Viscious Cycle Defeated?

Just for Practice. Not for Keeps.

In my determined attempt to learn to draw better, I'm also learning to overcome my paralyzing fear of failure.

Fear of failure used to keep me from starting very many drawings or paintings. This type of program does not lead to artistic excellence. How can one become a better artist, a better illustrator (because "drawer" just looks too wrong!) when you're terrified of putting pencil to paper for fear of failure?

Now I've gotten to a nice place where I can (often) muffle my inner critic and make a drawing, knowing that it won't be and needn't be Portfolio Worthy. And then I can move on and do another.

Here's a drawing that was just for fun, because I made it knowing full well that it would not have enough of a value range to look right, based on a lesson learned a few days ago:

But I made it anyway, because Handsome was sitting next to me and my Kraft pad and a couple of pencils were in front of me. (I have ordered, and am awaiting delivery of a couple of oil-based pencils and a lighter beige pad. Yeeha!)

Here's a drawing that I started this afternoon, knowing full well that I was drawing on the "wrong" side of the paper, and the texture pattern was going to be too pronounced...based on a lesson I learned a couple of days ago.

from a Vogue Mag photo: Cute actor from Anna Karenina movie

But I made it anyway, because I'd already used the "right" side of the paper, and I didn't see the sense of wasting the "wrong" side. I kind of like him, waffle-face and all, and I'm going to work on him some more. Because sometimes, a person can just draw for practice. 

Or even, for fun.