I’ve always been amazed by artists, especially by how easy they make it look. Just love a cool martial arts drawing, like a tiger, dragon, or samurai. I’ve always wanted to do it myself, but never really had the time. Well, if something is important to you, just make the time, as I often tell my students. So I, as the sensei, decided to practice what I preach.
Over the holidays, while working on a kids karate book (please don’t ask me how long I have been working on it) I realised how much easier it would be if I could just draw a few pictures and put them in where needed. Only problem, I don’t know how to draw. Minor details!
I started researching it (I love google!) and found that you can actually teach yourself to draw by tracing. No, it is not cheating, as some might say. It teaches your hands to move like they are supposed to move in creating your illustration. Does this sound familiar, folks? That is exactly how you learn the martial arts. Your body actually “feels” how a movement should be performed, as the sensei guides you. Not only that, you “see” in your mind the proper pencil strokes that create details, such as shading to create depth in a picture, just as you see the sensei’s fist recoil from a proper strike.
I went to Eckersley’s, a great arts store in Sydney, and bought a tracer box. What is that, you say? It’s a box with a light behind a piece of plexiglass, and when you put a photo or drawing on top, the picture, down to the finest detail, is there for you to “copy” (you have to make changes in the final illustration if you are planning to include it in any commercial work, for copyright reasons).
Well, needless to say, I have become addicted to this, and it is one reason you haven’t seen a post for almost two weeks. I’ve bought heaps of pencils, pens, paper, and a few drawing books. I’m showing you some of my work here, some of which you will see in the book (yes, it is nearly done!). There is more to it than just “having the right tools”, and the vast majority of my work is really laughable, but I am sure having fun. I realise I have a huge amount to learn about art, and will never be Van Gogh, my favourite, but it feels great to be a white belt—again. Just start drawing.
For Kids Karate Sensei Becomes White Belt Again–Part One, please follow this link.