Doug DuBosque

"You can draw." I've heard that a lot, since I was a kid. "You have real talent."

I have perspective drawings I did at age 5.

Was that simply talent? No, you need more than talent. You need skills. Nobody's born with skills! You need practice. Try, and try again. And you need encouragement, so you don't start to think that you "can't" draw.

Why could I draw buildings in perspective at age 5? Because my father saw how much I loved to draw. So he showed me how to draw in perspective.

Here's some advice.

1) Draw easy stuff when you're "off." Draw difficult stuff when you're "on." The cartoon character drawing you know by heart is easy. Draw it on a rainy day to cheer you up. But if you want to get good, skip that drawing. Really LOOK at something real and then draw it. Your hand. Your foot. Your face in the mirror. Your mother. Your cat. A bicycle.

2) Don't worry about special pencils or paper. DO make sure you have good light when you draw.

3) Put your name on your drawing. And the date. And keep it. Some drawings seem to get better when they just sit for a while, even years. Why? I have no idea ;-) Don't throw them out!

4) Have fun!