Two drawing classes; it was the birthday present of my good friend Rini. She had just opened Atelier Groeten van Marc and invited me to come by and try it out. When you open the encyclopedia and search for “that boy who is good at drawing cars in high-school” then you come across my portrait. Drawing something else like a human being, well, that was a challenge I would rather not take. After the Graphic Lyceum Amsterdam and the College of MultiMedia in Amsterdam, I actually never really used a pencil anymore. Not because I had come to dislike drawing, it simply was no longer expected of me. At home, the time was missing, or better, I did not take the time for it anymore. And that’s a pity, because drawing with real materials is much more direct and pleasing than digitally, in front of a screen. Certainly in a world where more and more creativity is directed by software, it’s nice to return to the basics. The weekly lessons ensure I keep practicing. Not forcibly, but as a nice backing. Now that I follow the lessons, I see improvement in my digital work. A kind of reverse engineering. Finally, I also dare to draw people instead of cars. It’s no more than logical that I’ve transformed my birthday present into a solid hobby. In the coming weeks, I will tell in this blog about my experiences with the materials, techniques and all the new things I learn in the Drawing and painting course for adults (with some experience). To be continued!

Lars Scholten