Drawing Helps Your Writing

One of the things I’ve noticed since I began learning about drawing and painting is that I now notice details that would have escaped me previously. I always admired a lovely scene or a beautiful sky. But now I notice colour and light and shadow more. And I notice how quickly it changes as well. When looking at a tree, I think about the shape of the leaves, the texture of the bark, the colours of the foliage, the flowers. I think about details like that when I am out walking and something captures my attention. Or when I am in a crowd. Observing these details and how I would capture them through drawing or painting makes the world a more fascinating place than before, if that’s possible. It’s as though everything I have ever seen was somehow slightly blurry or dull and learning about drawing has suddenly brought everything into sharper relief.

The small details in a drawing engages the observer, capturing their imagination. So too, with writing. Now that I pay more attention to what I see, I have a richer source of detail to tap into when I’m writing as well. Creating memorable places for my characters to live in is easier to do. I have a broader range of description available and I see with eyes that are open to more nuance than ever before. It’s a whole new world.

My drawing skills have improved and though I am still very much a beginner, I find drawing very calming. It’s a great way to relax and I enjoy it. There’s something satisfying about finding a different form of expression that can still be captured in a notebook.

For those of you who are writers, you may want to consider learning a little about drawing or painting. It’s fun and it might be helpful for your writing too. To get started myself, I began watching random beginner lessons on you tube, and then I also did a couple of free beginner on line courses through my local library website. Enjoy.

L x