So yesterday I decided to bust out a huge sheet of paper (14"x17") and my drawing pencils, erasers, sharpeners, art rulers ... the whole she-bang, and started a very detailed drawing of an Octopus. I'm just tickled with the results so far! Every time I do a drawing I always seem to amaze myself. Maybe deep down I don't really think I'm that good but who knows! Maybe I should get some pieces together and take them downtown to the art district! It's a shame, I have so many art supplies and yet I rarely find time to sit down and create.

wow, Rakel, your art is amazing. You mean to say you don't do this as a living? I'm shocked:P

Kasmin! Thank you! And no, I don't really make a living with it. I do sell some prints and a few small originals from time to time but I haven't really pursued it much. Maybe I could make more if I was more prolific and participated in some marketing or something. I mostly do web and graphic design to pay the bills, though I tell everyone my job is web & graphic design, art and some crafts ! I'm fortunate to be able to work from home. I've actually been doing it for about a year now, amazingly enough. It's a modest income, but being able to work from home sure has it's advantages!

Rakel, those are fantastic. I'm totally in awe of your talent here. And envious - I can't draw a recognisable stick figure.

Wow! I'd love to see more of your work, so please post more!

Sure thing, at Nicole's request! This is what I mostly do, abstract and intricate patterns and shapes. BTW, the first photo in my original post is not something I drew, but it's my source image for the drawing I'm creating (which is the second image). I'm not sure if I made that clear or not!



BTW, drawing, like anything is a skill that can be learned... I'm pretty sure you could learn how to draw something more than a stick figure with the adequate training. I really didn't know that I could draw until my sophomore year of high school. I mean, I enjoyed art, I had always been told I was creative, but my drawing did not show a significant improvement until I took Introduction to Art in high school. I impressed my instructor quite a bit and he personally invited me to skip over Drawing 1 and 2 and go straight to AP Art (Advanced Placement). I considered not doing it because I didn't feel comfortable skipping the classes, but some of my friends were going to be in it and they convinced me to do it, and I'm glad I did... even though I got a pretty blah score on my AP test >_<

If it's something that interests you, OR ANYONE READING THIS for that matter, go to your local art store and pick up a sketch pad (pretty much any will do, you don't have to spend a lot if you're just practicing! Only get nice paper if you want to move out of practice stage and attempt an actual piece) and a modest set of drawing pencils (something like HB, 2B, 4B, 6B), a kneadable eraser, and preferably a white eraser (the pink ones often leave a pink residue on your paper afterwards), and maybe a cheap, but nice metal pencil sharpner if you don't have one. Then track down the book called "Drawing from the Right side of the Brain" by Betty Edwards. I think you should be able to get started for less than $30 after all is said and done.

Of course, I think what separates artists from say, hobbyists is the natural talent and creativity. But heck, I find drawing very therapeutic and fun, and though it may not be everyone's cup of tea, you might want to try it. You never know, there might be a budding artist in you! Plus, it keeps your hands moving so you're less likely to be munching on food while doing it!

Hopefully this is okay, if it's not -- will a mod please remove it for me?

This link is for the book I mentioned. It's got some information on the book. I recommend you check out the gallery, there are some "Before and after" pictures drawn by those who followed the exercises/lessons in the book.

I actually used to teach some 12yo girls art from this book! It was a ton of fun

http://www.drawright.com/

Wow You are really good!!!
I could never do this!!! I am a really sloppy writer, worse drawing.
cheryl

Hey Rakel - Isn't arting fun? ^^ I'm a bit of an illustrator, too. More in hobby than in living. Hrm. I wonder if that makes a difference. Anyway, your work is very fun!

I agree, it's so fun. And I imagine that drawing sort of engages a different part of your mind as well when you're doing it. Do you guys, Rakel and Faerie, feel a kind of escape when you do that? My background is kind of science-y, so I envy your guys' ability to do artistic things like that.

Nice work Rakel! So much talent!

I love that! I come from an artistic family and seem to be the only one the talent fairy skipped. The rest of us envy you.

I can't really tell you what I'm thinking about when I'm drawing/making art. I guess it is a bit of an escape. It's just you, your tools and your paper/canvas. The first image on my previous post was the first one like that I ever did, and I remember that I stayed up from like 12am to 6am working on it. It's very easy for me to lose all track of time when I work on art. It's bad, because I don't always remember how much I work on something, so it makes pricing difficult when I try to put things up for sale.

Faerie -- Why don't you post some of yours? I'd love to see them!

Rakel,

You do some wonderful work. I am an artist as well and make altered books and visual journals but I majored in printmaking and painting in college. To me there is nothing like the feeling of creating something by hand. I teach computer graphics and work with web design etc etc.... Nothing matches my hand holding some tool and working on a sheet of paper or canvas. I totally get what you mean about being lost in your art. I loose all sense of time and also my mind gets into this "zone". Anyway.....GREAT work!! Do you have an art blog?

Dolly, I have a personal blog on vox.com (username: rakel) where I post my art sometimes, but I am not very consistent with that either. I think my whole life needs a little more consistency

Rakel, you've got talent!