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Teresa Barroso's avatar

That video was an open eyes for me when I saw it 🤓 it’s so good Melissa🌷

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Melissa's avatar

Thanks Teresa! 🤗💖✨ Your faces always have such charm to them :)

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Melissa's avatar

Thank you so much Beth! 🤗💖✨ I can’t seem to get enough of drawing people at the moment, and am loving all the extra opportunities you’re giving us all this month!

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Beth Spencer's avatar

Thank YOU! Your fun approach to drawing faces will help so many folks. I can’t wait for Thursday!!!

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Hermione (she/her)'s avatar

I’ve dropped off the drawing people challenge this month. Lots of overwhelm. Still lurking 👀 and this post stopped me. Melissa seems so warm and watching her approach drawing wasn’t that different from what I would do—-you mean “real artists” feel lost too?!?!

Appreciate you Beth and Melissa ❤️‍🩹 ✍️

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Beth Spencer's avatar

All the time! ❤️ We’re drawing the most difficult subject, so it’s totally normal to feel overwhelmed at times. I’m proud of you for peeping back in to talk about it! Do you mind sharing a bit more about which part made you feel stuck or overwhelmed?

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Hermione (she/her)'s avatar

Thank you for your empathy Beth 💐. I remember doing the beach camera quick sketches from maybe the first week. I was watching a replay video. I felt like the artists all knew what they were doing or had strategies to draw people. I lasted about 45 minutes then just grew exhausted and frustrated with myself, feeling like I don’t even want to do this. I don’t really want to “improve” or do anything except NOT BE AFRAID of drawing people. I’m participating in a different 30 Days of Drawing challenge (ten minutes a day) and after feeling like I just suck at drawing proportions, I just stopped and kept working on the drawing habit. I admire what you do and am struggling to find a low stakes joyous way to get there for myself 😢 ❤️ ✍️

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Beth Spencer's avatar

I totally understand and have absolutely been there. It's awesome that you're working through the 30 Days of Drawing challenge to create a habit because that's really where it all begins. 👏

People are hard to draw, there's no doubt about it. I started seeing progress when I let go of trying to make a good drawing of a person. Those really speedy-timed sketches, people in motion, Melissa's 100 people in 100 minutes, etc. have been game changers.

Our drawings that don't turn out the way we planned are the ones we learn the most from, so even if none of us improve, we're still learning loads! 💞

I designed the People Skills challenge to be something folks can pause and come back to whenever they want, so I totally support taking a break and trying after you've given yourself some space from it. We're rooting for you!

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Melissa's avatar

Aw thank you Hermoine! 🤗💖✨ I think Beth has said everything worth saying, but just know that not everything comes easy for everyone. I'm kind of glad I had that really wonky drawing in my video because honestly it doesn't always work out! I can never remember who said it but there's a reason the "master artists" call it "a practice", because that's just what it is, everything we do, is practice.

Also I struggled so much with the live boardwalk video too! I actually paused it, zoomed in on people and drew like that. I couldn't draw them moving for the life of me. I gave up after just a few minutes, so well done for sticking it out!

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Hermione (she/her)'s avatar

Wow thank you for your amazing empathy, Melissa. 🌺 I appreciate you.

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