Let Me Draw Again

Drawing/sketching used to be my favorite hobby when I was young and persevering in the way that I could freely express my emotions through line art or just by doodling around. Each stroke of the pencil gave me a different kind of feeling, always inspired and bursting with emotions. I had a box full of art materials – watercolor, colored pencil, paintbrushes, palette. Modesty aside, I was good at it. Until I got bored and took this talent for granted.

I recall the time when friends would ask me to interpret their favorite songs. I would draw figures on a piece of illustration board based on the lyrics of the song. It could be lovers cuddling and romancing in a park or under the moonlight, or a man and a woman who separated ways. Aside from being a hobby, it also became my sort of livelihood. I’d sell my drawings for P15-P30 depending on the size of the illustration board. I used the money to buy baon and additional art materials. My nanay was so supportive of my passion that she would even go out of her way just to buy all the materials I needed. Sayang nga lang at wala na siya.

I’ve been wanting to start drawing again and I think it’s about time that I should give it another try. So I picked up my sketch pad and drew a few lines. I was planning to put up my own clothing line so I made sketches of females wearing my creations. But it didn’t stop there. I was so inspired that I attempted to draw a self-portrait by looking at my own image in a mirror. Yeah, I was hoping I could draw my self again from the mirror just like what I did back then. But gee, I guess I’m getting old and my hand’s a bit shaky now so I’m not sure if I was able to give justice to my drawing.

I finished the drawing after less than an hour and the idea of look-in-the-mirror-back-to-sketchpad-and-back-in-the-mirror left me dizzy and nauseous. That’s the reason behind that stiff smile and not because I was mimicking Monalisa’s smile! I had to make sure I didn’t miss a single detail pero parang di ko pa rin kamukha yung sketch ko. Anyhow, I’ll share it with you guys and I’ll let you decide whether it looks exactly like me. Be my judge.

*Pasensya na po. Wala akong makitang picture na kahawig ng reaksiyon ko dun sa self-portrait. Lahat nakabungisngis