Having grasped finally the fundamentals of using a pencil and realizing how and why I had abandoned art so many times in the past, I decided to just plough on and keep practising. I was curious about the different mediums of art but I kept on with using pencils and introducing coloured pencils too. I copied these beach huts from the tin of my Derwent coloured pencils:
 |
| Coloured pencil sketch of beach huts copied. |
Then I used a great book called "Learn to Draw in a weekend" which is the book that helped me to suddenly "get it" about shading. I practised with simple fruits and felt I got better and better:
These party hats below represent for me that "light bulb" moment when I produced a picture that actually looked like a picture and stood out of the page in almost 3D. It was the edges and the shading and shadows that I finally understood.
 |
| Party Hats - shading and shadows and using colour. |
At that moment I had a surge of confidence. I remember that I would just draw things that inspired me and although I did not feel at this time that I was capable of producing any original art, it did not matter, I decided that it was okay to just copy and copy anything that inspired me so as to keep learning. That Christmas our next door neighbour gave us a Christmas card which I loved so began to copy the picture on the front. I never finished it but really enjoyed just using the pencils and getting familiar with them. I love drawing little details with shading.
 |
| Copying a Christmas Card picture - copying to practise using pencils |
All in all it was a good beginning from that first attempt of not even knowing how to make a line on a paper. Compared to those very first marks on the paper from You Tube videos, I felt progress was being made:
 |
| Very first attempts from You Tube, not understanding anything about drawing. |
Although I find it a shame that over the years I have given up and gotten rid of all my art, I do see it was burst of growth and at the moment am still keeping going on this art journey.
