I hope this email finds you well and happy.

This month, as I continued to read through art books, I became more aware of how often a sentence starts with "Do not ..." The biggie seems to be "Do not draw from photos."

(Sigh)

First of all, if you draw for your own pleasure, feel free to ignore every single "Do not ...".

Personally, I am proud of some of my drawings that I have copied from photos. I make my own variations and I love the fact that I can leave out anything I don't like (or looks too hard to draw!).

I know the advice is given with good intentions, it's to do with not being able to see your subject properly because a photo is only 2 dimensional.

I just don't want you to feel as though you are doing the wrong thing if you rely on photos or pictures for your drawing resources.

Here are some "Do Not's" that I LIKE to read:

• Do not be afraid to make mistakes.
• Do not worry what people think - ever!
• Do not try to be perfect.
• Do not be a harsh self-critic.

• Do make your own rules.
• Do please yourself what you draw and how you draw it.
• Do draw in ignorance - it's still fun!