Persistence!

I just finished my morning “Shapes and Forms” drawing. I’m up to Day 32 of the 100-Day project. It was an interesting challenge today, and while I can applaud myself for using my templates, and I can applaud myself for giving this my best shot, I can’t really applaud the results.

When I first began learning to draw, I measured a drawing’s “success” — or “failure” — by one very simple standard. Can someone look at it and tell what it’s supposed to be? With this drawing, yes, I think it’s obvious. This is a graphite drawing of two eggs and a rectangular block behind them.

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Although Easter has passed, my “wooden eggs” have remained in the studio, now a part of my regular drawing practice. When I set this exercise up, I was quickly taken aback at the realization that I not only had to draw an egg, but a foreshortened egg! I think I rose to that challenge. I also thought I did a little better with my shadows, and yes, again, you can look at this and say “This is a graphite drawing of two eggs — one foreshortened — with a small rectangular block behind them.”

In that sense, this is a “successful” drawing. At least, 10 years ago I would have considered this a success.

Thankfully my drawing standards have risen a bit. I’m looking now not just for “recognizable” things, but for some semblance of realism. No, I’m not aiming for anything “highly realistic”, but hoping to be somewhere between “This is recognizable” and “This really looks like what it is.”

The key to making this happen, of course, is with shading and blending, and give me credit, folks. I am trying, I’m really trying. I haven’t achieved the results I want yet, but I’d like to think that if I continue practicing, I will eventually improve my graphite shading and blending.

So, I sat here this morning, looking at my drawing, and thinking about what I would write. Coming up with a title stumped me. I thought of calling this post “Practice, Practice, Practice” — but I’ve already used that title. Same with “Practice Makes Progress” and “If At First…” You see, the theme of being persistent and not giving up has been a recurring subject throughout my art blogging.

I asked myself exactly what I wanted to say about today’s drawing. I wanted to emphasize that while my results aren’t what I want, I’m still pressing forward, still trying day by day to improve. I’m still doing my best to learn the right techniques. In a word, I wanted to write about PERSISTENCE.

What does it mean to be persistent? It means to keep trying, of course, but there’s more to it than that. The old adage about “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results” comes to mind. Am I insane to keep drawing blocks and eggs over and over, hoping that one day my shading techniques will improve? Or am I making a conscious effort to try different things, to explore different methods, to make necessary changes? I hope I’m doing the latter.

Understanding that the “white” wooden eggs I’m drawing aren’t really “white” in a graphite drawing has helped a lot. And I know that slowing down, taking my time, and building up layers in shading are steps toward achieving the results I want. But will I ever get there? I don’t know.

I do know that there’s a lot to be said about PERSISTENCE. I browsed around, did a bit of reading, and learned a lot about PERSISTENCE itself.

According to “Tinkergarden”, the process of persistence involves:

• Setting a goal
• Meeting challenges
• Being persistent and adjusting as necessary
• Benefiting from the process — both by moving toward the goal and through learning.

With art, it’s a bit difficult to set specific, measurable goals. What I want, of course, is to be competent with shading techniques. So far, I’ve definitely met with challenges! I’m trying to make adjustments, to keep learning, to experiment with different materials and methods. So, hopefully, someday I will see some benefit.

Another graphic I saw pointed out that PERSISTENCE is a life skill, something we should cultivate in all areas.

• Persistence requires patience
• Persistence requires flexibility
• Persistence requires a growth mindset
• Persistence is essential for success

Perhaps these reminders can be helpful for you in your life!

An article I read — The Power of Persistence — makes this statement:

Persistence is often the key to success, but what does persistence really mean? It means having the determination to continue pursuing a goal even when faced with obstacles, setbacks, and failures. The importance of persistence in achieving long duration success cannot be overstated. Many of the most successful people in history, from Thomas Edison to Michael Jordan, have attributed their success to their ability to persist in the face of adversity.

The article also points out that PERSISTENCE is a skill that can be learned, and it offers 6 practical tips for developing a persistent mindset.

Set Clear Goals

Again, with art, it can be difficult to set clear, measurable goals. I want the ability to shade realistically, to create drawings that accurately depict the values of light and dark. The only measurement possible here is based on my own satisfaction, so that does make it tricky!

Embrace Failure

What does it mean to “embrace” failure? Essentially it means accepting that it’s part of the learning process, that failure provides us with opportunities for future growth because it can show us where we’re missing the mark. In art, with shading and blending, I have to look at each drawing I make and ask “What did I do wrong?” This, however, is also a bit tricky for me. Sometimes it’s difficult to identify a specific problem. Did I use the wrong pencils? Was I too heavy-handed? Did I place the shadows in the wrong places? Did I leave out the highlights? Oh, the possible problems are limitless, and sometimes it’s hard for me to single out one particular problem area, so please, feel free to step in and help me understand the mistakes I’m making!

Practice Self-Discipline

Self-discipline here largely means creating a routine for practice and sticking with it, not giving up or losing motivation when things aren’t easy. My 100-Day Shapes and Forms project was meant to be a consistent routine for drawing practice. Yes, I’ve stepped away from it here and there, occasionally shrugged it off with a “no, not today” attitude, so I’m working to be more diligent here. I chose the Shapes and Forms project as a way to learn and improve shading techniques. Now I have to practice the self-discipline of working on the project every day, seeing it through to completion.

Surround Yourself with Supportive People

Now, this is where YOU, dear readers, come in! To develop a persistent mindset, to stick with projects and embrace failures, we need a bit of support. Please, as mentioned above, be willing to help me see my mistakes, but also, please, be supportive of my efforts. I do need your encouragement as well as your advice. Feel free to recommend practice exercises, helpful books or online tutorials. I can use all the help I can get!

Celebrate Small Wins

Although I am a harsh critic of my art, I do try to celebrate little victories along the way. I learned from the start to look for good things even in bad drawings. This is why I often point out things that might otherwise seem insignificant. I try to recognize places where I’ve done something right, or even simply acknowledge my efforts. I guess the fact that despite having taken some time away from the studio along the way, I’m still here, still doing my best to improve as an artist is in some way a sign of sheer persistence!

Keep Learning

I think this step applies in several ways. First, with the goal itself. I can keep learning about shading techniques. I can try to expand my knowledge. Second, I can do more and move beyond this singular goal. I want to improve all my drawing skills. I want to learn more about art, art history, famous artists, famous paintings. I want to develop my skills not just with graphite, but also with oil pastels and oil paints. With art, there is always something to learn, something new to explore, something more to inspire us.

Browsing online for PERSISTENCE brings up many, many results. It’s obviously a well-searched topic. Yes, we need persistence, not only in art, but in all of life.

As for today’s drawing, I’ll take encouragement wherever I find it, and my husband’s comment that “Those eggs look better than the ones you did yesterday,” was all it took to put a smile on my face. Maybe I am learning. Maybe my persistence is starting to pay off. Maybe someday I really will be able to shade and blend and create graphite drawings that make me truly proud.