Many teachers have influenced my art, from college and graduate professors to fellow Imagineers to master painters I've studied with. I've learned from books, videos, my father, my mother. I've studied the longest with the greatest teacher of all—my own practice.
But it's my students who have taught me how to share what I've learned. I think someone should learn a particular thing, and it turns out they have very different needs than what I expected. I end up seeing things a lot more clearly through their eyes. They're the ones who have pushed me to distill my lessons into clearer philosophies.
It all comes down to three main things—a set of rules that I work with in every painting, every drawing, every design.
One of 8 figurines I designed for the Fantasia Carousel in Shanghai Disney Resort.
Here they are:
1) Every object is a combination of shapes moving through space. Every shape is a version of the cube, sphere, or cylinder. Once we understand how to piece them together, we can draw anything we see.
2) Know your perspective. This is a big subject that includes formal perspective, composition, and point of view—as well as what you're trying to say and why. But if you know the simple perspective, what you're seeing that you're trying to render for others to see, you have a roadmap for your art.
3) The story of light IS the story of art. This is a favorite subject of mine. I've written about it, taught workshops on it. Everything we see is a result of light hitting objects and our brains interpreting that movement. That story encompasses shading, color, atmosphere, and more. It exists in realism or abstract art.
Bonus: we learn the rules to break the rules! I'm constantly looking for ways to challenge what I know and try something different. My students help there, too—because each of them has a unique perspective on the world that comes through in their art. They surprise me all the time.
"Map of the Butterfly" in progress, getting closer to finishing...
So, if you'd like to join me on my next 6-week online drawing class, Draw Like You Mean It, you'll be teaching ME as much as I teach you! All levels are welcome--no matter how much you know or don't know about drawing, you will learn something new.
Deadline is Tuesday April 7 at 3 pm. The class starts at 5 pm PST, and I'll need to send you some info first, so that's the latest you can register.
And if you've taken this class before, you can take the whole series again for half the price! Email me directly and I'll send you the details.
In the meantime, Happy Easter and Happy Passover, and may this day bring you joy.
Art Heals
Misato Sano carves dogs as a form of self-portraiture. She says, “Visualizing my inner self through expressions and gestures full of charm and humor has also become an opportunity to deepen my self-love.”
Her art just makes me smile. And I love how their tongues stick out!
