Drawing is making marks. Looking at lines, feeling what they convey, we begin to uncover possibilities and truths. We begin to see that we need dark and light, thick and thin, wild and sedate, wobbly and bold. Like yin and yang they’re two parts of a whole. One doesn’t make sense without the other.
With practice lines aren’t just accidents but intentions. In every moment drawing is a reciprocal activity—receiving and giving, giving and receiving. We have to keep our eye on the page and on nothing at all, at the same time.
When we see different ways of making marks we see different ways we can use our own hand. No matter how many different kinds of lines we use it will still be our own hand. Your thick smudgy line is yours, not mine. Mine is mine. We’re all bringing a little something to the party. Not the whole shebang. But in seeing your line I expand mine. So, thank you for sharing.
With each of our different ways of drawing we see a little more of the mystery. The goal is not to incorporate everything so that we might say it all. No can do. You can let yourself off that hook. The goal is just to show up and give what you’ve got.
