Question 1. What do you think are some important skills to have so as to draw and design well?

I think one of the most important qualities for a person to draw or design well would be consistency. As a lot of things, you don’t need inborn talent to draw well, anyone can draw if they are determined and consistent in their efforts. What matters is a creative outlook on the world. Being observant of your surroundings and asking yourself why things are the way they are or look the way they are and doing that consistently because nothing can really happen overnight. I learned that drawing well or designing well doesn’t mean it has to look like a carbon copy of what you’re drawing, it doesn’t even have to look realistic at all. As long as the message you want to put across is conveyed, then that means you have done your job. Another important part of learning to draw well is by not giving up, I realize that only by making mistakes I can draw better in the future.

Question 2. What are your strengths and weaknesses in drawing?

I have gone to art classes when I was a child, those classes really helped me to draw what I saw on paper, using reference pictures. I find art and drawing a very fun and relaxing thing to do which makes me enjoy it even more. I think my strength lies in the technical aspects of drawing and my willingness to learn. One of the things I struggle with the most is unlearning some of the wrong things I’ve been doing while I draw in the past and getting out of my comfort zone. I struggle to make mistakes because I feel the need for it to be perfect. I tend to not do so well drawing from memory and I give up easily trying to translate my thoughts onto paper. But I’m confident that with some practice and determination I will be able to improve on those aspects.

Question 3. We discussed the importance of drawing regularly to improve. How could you make any small changes to your routine so as to draw more often?

Drawing regularly is something that I haven’t been doing as much as I should. I want to try all different types of medium but first I want to focus on quick studies and sketches. I want to make this possible by drawing for 1 to 2 hours everyday with one of my flat mates which would give me some kind of accountability. Instead of focusing on just one drawing in that hour, I want to do loads of little drawings of objects around me to understand anatomy, contours, perspective etc. By not focusing on detail, I want to be able to see the big picture. I will start paying attention to my surroundings more, notice the lines and bends of nature and objects. I want to take pictures of anything I find interesting and draw out what I thought was interesting about those pictures later in the day as well. By implementing some of these habits into my routine, I would feel more confident in my drawing skills.