began working with a very, very talented and gifted artist, and an old friend, on developing new and amazing ideas to put into 3D.
While he and I are drawing, my kids draw with us. One day while creating some amazing piece of work my son (10) looked at him and said how do you draw so good?
Damon replied, “Murder your darlings”.
My son said “What?”, trying to understand what he meant.
Instantly, Damon took his eraser and killed this AWESOME piece of drawing he had been working on for a while.
My son looked at him in wonder…and said “Why did you do that!?”
Damon replied “Because when you fall in love with a drawing and you are not willing to rework the piece, it loses it’s greatness”.
My son instantly understood exactly what he meant. Then my son later asked “How do you draw the way you do?”
Damon replied, “My father would put down Michaelangelo works in front of me and tell me to draw those.” Damon went on to explain “If you want to be able to draw great, you have to understand what great means”.
My son later that week picked up a book from the library of Michaelangelo artwork and began trying to recreate it.
My son later asked Damon “What can I do to be a better drawer?”
Damon said “Study from the best, like your dad, and the old masters.”
My son later asked, “How can I draw faces as good as yours?”
Damon replied “Sit down with your dad and draw his face while he draws yours”, then if you want to understand how the pieces of a face fit together, but a picture of someone’s face in half…tape that to a larger piece of paper and draw the other half."
I learned more from that session then I had in my life.
If you want to teach your children how to draw, then don’t be afraid to tell them what isn’t working as well as not being afraid to tell them what IS working.
They want to hear what makes them good as well as what they need to work on.
), I would cry and hide under my bed for the next five weeks.
