This is my first summer as a teacher that I don't have to work a full time job. As a notorious slacker I decided it was my duty to figure out some things to do with Corbin, my 7 year old, before I wasted the summer eating pop-sickles and complaining that I don't have enough time to take care of the lawn. I'm not much for theme parks or carnivals, but I love to play catch, hike, fish, and shoot BB guns. While these are noble activities, we are landlocked, and generally surrounded by blacktop and cookie cutter modular homes. With gas prices rocketing out of the range of our zero balance budget, I decided we would do well to find a few things to do together at home. Among these things are reading Aesop's Fables, building a fort in the base of the huge blue spruce out front, and drawing mythical creatures.
Here is a picture of my first dragon. I have never been much for drawing but have always admired those who could. I got a gift certificate for Barns and Noble (thanks Schlects) and Corbin found a book on how to draw mythical creatures. I thought, "Why not?" We bought the book and have learned a valuable lesson this week. In order to do art, one must first learn the technique. Yep, it's that simple. The genius may come later, but first, the technique.
This dragon is nothing more than a recreation of what was in the book; nothing original really. I don't know how to draw one from my imagination yet. I can imagine plenty, but I don't yet have the skill to put it on paper. Perhaps a few hundred copies of other people's work will teach me though, and Corbin is having a blast.
5 comments:
Still, not bad for a first-time recreation. You'll have to show me your skills when I'm there.
Wow, great work, Kent! I feel you need to learn from the master, though: StrongBad. Check out: http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail58.html This guy draws this cartoon of his sarcastic alter ego answering random emails from readers... oh yeah, he also wears a mexican wrestling mask. TROGDOR!
And since we're on the topic of StrongBad, here's a couple other funny ones: Techno: http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail45.html , English Paper: http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail64.html , and finally, since you're drawing, perhaps you want to try something in the Japanese anime style: http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail57.html
Don't worry - Art isn't about perfection or perfectly re-creating what you see in your head. It's about the experience of creating the art and what that journey leaves behind on the paper, leading you through a very intimate self-examination while at the same time publicly producing something to look at.(I think your dragon is great, by the way! I do believe that you could do anything you put your mind to Kent. You amaze me sometimes.)
ANYWAY...What you might self-critique as a possibly mis-proportioned subject can be a unique and wonderfully magical animal that teaches a great lesson to Corbin. A Dragon prince with a small looking head (in no way commenting on the one you drew - this is just an example - cheers!) is actually a dragon with a huge chest encasing a heart big enough to love all of his people, even the ones that make fun of him. Get where I'm going with this? Drawing can be a form of story, too. Sometimes the best art is the one that isn't quite right. The quirky one. It excites the brain and awakens us from our blundering daily acceptance of reality. I think that it's great that you and Corbin are tromping through the world of art together. I think that every child should get to experience that. I hope you have as wonderful a time as Corbin does. Just let go and keep moving the pencil. He'll love anything you create. You are his Dad.
Um, sorry about the lengthy post. It's late and I ramble. heh...
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