It took me a long time after starting art classes to try it sketching at home: about seven months, elapsed time (calendar time was longer, but with some breaks). In class, I struggled — and continue to struggle — with line drawings and tone. I finished the line drawing and tone courses and went on to the beginning oil painting course. One effort there and I knew I wasn’t ready, so I chose to return to the drawing and tone courses.

I could understand what my instructor explained when going over the steps: identify the tones, sketch large to small, triangulate, review and correct as necessary. Yes, I understood as long as she was demonstrating these aspects at my station, but as soon as she went to help another student . . . Poof! My understanding evaporated and back I went to sketching loopy dark globs. For a while I considered not even trying to accurately represent an object, but to announce that I was following in the footsteps of Salvador Dali or Picasso (in his Cubism phase). I am pretty sure neither of them would have been happy to hear that, so I continue my efforts to learn what my instructor teaches.

How many times did she tell me that a cast shadow cannot be all one tone? I don’t know and I’m pretty sure she’s not finished reminding me. (Oh sure, I can remember that when I’m writing . . . )

Once I went back to charcoal sketching, I knew it was time to start sketching at home. Scary stuff. About this time, I came across the OneDrawingDaily blog, and I was inspired. I haven’t done one drawing a day, but I’m working on it.

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My first pear sketch was okay, but something was off. I couldn’t figure out what to correct, so I tried it again.

Even in the few sketches that I’ve done (two pumpkin sketches, two red pear sketches), I think I’m starting to understand tone and line. And I can believe that as long I don’t show the sketches to my instructor, right?