If Jim can learn to lift 345lbs of metal above his head at age 67, you can learn to draw no matter what your age. This true story proves it…
My friend Jim is a retired 67 year old millionaire. He worked his whole life at the family business, then sold his portion to go into retirement. We meet in my drawing class in Santa Fe. Jim wanted to learn to draw and paint realistically and had
never set a pencil to paper in his life. He struggled so hard with it, he thought it was impossible at his “old age”. I didn’t believe this because my grandmother plays bridge at 94, her and I share the same birthday, and she’s the sharpest lady I know to date! Here is the miraculous story of how he succeeded despite his age and background.
when I got to Santa Fe, I did not know what to expect. Turns out I was the only 24 year old in the city. I had no car, no family, just me and my art in the middle of the high desert. The people in my classes were great, we became thick as thieves in no time. They enjoyed my classes and I enjoyed having them.
Jim had been a yoga guy for most of his life, and I had spent a good amount of time lifting heavy weights with body builders. He offered to hire me to train him at the local gym. He took a wad of dollar bills and stuffed them into my hand. I reluctantly obliged and said okay, I”ll do it…. Be ready at 6 am sharp monday morning.
We arrived at the gym and the first machine we started with was the leg press. This is where you sit and push all the weight with both legs, and repeat. I put 90 lbs on it, and Jim FREAKED out. He got up and said NO WAY MAN!.. I encouraged him to just try it. He did, and squeezed out a dozen of them with mild effort.
We stuck to the plan for the next 5 weeks. Every time Jim said “I can’t do that!” or ”No way!”, or my favorite excuse ” But I’ve never done that MUCH!” I would persuade him otherwise with a stern but caring “Make it happen”, “you don’t know until you try”, or on the particularly winey days “suck it up Jim-bo”. To watch someone grow and emerge a more empowered confident version of themselves day after day, week by week was truly gratifying.
On the 8th week we did everything as scheduled except one exorcize. The leg press. With out a word I stacked the steel plates one by one, until it reached 8. Jim conjured up his vast business skills, doing the math in his head.
When his brain reached the grand total of 360 lbs and change he exploded “WHAT!”, I’m gonna die…
etc, etc….
I calmly looked at him and said “Jim, make it happen”. He bluffed and blustered, about his
age and the risks, then sat down in the machine cockpit. He took 3 deep breathes, then dialed in
his focus, energizing every fiber of his legs. His face flushed red, then purple. He sputtered spit, and white knuckled the hand grips. I jumped up to grab the safety lever, when
hooooyaaaaa! Jim squeezed his first press out, YES! Then another, then another, until he finally finished with 5.
We both fell into silence at the gravity of his achievement. On the ride back from the gym , Jim turned and said “I can’t believe that I did that…(panting) that was the best feeling in the world.” I just smiled and soaked up the feeling of gratitude from this awesome moment. I knew he could do it. The same thing happened with his art work, his stuff got better and better every week, until at the end he jumped into painting and took it to new heights.
When class was out Jim said emphatically… Learning to draw is cake compared to lifting weights at 67. Anything is possible.”
Last night my friend Matt, a professional musician, invited me to a live music concert in the heart of Hollywood. We arrived to thick velvet ropes in a dark alley way. I handed a ten to the large bald man covered in tattoos. We entered into darkness through the thick red curtains that peeled apart.
The next headliners stepped under the red spot lights. They had nearly a dozen of people in thier band, electric instruments, and traditional ones too. It looked like the audience was on stage and the band was on the floor. My roommate dipped out for a moment to catch an important phone call outside.
Here is where it got interesting, The lead singer stepped up wearing an outfit that looked like a mix between Prince and Kanye West. He was a young dark skinned Indian man wearing a jacket that was 2 sizes too big and a huge patterned scarf around his neck.
You can imagine he looked very aspiring rock star, gone retro remix. I wanted to leave ASAP! Matt was tied up on his call for the next 20 minutes, so I stuck around. The speakers blared and BOOM! The song began.
I was stunned!
I had made book cover conclusions about this band before I even heard them play. I watched in full amazement. It was as if God had come down and possessed this lead singer with a fire I instinctively recognized in talented creations. This blew my mind.
I was awe struck. Keep in mind, I didn’t particularly like the style of music played, but the talent factor I could appreciate no matter what the riff. My roommate came in and we split. In the car it dawned on me.
It’s not what you’re doing, but how you’re doing it that matters the most.
For example, I grew up with more art instruction than most. I used to discount drawing lessons thinking, it’s just scribbled on canvas… but movies are cooler! Because it’s moving and you can talk and everyone sees you, etc. Now I realize that movies are just a director telling you to do little clips of scenes that someone else writes if you make it through the subjective auditioning gauntlet, etc…
My Point is that you can look at anything and say “The grass is always greener on the other side.”
But the thing that always remains the same is: You can choose any vocation to channel(like art instruction, drawing lessons, painting lessons, singing, cooking, etc) that “God like talent” into. Each of us holds a personal power that we can learn to express for ourselves. Of course it takes some time to learn the essential skills. The better you become the more freedom you gain in the expression.
I am writing you today to give a quick to the point overview of what I have found to be the best way to choose online art courses
available today. First thing to consider is the amount of time that you will be ready to put into learning something new or getting better. Next take an honest look at what level you are at, and what level is the art techniques are designed for. You can spend lots of time and money on courses that are way too advanced for you and way too complicated to get any real value out of them.
Sometimes I find it discouraging to get a course that is currently out of my league. I like to know that the person/company selling the item has a great guarantee. This shows me that they
really stand behind their product. Also if they are easily accessible via phone or email, this shows me that I won’t get totally ripped off for buying an online art course I’m interested in.
In order to purchase the best online art course that fits your needs best, take some time to evaluate the other courses out there. If you find one you like it may be a better fit than the other dozens out there. It can be overwhelming especially when you are starting out. I recommend taking a step back to see the forest for the trees.
Follow these questions to find the best online art courses for you
What level are you at now? Beginner, intermediate, expert.
What level art course are you looking at (some vary greatly)
What would you like to improve and or what are you struggling with now?
Can this course help you in either of those?
Have I looked at other alternatives?
How accessible via email or phone is this seller?
Do they offer a guarantee that would show they really stand behind their online art course?
Have other people bought from them and given positive reviews?
Consider the following advice before purchasing your first online art course
In the end whichever product you do choose to enhance your art, it’s only as good as how much you put into it. I know lots of enthusiastic people who buy all sorts of online art courses only to have them sit on their shelves day after day. If you are the type of person who wants to learn art techniques to make beautiful art pieces, then see what is a right fit for you. Click here to learn more about the online art courses that might be right for you.
Hey there,
I have a video for you that I know you’re going to enjoy. It’s short sweet and to the point. Go click on the play button right now and learn drawing from these drawing lessons. I promise they will be a worthy use of your time. I’ve spent years developing these art techniques and turned them into easy to use step by step drawing lessons.
When I was learning drawing I went from beginner to better like a snail because I did not have these art techniques simply laid out for me.
Many of my 6 semesters of students who were eager to learn drawing found these simple videos helpful. I get emails everyday describing how enjoyable and fun drawing is for some of them who struggled for so many years trying to learn drawing the hard way. It gives me great sense of pride to be a part of something that helps others achieve their goals from the know-how that I’m so passionate about… Learning to draw.
Oh and make sure to leave your comment when you’re done. Thanks, I appreciate your feedback.
I got a story I have share with you. I was in New York City, studying with some classical artists in a private studio. It was in Chelsea, near the meat packing district. Pretty cool place if you’ve never been. My instructor at the time, Brandon, suggested that we go meet one of his mentors who gave him oil painting lessons and drawing lessons.
I happily agreed because I respected his painting instruction and art techniques, they were OUT-STANDING. I coaxed my father into loaning me the car for the weekend road trip to South Carolina. I took extra measures to make sure the car stayed unbroken for the whole trip. Click here to read more...
I remember my first day of painting class like it was yesterday. i was a young freshman in college and very eager to learn to oil paint. I had my grandpa’s old painting box that my parents shipped to me my first semester. It was filled with random sticky tubes of paint and smelled like a factory.
Because there was no painting instruction for freshmen students, I asked permission to sit in on upper division painting classes. I hiked across campus with a raft of modge podge materials. I looked like I was going to go on safari. I lugged an easel, glass jars, paint tubes, visor, rags, tins, and brushes across 75 yards, and up 3 flights of stairs.
I want to share with ya, the best cartoon drawing tips out there. The only way for me to do that is to let you in on the secrets that my teacher tought me. Yes, there are secrets believe it or not. I’ve shared these how to draw cartoon secrets with a handful of people, and now i am sharing it with you. So listen carefully and make sure you do one thing after hearing them. USE THEM! really go out there and use the stuff, try it out in every which way. Make it work for you, in your own style. So here is how to draw cartoons…
Secret 1: When you draw figures, faces, etc, use the biggest shapes to describe the Click here to read more...
My best student and good friend Nick Enevoldsen wrote me today telling me he will be a teacher next semester at the Florence Academy in Italy.
Needless to say I am so proud of what he has done and the level he has risen to artistically. He has traveled great distances like myself to collect some great drawing lessons and art instruction. I’m excited for all of the future success Nick will experience from all of his combined skill and talent. He deserves it, he really took a chance, earned his chops and stuck to it.
I remember the first day he walked into my class. He was polite and ready to work, and most of all ready to absorb the art instruction like a sponge. The best part about teaching someone like Nick is that they take a simple idea that you convey to them, and they run it up and down the field, until it’s theirs. Everything I tout him he worked on until it was his. He owns that now because he actually took action on it. I think this single quality makes for a good teacher, someone who talks the talk and walks the walk.
Because I’ve taken different drawing lessons and art instruction courses I like to bounce one group’s ideas against another’s.
Each principle battles it out on the canvas until the winner is left standing, with its back towards light. Risen like a Phoenix out of the ashes. Click here to read more...
