I Wish I Could Draw

Designed to look like an old notebook, this is a shout-out to frustrated doodlers. Black-and-white pictures drawn with a Sharpie marker initially demonstrate the narrator's self-professed lack of skill, but as the pages turn, he begins making pictures that tell stories. With simple tips and funny captions enlivening the pages, this glimpse into the joys of practicing may encourage hopeful young artists.

Designed to look like an old notebook, this shout-out to frustrated doodlers delicately ponders what it means to be an artist--is it enough merely to like to draw? Opening with "I really, really wish I could draw. But I don't think I can. I think I stink at drawing. Let me show you," the words and pictures move forward in a tug-of-war that replicates an internal conflict on the road to self-confidence. Black-and-white pictures drawn with a Sharpie marker initially demonstrate the narrator's self-professed lack of skill, but as the pages turn, he begins to get lost in the process, making pictures that tell stories that could become a book. The narrator shares the author's name, and the self-portrait line-drawing suggests an autobiographical aspect to the story. With simple tips and funny captions enlivening the pages, this glimpse into the joys of practicing may encourage hopeful young artists to put aside their fears long enough to hone some skills and have fun doing it. julie roach