Once, when I was drawing a Toyota Camry, I got so frustrated that I wrote above the drawing, "Every time I put the pen to the paper, I'm afraid it's going to be a bad drawing." This is still true for me. But I try not to let it stop me from drawing. You have to try.
In this way, making art is like an act of faith. You begin, not knowing how it will turn out. It might turn out badly. Or it might turn out awesome. You proceed, line by line, trusting yourself. This, I admit, is hard.
When I was first taking art classes, I would get really bummed on myself because I couldn't make the drawing look exactly like the thing it was supposed to be. Somewhere along the way, I realized that that is not the point. What makes a drawing special and unique, for me, are its imperfections...a wiggly line, an awkward face. These imperfections show that the drawing was done by a human.
Some of my favorite artists embrace the imperfections of their lines and end up with something totally unique. Here are some drawings by some of my favorite artists:
William Stieg:
Mark Mothersbaugh:
Howard Finster:
Daniel Johnston:
Christie Yuri Noh:
Here's a drawing I did of Hometown Buffet:
