My New White Belt

In my spare time (ha!), I've been reading about the life and works of Leonardo Da Vinci. Inspired by his inquisitive mind and superior artistic ability, I recently ran over to the local art supply store and picked myself up a beginner's set of pencils and a book on pencil drawing. Ahh, a new, inexpensive, challenging hobby!

In the last two weeks, I've learned how to hold a pencil (geez, thought I'd at least have that one down!) and use an eraser (hey, there's more to it than you might think!). I've learned the difference between hard and soft leads, and how they appear on various types of paper. And although I haven't gotten all the way through the beginner-level book yet, I've gained a rudimentary understanding of the basics of line, shape, and form. I'm working on my shading and blending techniques, too.

Using pieces of scrap paper during my lunch breaks, I've managed to complete a few sketches so far, and well — I'm absolutely horrible.

How refreshing! I'm a complete beginner — a white belt — and I have NO idea what I'm getting myself into. I'm really enjoying the learning process, though, and while I'm not even close to reproducing the samples in my book, I've made some pretty remarkable progress in just a few days (if I may say so myself).

Drawing is hard. It's awkward, and my inner critic screams at me with every stroke of the pencil. But it's enjoyable and meditative, too. And already I can see myself making incremental progress for the rest of my days, so long as I have the strength to hold a pencil.

When you think about it, it's kind of like practicing the martial arts.