Clinton writes: Hi Lisa,
I recently watched a video about your opinion on adult colouring books. I am currently hooked on coloured pencils and so want to take it further than a colouring book. I want to be able to create wildlife scenery but at the moment I feel intimidated and lost on how to begin. I am a total newbie to coloured pencils and art in general, so my frustration is on how best to get started? Do I consider getting a tutor that is able to assist me or do I just jump in and do one of your tutorials on Patron?
I know you are busy and really appreciate you taking the time to read the above. Any assistance you can give is greatly appreciated.
I think everyone will learn best in different ways. I would suggest just jumping in to start with. See what happens! You can learn SO much just from experimenting and add in all of the videos available and that may be all you need. The big thing to remember when you start experimenting is not to expect professional looking results immediately. Know that what you start off with is not going to be perfect and that that is just part of the learning process. It does not mean that you won’t be amazing, just that it takes some time to get there.
If that seems a bit overwhelming then it may be worth finding a teacher to get you started. When looking for a teacher, make sure that their own work is what you hope for yours to look like. I’ve seen many places offer classes from teachers who knew nearly nothing about the medium they were teaching in. If the teacher can’t create well in that medium, then they also can’t teach you what you need to know. Classes where you have a teacher who can really watch what you’re doing and point out mistakes and how to fix them as you work can be a huge help. It can also be a lot of fun to be in a class with other students you can chat with as you work. One of the things I really like about classes is that it can keep the student from giving up. When you know you have that weekly class, you have a reason to practice at home. It is much easier to make excuses not to draw when you’re working and learning on your own, so if you’re the type to give up quickly, finding a local teacher would be a great idea.
Classes where you have a teacher who can really watch what you’re doing and point out mistakes and how to fix them as you work can be a huge help. It can also be a lot of fun to be in a class with other students you can chat with as you work. One of the things I really like about in person classes is that it can keep the student from giving up. When you know you have that weekly class, you have a reason to practice at home. It is much easier to make excuses not to draw when you’re working and learning on your own, so if you’re the type to give up quickly, finding a local teacher would be a great idea.