Focusing on realism in drawings isn't as important as you think

Art is a matter of perspective and also very opinionated and subjective. While one person might think that drawings where the scene or person doesn't look realistic enough, others find this to be unimportant, and the unrealistic look of whatever the item, animal, or person in question doesn't really matter.

I'm in the 2nd camp. The things that don't look real like a photograph in your artwork might be part of what makes your own work unique and it is these very mistakes that make your work special.

Let's just take a look at one of the most famous artists of all time, Pablo Picasso. Even if you are not into art you are probably familiar with the name as it is one of the most recognizable names in art around the world.

src

Almost none of Picasso's works were realistic looking. In fact, most of them were cartoonish in nature and look, at times as if they were something that a child could have done. They appear to be intentionally silly and while I am willing to bet that the man was in fact capable of painting more realistic looking images, but he chose not to. Or perhaps he wasn't really capable of it and this was just the best he could do. Whatever the reason, it was this style of his that made his work so sought after.

src

You ever seen this one before? If you passed by your friend's refrigerator and saw this on it you maybe would think "awww, that's cute. their 5 year old tried to paint a person and gave up before they finished." The painting is entitled "Femme assise près d'une fenêtre" and it sold for $103 million at auction in 2020. It is one of the most valuable paintings in the world.

This is why I always tell my students to embrace their mistakes. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't know how to do something in a realistic fashion but this idea that all drawings needs to accurately depict real life is nonsense. We have cameras for that and these days so many photos get taken that they aren't really that special anymore.

I showed my students some Picasso's and they initially laughed until I told them how famous this person became and how much the art is worth. This isn't to say that I am suggesting they not become skilled because there are a lot more factors at play regarding how artwork is valuated. They really got a kick out of when I showed them examples of I think they are meant to be cats in Picasso's work.

Embrace the perceived inadequacies in your art and run with it. You never know if they could be the very thing that makes your work stand out!