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Drawing - Art or Science?

I'm just watching a comprehensive Skillshare class called "The Art and Science of Drawing", which is taught by a professional, academically trained artist. It is certainly great that there is such a professional, comprehensive class on Skillshare. I'm watching it to revise the basics of drawing, to get a reminder of the theory behind the practice.

So far, so good. Though, what this class also reminds me of is why so many people shy away from learning to draw. It looks complicated and like needing lots of effort to make sense. So many dos and don'ts. Of course, it's about realistic drawing. The strange thing is that I've watched a lot of people not adhering to all these rules, like how to hold your pencil and how to place your paper, and still doing great work.

Above all, drawing shouldn't only be for those who are prepared to draw 'academically correct'. It should be for everyone and it should be fun. My own drawings may not be good enough to be able to win prizes at art shows. So what. I think they are pretty good and I had fun creating them. I did this quick drawing of a tulip I had bought yesterday. It's certainly not perfect, but it looks like a tulip and I'm sure it doesn't look like it was done by a four-year-old. Yes, I'm sure Van Gogh's drawing of my tulip would have been better. But this doesn't make my drawing unworthy.


When I began I found it very helpful to know something about the science of drawing, but what is really important is the art of it. The being creative, the letting something come into being on the paper in front of you.

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