Everyone can draw. Lots of people stop drawing when they don't have to do it at school any more or because they think they can't do it.I'm an illustrator, so I draw for a living. A big part of that is that I just get to practise drawing an awful lot. Most people are just out of practice at it – if you hadn't driven or cooked for twenty years and then tried to all of a sudden, it would all feel a bit rusty until you got back into the swing of it. With the huge and slightly bizarre opportunity to talk to 23,000 people I think more than anything I'd like to get everyone to enjoy the pleasure in drawing something, particularly if you haven't drawn for years.
Don't worry about what it looks like or how much it resembles what you're drawing, just enjoy the process. Drawing what you see or experience every day is more what I mean. It's more like keeping a diary than writing a novel. It could be of anything at all. What's in front of you now? If you go out for a walk or look in your kitchen drawer or look out of the window, what do you see?
A couple of tips that I've found helpful:
1. Look at what is actually there in front of you, not what you think that object looks like. What shape is actually there in front of you? What angle is that line really?
2. Try not erasing anything. Keep going and if you're not happy with a bit of it draw it right over the top – this way you don't get bogged down in getting it perfect. Another way to stop you getting bogged down like that is to give yourself a reasonably short time limit.
3. Draw on anything with anything. You don't need fancy equipment to get started - a sheet of paper out of your printer is fine. You may well find the best drawings you do are on the back of an envelope with a free Biro because you're more relaxed about it.
Most importantly, try and enjoy it. People are writers every day with their emails/Twitter/Facebook statuses - why not try treating drawing the same way?
It would be great to see all your drawings together (although don't feel you have to publish them!). I reckon posting it on Twitter under the hashtag #thelistservedrawings might be a good way to see them. See you on there if you like - I'm @laura_barnard.
Authors to look at if you do find you enjoy drawing:
Danny Gregory
Keri Smith
Michael Nobbs
Betty Edwards
Laura Barnard
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