“I’m Terrible at Art”: Why Adults Stop Drawing — and Why They Should Start Again And Join Adult Art Classes

Adult Art Classes

“I can’t draw.”

I hear this all the time.

Usually before we’ve even picked up a pencil.

Somewhere along the way, a lot of adults seem to have decided that drawing is something you’re either naturally good at or you're not. And if you tried it once, drew something that looked a bit shit and didn’t immediately reveal yourself to be the next Leonardo da Vinci, well... probably best to leave art to the talented people.

But drawing doesn’t really work like that.

When did we all get so scared of being bad at things?

Kids draw without giving it much thought.

They'll draw a dog with six legs, a sun wearing sunglasses and a person whose arms come directly out of their head. Then they'll proudly shove it under your nose and expect it to go straight on the fridge.

They’re not worrying about whether it’s good. Adults, on the other hand, are terrible at being terrible.

We want to know what we’re doing. We want the thing on the paper to look like the thing in our head. And when it doesn’t, we get frustrated. So we stop.

For a lot of people, that happens at school. Maybe someone else in the class was “the arty one”. Maybe a teacher made you feel like you weren't very good. Or perhaps you simply stopped drawing because life got busy and you haven't picked up a pencil since.

Then 10, 20 or 30 years later, you find yourself in one of my art classes telling me:

“I can’t draw.”

Let me show you one of my early artworks...

Self Portraits - 2015/16 (aged 15/16)

Drawing is a skill, not a magic power

One of the biggest misconceptions about art is that you need to be born with some mysterious artistic gene.

You don’t.

Of course, some people find certain things easier than others. But drawing is a skill, and skills can be learned.

You wouldn't sit down at a piano for the first time, fail to play Beethoven and announce:

“Well, clearly I can't play the piano.” You’d expect to need lessons. You’d practise. You’d learn what the keys do.

Drawing deserves the same treatment.

A huge part of learning to draw realistically is actually learning how to look. How to notice proportions, shapes, angles, light and shadow instead of drawing what you think something looks like.

Once someone shows you how to break an image down, things start to click.

My Favourite Part Of Teaching Beginners At Adult Art Classes

Group Drawing Class

The best bit is seeing someone surprise themselves. At the adult art classes, you get all kinds of people, abilities and styles. And every time, they surprise themselves.

At the beginning of a class, they're convinced they can't draw. They’re nervous about making mistakes, comparing their work to the person next to them and sometimes apologising for their drawing before they've even finished it.

Then, slowly, something starts appearing on the page.

And suddenly:

“Oh! That actually looks like it!”

YES. IT DOES.

That little moment is one of my favourite things about teaching art.

Not because everyone leaves producing a masterpiece. They don't need to.

It's because for an hour or so, they've done something they had already decided they couldn't do.

You are allowed to have hobbies you're bad at

A students first attempt!

This might be my biggest argument for adults making art.

You don't have to monetise it.

You don't need to become brilliant at it.

You don't need an Instagram account dedicated to your watercolours.

You are allowed to do something simply because you enjoy doing it.

And yes, you might be a bit crap at first.

Good.

Being a beginner means there's loads left to discover.

The strange thing is, once people stop obsessing over whether their drawing is “good”, they often start enjoying the actual process much more. You're concentrating on what’s in front of you, your hands are busy and, for once, you're not staring at a screen.

So, can anyone learn to draw?

Pretty much, yes.

You might not become the next great portrait artist. You might never want to.

But if you can learn to observe, follow instructions and practise, you can improve at drawing.

I've taught hundreds of art workshops, and I've met a lot of people who arrive absolutely convinced they can't draw.

More often than not, they surprise themselves.

So if the last time you drew anything was in a school classroom, perhaps it's time to give it another go.

You don't need to be “arty”.

You don't need to be good.

You just need to start.

And please, for the love of God, stop telling me you can't draw before you've even picked up the pencil.

Ready to prove yourself wrong?

If you’ve spent years saying “I can’t draw”, come and put that theory to the test. You can join one of my public art classes in London, where you’ll learn alongside other beginners in a relaxed, friendly setting. Or, if you’d rather have more focused support, book a private 1-to-1 art lesson and we can work at your pace, on exactly what you’d like to improve.

No experience needed. No judgement. And absolutely no requirement to be “arty”. Just turn up, have a go, and you might surprise yourself.

Painting By China Jordan ages 17