Learning to draw has long been a velleity* of mine, so when I read about a course which promised that “if you can write your name you can learn to draw“, I signed up.
Day 1: (pre-instruction)
Day 2:
Day 3:
Day 4: (With kind permission of the model)
Day 5:
I’m not fond of** the final self-portrait – I like the left side and I like the right side, but they don’t work together. I won’t be hanging it on the wall any time soon and don’t think that I’ll be giving up the day job just yet, but if you’d told me on Monday that I’d be drawing that on Friday, I would not have believed you.
Can I draw well? Not yet.
Can I draw? Yes. And for now, that will do just fine.
*A mere wish, unaccompanied by effort to obtain.
**Really dislike
abradypus 
I’m stunned at how well you’ve already done! Fabulous success as a “beginner”, I’d say! So much so that I would beg a correction at the end of your post: rather than say “Do I draw well? No.” I feel you should say “Do I draw well? Yes. Do I draw well enough to satisfy my own artistic taste & judgment? No.” because you do, indeed, draw well!
I hope you are enjoying your drawing experience. Focusing on the mechanics of drawing is great for learning to expand your ability, but I find that drawing with less regard for mechanics is just plain FUN. I hope you do both 🙂 Thank you for sharing these!
Fun is good, but I think I’ll need a little bit more practice before I throw away my training wheels 🙂
Wowee Louise! That’s excellent. You’ve really got a skill there. Well done.x
Anna was a very patient teacher!
Brilliant! Thank you for posting about them, it saves me a lot of nagging. And I would agree completely with Henniemavis’ comment, adding that it’s usually our own self-criticism that stops us even trying to do artistic things. You have gone and done it, and I think that’s ace.
Awww, thank you.
Personally, I really quite like the ‘angularity’ of the final portrait.
I might have just made up a word there, I’m not sure.
Wow! Amazing.
Excellent! An area I dabbled in many moons ago and wouldn’t mind another crack at it. Great work!
Hav another crack! Go on. Do.
well I think they are all amazing! can I have an early ‘Ayling’ please?
then my grandkids can go on Antiques Roadshow and the art expert will go into a frenzied state of excitement over the discovery of this formerly unknown early drawing done by the world renowed Louise Ayling 🙂
It is just like running: Do you like doing it? Then just continue!
Wow!! Fantastic pics! Are you enjoying it too?
I am, yes. And I’m looking at clouds in a whole new way.
Oh my goodness I would be so proud of those – well done!