My younger son started drawing last summer.

I used to think that all kids draw.  My younger son, however, never seemed to want to.  Last summer I asked him why; he told me that he was never happy with his drawings.  He lacked faith he could produce anything he would like.

I’m no great artist, but I would say I’m pretty good.  Moreover, I’m self-taught (starting about three and a half years ago) and not very talented.  A person who lacks talent, yet learned on their own, is usually well-suited to explain a skill to others.

Like people usually do, James was making the mistake of outlining the subject first.  Experience has taught me that’s exactly what not to do.  People don’t recognize faces by the outline, but rather by the features.  “Focus on what’s light and what’s dark,” I told him, “and what draws your eye when you look at it.”

James immediately started drawing with a whole new attitude.  I thought he did pretty well.  I’ll show you that drawing some other time; today I’m showing you a more recent one that he really wanted me to put “on the computer.”

By the way:  James has his own computer at school, and probably rivals my competence at some day-to-day uses.  Of course, he has a Mac.

Well, James, here’s Santa’s Buddy, for all to see:)