Drawing On Zoom, a New Era

2020 – What happened?  Shockingly our whole lives have changed all over the world.  Hopefully, mankind being such a resourceful species, will find many new ways to bounce back and become a more caring and humble race that looks after its environment and each other.

For my part I have discovered zoom.  I heard about it quite early on in the pandemic and thought it would not be a great way to draw, looking at a tiny screen on my own.  All the family quizzes and get togethers just served to make me more frustrated, as you could only talk one at a time.  There was always some family member who didn’t understand this principal and consequently we spent our time saying ‘what??’

But my curiosity won over and so decided to have a go.  One of my models had also had the same idea about the same time, so I joined her session and found that in enjoying drawing again, the screen dissolved and all I saw was the model and my paper.  Another unforeseen benefit was to be in my own environment.  Having all my materials around me in an area where it wasn’t a problem to make a mess, I could mutter and chuckle without disturbing anyone and when the hour was up it felt like it had only just started.

Having enjoyed the experience so much I couldn’t wait to share it with my life drawing students/friends, and so set out to understand a little bit about how to use it.  I jumped in with both feet and bought a year’s subscription around April time, when I started giving zoom classes and have continued until August.

I’m not much of a techi, but have enjoyed the challenge of making it work.  I’ve made little videos as examples of ‘how to’s’ and use a whatsApp group on the phone to be able to share our pictures with each other, and chat about difficulties, either privately or in the group chat.  A web cam will be the next move forward so that I can give live examples without needing 3 hands to hold everything.

I’m told its been a lifeline to people during lockdown, and I certainly looked forward to seeing smiling faces every week eager to draw and share a little chat and art.  Technology, sometimes given a bad name has meant so much during this time of isolation.  I’ve also come to understand my kids and how they can spend so much time on their phones ‘talking’ to friends…its really great and so easy.  Do contact me if you are interested, my classes are fun, exciting, challenging and instructive.  They are non-judgemental, full of humour and humility.  I’m learning as much as you are! info@isabelcoulton.com