I can’t draw. I can play the guitar, I can write nonsense, I can talk too much, I can sort of sing in tune, but, give me a blank sheet picture and I’m like Donald Trump on Mastermind. Useless. When I see what artists can do, I just tell myself I have many hidden talents, which, at some point will emerge and wow the world, but being able to paint and draw won’t be one of them. 🤣

My lack of skill and patience hasn’t sopped me trying though. I remember drawing an Iris (as in flower) (see below!) Very basic, rubbish really.

Then I tried to copy a couple of victorian ladies in a courtyard with an archway and some trees. I spent a week painstakingly painting the photograph. My Mum came to visit and after a cup of tea, she spotted my paining.

‘Who painted that?’

‘I did’

‘Never……………I never knew you could draw!’

I was well chuffed. As they say in Essex, I was totes emosh. 😂 It didn’t last though as over the next few days I ruined it by trying to rescue some poorly drawn trees while the paper was still wet. Next minute there was a hole right through. I chucked it in the bin ☺️

I gave up for a long long time. I learnt to play guitar, started my blog, wrote loads of stories and adventures which are not bad actually 🙂 Drawing ? nope. zilch nada…..then You Tube arrived to save the day. After watching some amazing artists online I got the urge to try again.

I tried a few things then managed a Vietnamese fisherman which was ok.

Then, after one of my friends told me he always took a bottle of Old Putney whisky up mountains and took a picture of it I decided to try and draw it too…..

I then tried an apple 🙂

This apple became my avatar on Twitter. Not great but it does look like an apple !!

Then I started getting carried away – next up Lovebirds!!!!

I decided to start with coloured pencil and bought some of these bad mammas…….Prismacolour pencils.

I tried a boat in coloured pencil – wasn’t too happy with this one but it was ok.

Then I found a kindle book by Alyona Nikelsen and tried 3d things…..

then a copper watering can……

Suddenly I realised if you persevere you can do things…….

I did some squashes in pastel pencil and was so pleased I got it framed. It still sits on the dining room wall 😀😀😀

then a 3D pepper

a green glass apple……….

I then found I could draw birds

I even ended up doing a Banksy!!!!

then exotic birds…….

Hare sketch

humming bird

None of the above are amazing but they do prove that anyone can produce something. I now have 3 drawings on the walls of the house and a commission on a wall in Northern Ireland. if you keep working away, even if you are not a natural, you can do something reasonable. It’s guys like the following who’ve inspired me. If only I had their knowledge and talent. Time yet 😀

Let’s draw 😀😀😀😀

Sundays and Sketching was brought to you by David Linden aka @qosfc1919 on Twitter ©️Dodo Productions 2020 ❤️❤️