pdcakm

" ....and I wanted to draw in the worst way. "
i do draw in the worst way. just awful. but i can cut and paste and trace. really envy those with drawing talent.

barri1

I have been reading Mary Lou Weidman's books on how to make story quilts. I started a quilt for a friend, and thought it would be hard, as I am VERY challenged with drawing. I have many ideas in my head. I wen online, and googled coloring books. I was able to print pictures of things I want to add to the quilt. It is a quilt with a beach scene, a tree, the sun, and all kind of extra things that relate to my friend. I am putting different embellishments on it to make it exciting. There will be a bee on his foot, some lady bugs, birds, and all kinds of things that will get put on, as they pop into my head. The label will be a 1973 mustang convertible with all the info on it..
I thought it would be hard to do, but with the internet having all the pictures, it is becoming easier.

patchy-at-best

I'm a freelance artist, I've been a prolific drawer since I could hold a pencil. It was just 'in me'. Not that I don't have my off days, where brain and hand aren't working together. Hubby and I only had this conversation today. I was saying how I've always easily drawn 'cutsie' stuff yet real life depiction is hard for me (though I do good portraits). Yet others are the opposite. I think we all have the ability in us, but unless we try to draw everything possible we might never find our natural bent. Both of my parents were quite artistic though it didn't really interest them until later years. My daughter is the same, an amazing natural talent yet it doesn't interest her. I was surprised to hear she'd designed fine detail, complex Gothic tattoos for a few of her friends. I never knew, she just did them because they asked. My pride and joy is my 11yr old son, severely Autistic and didn't even touch a crayon until age 6. One day he just started to draw, and now draws for at least 5 hrs a day. He does miniature drawings, with 1mm pens, so very tiny and detailed I need my glasses to see what they are!!
Essentially we all have a talent for something, embrace it and share. I appreciate others talents more than my own :-)

WTxRed

I have always drawn, sketched and doodled, and started early early in life. My mother put me in art lessons from the age of about 8 or 9 where I learned to oil paint. I had a dozen or so ribbons by the time I started high school. I still sketch and doodle - especially in meetings or on conference calls at work. I haven't painted a picture in a few decades. I do believe tho that all those years of art lessons dramatically improved my understanding of colors, and goes without saying - the actual techniques used in oils.

With all that said, when I need or want to do applique, I tend to google xxx coloring pages and modify the most appealing images to my final vision - be it with a few embellishments or use of designs, fabrics, etc. With all the resources at our fingertips today, one doesn't have to have that natural ability

Butterfli19

That's going to be my best option I think. I do love the clip art I got from Word, so I probably will manipulate that.
Just have to start somewhere and keep going. Thanks for the ideas!

Sewnoma

Some people DO have a natural talent for drawing, but it's a skill that anybody can learn with perseverance. And like anything else in life, the more you practice the better you get. I've taken art classes and worked on my drawing ability - I still kind of suck at it but that's mostly because I don't practice like I should. If I really work at it (and do a LOT of erasing) I can draw "ok". My art teacher told us that if you want to get good at it, you need to invest about 10,000 drawings into it. He recommended keeping a sketchbook nearby and doing at least 2 drawings per day, every single day.

I don't draw nearly that much but I do doodle, which I think helps but not as much as a focused drawing would. Of course these days most of what I'm doodling is quilt designs, LOL.

RedGarnet222

Yes my first love was drawing and I only began to interpret fabric into designs well into my twenties. My suggestion is to pick up a basic drawing book and see how it is done. Any art section of a hobby store will have one. Perhaps a library check out book would be enough? It is a learning experience just like quilting.

I really think that natural ability is wonderful, but don't discount the fact that you can learn anything you put the interest and time into. My artistic eye spills into my home and garden designs. I love it. I see art in most everything.

Luv Quilts and Cats

My Dad is an artist, he can draw. Me, not so much. I have taken 2 beginner drawing classes and still can't draw. But that's ok. If you want it draw well, practice, practice, practice! just like anything else. Want to really blow your mind? Read/borrow/buy the book Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. In one of my beginner drawing classes we used the technique for a couple of the classes and I was stunned that what I drew actually looked like what I was looking at to draw. Totally amazing, jaw-dropping. I'm not sure why I didn't keep up with it. I'll have to dig out the book again. I get my whimsy designs from quilt books or patterns I purchase. This works for me.

jo bauer

Darn. Not me, can't draw a lick. I hated 7th grade art class, spent hours after class trying to draw a still-life display and still got a c- on the project. I passed the class--barely. But, I found quilting and for funky fun quilts I depend on kid's drawings, story books, (though copyright can be a problem here), clip art and even fabric cut-outs for inspiration, but favorite source is coloring books as mentioned above.

Cedar

Those of you that think you can't draw probobly can draw whimsy stuff. The imperfections are what makes this style work. I would suggest drawing something twice as big as you want it, than outline your sketch in black and tape it to a window and trace changing any parts that annoy you. Repeat until you like it. Then use a copier to reduce it, which will often eliminate some unimportant details and simplify the design more.

If you can use a rotary cutter you can draw a straight line. It's almost the exact same process with a ruler and writing utinsel. I literally spent hours learning to draw a straight line in graphic design school and when I miscut I see its the exact same mistakes I make when drawing.