CONCLUSION

Through the years, I’ve taken great delight in seeing the doubts of my students fade as they realize just how learnable drawing can be. I want to share a note with you from Greg Bean, one of my students and a contributing artist featured in this book:

“Carrie caught my attention when she stood up at the beginning of that first class and said, ‘I am not here to teach you to draw, I’m here to teach you to see.’ That seemed like a crazy thing to say to a room full of experienced detectives and police officers, but nothing could have been more true, or in my case, more profound. I was 39 years old, with more than fifteen years experience in law enforcement. Yet after that first week in class, I felt like I had been issued a brand-new pair of eyes—a much better pair. It literally added an entire new dimension to my life. I find beauty in almost every face I see, and in all sorts of other unexpected places. What an incredible gift! Learning to draw takes some work, but it is infinitely worth the trouble! I can’t even explain how much I love to draw.”

Whether you choose to draw just for your own enjoyment or to share and sell your work, rest assured—you can draw. Learning to draw can also mark the start of your artistic journey. Drawing skills open the door to a variety of different applications: oils, watercolors, pastel pencils and so on. Push on, my friend, toward your artistic goal. Remember what the great philosopher Lao-tzu wrote: “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”