As authors we hear the the merits of "write every day" and "just keep writing" shouted from every virtual rooftop. Advice that sticks around that long exists because it is true. We tell young writers to not worry about their mistakes. A draft is supposed to be terrible. We give them advice on fundamentals to improve their work and do as much as we can to dissuade the idea that every author starts out writing Nobel Prize literature. How many authors are English or Lit Majors? So why then do many writers shy away from sketching?
I have met many people in my life that marvel at anyone with a creative streak in them, especially authors. They look at us as though we are about to break out a vial of faerie dust when we sit down to work. They don't see the years we spend slogging through the broken sentences and tripping of plot holes so big an elephant could get lost in them. They read the stories we finish. The ones we have painstakingly picked through are the stories we present to the world. We are the makeup artists for our creations. I wonder sometimes how people would react to a before and after picture of a story.
I sometimes see the same looks in the eyes of authors when looking at other creative arts. They appreciate the beauty of the work. They love the details in a piece. They are able to capture and share the soul of a work with a language that is constantly in flux through their own words. But they inevitably say, "I could never draw that."
Drawing and language are formulas. They all start with a basic fundamental structure and then build up from there. It takes years to master the English language. And that's just learning the conversational aspect of it. We don't realize that because most of us learn it at such a young age through immersion. When we run into someone learning the English language later in life we don't tell them to stop. We encourage them and practice with them. Drawing is the same concept. It's a language some people learn early and some people learn later. Just because you're starting later doesn't mean it's too late to try.
So why should you start drawing:
- Drawing helps you develop the way you conceptualize the world around you.
Think about the way you see things. Look at something around you like a tree. Stop focusing on the leaves for a moment and notice the basic shapes that make up the tree. Try looking around you at the shapes that make up everyday items. After about a week reflect on the way you look at the world.
- Drawing helps you visualize the whole scene.
Go back and pick up a story you wrote. How are the characters interact with their surroundings. Do they interact with the entire room? How do they fit into the room. Draw out the scene and rewrite the paragraph. You'll notice you pay more attention to the way the scene fits together when you have a reference for the layout of the area.
- Drawing helps you understand motion and how things work.
In order to draw realistically you need to have an understand of the muscle structure and some basic physics concepts like gravity, etc. By practicing everyday you learn to interpret the forces that act upon everyday items in a visual manner. This knowledge will directly translate into your writing.
- Drawing helps you communicate with illustrators.
I worked for over a decade in graphic design and I can tell you the single most frustrating part of the job was dealing with people who didn't understand artistic concepts like placement, color theory or negative space. When you begin to draw you become visually aware of the placement and hues of the world around you and how they affect your work. Once you understand these concepts you'll find talking to the artist illustration your cover much more enjoyable for both of you.
Just like writing, remember that drawing is an exercise in patience. You won't get it perfect the first time. That's not a bad thing. Just consider it your first draft.
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