Drawing: The fundamental step for a good painting

Lines that Breathe Life: Why Drawing is the Bedrock of My Paintings

My fingers, stained with a symphony of colours, instinctively reach for the charcoal stick. It’s a familiar dance, one I’ve known since childhood, when the world dissolved into the whisper of graphite on paper. Even today, as an established artist, my journey with each canvas begins not with a splash of acrylic but with the quiet contemplation of a line. Why? Because, for me, drawing is not just a preliminary step; it’s the very soul of my paintings.

Imagine a sculptor meticulously chiseling away at a formless block of stone. Each chip reveals the form within, until a masterpiece emerges. That’s how I see drawing. It is a process of excavation, where every stroke uncovers the essence of the painting waiting to be born. A conversation between my mind and the blank canvas, a delicate interplay of line and form that lays the foundation for everything that follows.

Think of a building – no matter how grand the facade, a weak foundation crumbles. The same is true for a painting. A strong drawing is the bedrock, the invisible architecture that holds the symphony of colours together. It’s the map that guides me through the labyrinth of emotions and ideas I want to convey. Each line holds weight, each curve speaks volumes, even before a single drop of paint touches the surface.

But drawing is more than just a technical skill. It’s a way of seeing, of training your eye to capture the essence of a subject to distill its form into its purest expression. Then understanding the delicate interplay of light and shadow and the rhythm of lines that create movement and depth. It’s about learning to speak a language without words—a language that transcends borders and cultures, straight to the heart of the viewer.

And when it comes to composition, drawing becomes the master conductor. It’s the invisible hand that orchestrates the chaos of colours, guiding the eye on a journey through the narrative of the painting. It’s about finding the perfect balance—the tension and release, the push and pull—that creates a captivating visual experience.

Of course, the world of art is a beautiful tapestry woven with diverse threads. Some artists find their voice in bold splashes of colour, others in the delicate dance of light and shadow. But for me, drawing remains the anchor, the constant companion that keeps me grounded even as I soar into the realm of color and imagination.

So, to any aspiring artist out there, I say