Drawing by Nisa Sanchez

I want to see people smiling more often

If I could just shade it a little darker…” I press the pencil point down on the lips of the face I’m drawing. The already worn paper gave through, allowing the pencil to rip past the multi-universe that paper represented for that short moment.

In other words: “I ruined it again” I grumble to myself and glance at the stack of paper I’ve collected of failed attempts at drawing a face. I frown and shove them off the table. I grab a new stack and start all over again, “This time for sure!”

I guess I’ve always been somewhat self motivated. Drawing is very special to me. I can speak fluently both English and Spanish but I can’t express myself as well as I can in drawing and writing. I don’t accept giving up on something like this. I’m an amateur artist with no formal training and while I can have ideas of drawings I want to do, I lack the skills to achieve. This is my biggest obstacle, followed by an atmosphere surrounding that tells me as often as it can:

“This is useless. You’ll never get anywhere with it! What are you thinking?” That’s the least of my worries though.

I adore the human body. All of my attempts at drawing are to depict human life. Through drawing I want to be able to understand and convey emotions, and ideas. Most often when I draw for someone something that they enjoy or are curious about they smile. I love seeing how a drawing or a work of art can make someone genuinely happy.

What I especially admire about the Drawing Academy is its work on fundamentals: Anatomy, perspective, light, form, etc. These are things I want to be able to understand. While I have been teaching myself for all these years, there are topics or techniques I don’t quite understand and through the Drawing Academy course I’m confident that I can gain a true grasp on the fundamentals.

What I also like about this website is its undeniable admiration for the Masters. Personally I really like looking at drawings done by Leonardo Da Vinci and his conviction in them that shines through. I also really like paintings and sketches I’ve seen in books from the French Impressionists, particularly Edgar Degas in his use of pastels and colors. It is because of paintings and drawings like these that I now seek to understand fundamentals that I can apply in my work.

I humbly appreciate any help I can get in the voting section of the competition. I want to take action and pursue what I love. I’m not going to sit and cry about it in the future.

Also, I really really need something like this course so I can take Art exams that would allow me to go to a University abroad; there isn’t an art school where I’m from.

Please share your votes.
Thanks!