It's hard to believe I'd give a talk on gaining confidence in art. In college, a teacher said I should stick to photography because I couldn't draw. That sentence lingered until recently.
When the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC accepted my painting of President Carter into their Permanent Collection, I had to change the narrative in my head. No more "I cannot draw" or "I'm not an artist."
My wife, an interior decorator, excels in color and design—skills I lack. However, I speak out today because I've learned to draw at a high level. I'm living proof that all you need is desire.
Learning to put down plum lines, vertical and horizontal lines, and observing directional changes elevated my drawing skills. It's a simple step-by-step process everyone can follow by going slow and understanding the concepts.
From being someone who once believed they couldn't draw to now drawing at a high level—this transformation is possible!
We call it TouchPoint Drawing, originating in the Italian Renaissance with Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci and adapted by the French Academy in the 18-19 century. We discovered minor alterations lacking in the common practice called Bargue Drawings. These changes were life-altering for someone like me aspiring to draw at a high level.
Drawing at this level freed up my experimental phase with a brushstroke. I now know I can erase and redraw if I make a mistake. YOU CAN DO THIS, AND I'M SPEAKING OUT TO TELL YOU THAT!