Thoughts on Drawing

There are some people in this world whose talent just makes your jaw drop. I’m talking eyes-bulging, mouth-agape, how-did-they-do-that type of astonishment. I am fortunate enough to be able to say I know a few people who have left me floored on numerous occasions with their knack for expressing themselves by way of visual arts. My best friend, Deia Green, for example, has always been able to put pencil to paper and produce something amazing.  She is one of my favorite artists. She currently attends Virginia Tech as an Industrial Design major and has loved drawing for as long as I have known her. It was evident even in the fifth grade that she had something special. I remember vividly the day she brought in a piece of paper with sketches of human torsos to show our teacher. There was a distinct maturity to her style that far surpassed the work of many kids our age who were still amidst the stick-figure phase. Since then, she has expanded her repertoire, experimenting with a number of mediums, with digital drawings on tablets being her most recent venture. 

Part of the reason why I decided to take a drawing class this semester was to explore my own skill set and expand upon it with new techniques and practice. I am very glad I decided to take this class while at Duke as I have seen my style improve and alter with each new skill we studied. I always wanted to take art in high school, but APs and extracurriculars just wouldn't allow it. I love drawing, and I have found that I prefer it more when it’s less restrictive and I can just draw whatever comes to mind. I like to doodle a lot and the margins of my papers are often speckled with the products of wandering thoughts and daydreams. In this way, drawing has always been an outlet for me. It helps me clear my head and I find it extremely relaxing. Having to work to meet a deadline sometimes took the relaxation aspect out of the process. However, being able to express my creativity amidst working on my core classes has proved to be a great benefit to me this semester.