I draw every day, and for me, #drawing isn't just an #artistic exercise or a prelude to creating a #painting ; drawing is a part of my life, a part of the way I see and understand the world around me. For me, to draw means pausing in front of things that might seem simple and ordinary at first glance, but when I look at them more closely, I realize how much shape, rhythm, proportion, movement, and feeling they contain. I value drawing because I believe that before an artist creates something, they must be able to see it. Seeing is different from just looking. We might see many faces every day, pass by trees, watch the light change on walls, or follow the movement of people on the street; but drawing has taught me to stand more attentively in front of these everyday experiences. Drawing helps me discover details that we easily pass by in the rush of #life .
Every day when I put pen to paper, I face the most basic elements of an image again: line, surface, volume, #darkness and light, proportions, and empty space. These simple elements are the main foundations of my visual language. Sometimes a short line can convey the sense of a movement or a mood more than a whole set of explanatory lines. Sometimes a few unfinished lines are enough to express a face, and sometimes, despite hours of effort, I still feel that there’s something in the drawing I haven’t reached. For me, that very gap between what I see and what I put on paper is part of the charm of Drawing.
I don't see drawing just as a way to accurately represent reality. Of course, understanding form, proportions, structure, and anatomy is very important, but drawing can go beyond just looking alike. Sometimes in a drawing, I might change proportions, exaggerate lines, or leave part of the form unfinished—not because I don't see reality, but because I want to express something beyond appearances. For me, sometimes the expression on a face, the weight of a gaze, or a hidden feeling in a pose matters more than perfectly replicating details.
Especially in #portrait drawing, I always think that the human face is not just a collection of specific features. The eyes, nose, mouth, and facial lines together form something that relates to a person's feelings, experiences, and character. I try not to just record these features in my drawings; I want to understand what makes a face come alive, what gives it sadness, how a small change in the angle of the head or direction of the gaze can change the meaning of the image, and how a line can carry an emotion that words can’t easily express.
For this reason, I find daily drawing essential for myself. drawing skills don’t come from trying something once or learning a few rules. drawing requires repetition, observation, trial, and error. Every day I draw, I get a chance to sync my hand and eye again, understand my visual decisions better, and discover my own limitations. Some days I’m happy with the results, and some days I feel like I didn’t even get close to what I had in mind. Still, both experiences are valuable to me, because my goal isn’t just to create a successful drawing, but to keep going on a path where my understanding and abilities gradually change.
I believe that drawing gives depth to painting. For me, painting isn't just about choosing colors and putting them next to each other. Behind every color choice, there's an understanding of form, structure, composition, and visual relationships. Drawing helps me better understand these relationships. Even when I use strong colors, loose lines, or expressive brushstrokes in painting, my drawing experience is present in my decisions. Sometimes the drawing is directly visible in the painting, and sometimes it hides beneath layers of color; but in both cases, it's part of the foundation of the work.
On the other hand, drawing is also an opportunity for freedom for me. On paper, I don't always have to reach a perfect, predetermined result. I can explore, make mistakes, redraw a line, or leave part of it to the viewer's imagination without explaining the entire form. An unfinished drawing isn't necessarily an incomplete one. Sometimes, those unfinished parts create more space for the viewer's imagination, feeling, and mental engagement. I like to keep the possibility in my drawing to leave part of the experience open, instead of explaining everything.
The importance of drawing for me isn't limited to daily work in the studio. drawing is a way of connecting with the world. The more I draw, the more I realize how light, #shadow , #color , movement, and even stillness can be subjects for observation and thinking. Drawing reminds me that I don't always need a big subject or something extraordinary to create a work. Sometimes just a hand, a chair, a face, or a shadow falling on the ground is enough to start. What matters is the quality of the way I look and the attention I give to the subject.
I don't want to think of drawing just as a means to get to painting. Drawing has value on its own; just like a painting, a sculpture, or any other form of artistic expression can be independent and complete. Every drawing, even if it only takes a few minutes, captures a moment of my observation and thought. Maybe tomorrow I’ll see and draw the same subject in a different way. Maybe over time, the lines I choose today will change, and my view of form and space will shift. These changes are part of my artistic journey.
For me, being an artist doesn’t mean reaching a point where there’s no need for practice and learning. On the contrary, the more I work, the more I realize there’s still so much to see and learn. That’s why I see daily drawing not as a repetitive task, but as an opportunity to keep this curiosity alive.
I draw because I want to see more clearly, understand better, and express myself more honestly. drawing for me isn’t just hand exercise; it’s exercise for the eyes, mind, and feelings too. Every day I pick up the pen again, I enter a fresh conversation with the world and with myself. Maybe the result of this conversation is a simple drawing, maybe it leads to a new painting, and maybe it’s just an experience that happens in that moment and stays on paper.
But what matters to me is continuing this path; drawing every day, discovering something new every day, and not letting my connection with line, form, and observation disappear. I consider drawing a part of my artistic identity; a path with no definite end and no need to end. As long as I want to see the world and express my experiences through images, drawing will continue for me.
No matter how much I write about the importance of drawing, it still wouldn't be enough. I'm here to share my #art experiences with others. Stay in touch with me. I don't hold back in guiding in this field because I believe that guiding others teaches me as well. Try this—whatever field you're working in, guide others. Yours sincerely, Hossein Rishehri