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An Alligator Drawing... a humorous story about drawing expressivelyLet me tell you a story about an alligator drawing and learning to draw expressively. Power, clarity and emotion are the three "buzz" words I use when drawing. I always ask myself...am I conveying all three? Emotion doesn't only have to be expressed in the person you are drawing. In fact, it won't be unless your lines are drawn with emotion. The story: Since my wife and I were married, she has left me a little note every morning, and would always sign off with the famous phrase, "See you later, alligator" (from Bill Haley and the Comets tune in the late 1950's). Instead of the word, alligator, she tried to draw an alligator.
At first I had to ask what animal she was trying to draw. We had a few laughs and then I showed her how she might draw an alligator. She continued each day to draw an alligator and at first the lines were rigid and choppy. She was trying too hard. On days when she was in a hurry, she would draw the alligator very quickly and rush out the door. These were the BEST drawings of all. Why? Because her lines were light and fluid. She wasn't thinking about it...she was feeling it. She even remarked one day that the expression on the alligator's face was exactly what she was feeling almost every time she drew the alligator. Now that's what I call artistic expression! She was drawing expressively without even knowing it. Here are some of the alligator drawing "after" pictures. Note the spontaneity in these later drawings.
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