# I drew a picture to offer it as a gift **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 1, 2015, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-drew-a-picture-to-offer-it-as-a-gift/721319 "2015-06-01T06:54:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PlaceboTarget](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/placebotarget/32/1073_2.png) [@PlaceboTarget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlaceboTarget)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-drew-a-picture-to-offer-it-as-a-gift/721319/1 "2015-06-01T06:54:51Z")
I usually draw pictures for people who do me favors, in addition to returning their favors when necessary, of course. I love tryptics. I’m going to give this one to the engineer who is having my car serviced before I go on vacation. The man is a nature lover and a passionate cyclist. I, on the other hand, am not a professional artist but I’ve kind of tried my best. I’m afraid I’m not patient enough to obtain a perfect finish. [![](http://tinypic.com/images/goodbye.jpg) ](http://tinypic.com/images/goodbye.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-drew-a-picture-to-offer-it-as-a-gift/721319/2 "2015-06-01T08:43:23Z")
Hey that looks really beautiful! A cyclist and nature lover should be thrilled to receive it. I wish I lived near you so I could do you a bunch of favors and get a gift like that too. ---
**Author:** ![PlaceboTarget](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/placebotarget/32/1073_2.png) [@PlaceboTarget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlaceboTarget)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-drew-a-picture-to-offer-it-as-a-gift/721319/3 "2015-06-01T09:39:15Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > Hey that looks really beautiful! Thank you. I’m hurrying to express my gratitude for your nice reaction so it won’t look like thread bumping. > [@CairoCarol](#): > > I wish I lived near you so I could do you a bunch of favors and get a gift like that too. Maybe we can arrange something… 😃 I’m joking, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-drew-a-picture-to-offer-it-as-a-gift/721319/4 "2015-06-01T12:35:00Z")
That’s lovely. I’ve got a few artist friends and am usually thrilled to offer favors in exchange for art, especially art made with me specifically in mind. That’s a piece that I would be happy to put on the wall and I’m not even particularly enthusiastic about nature or cycling. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-drew-a-picture-to-offer-it-as-a-gift/721319/5 "2015-06-01T13:54:55Z")
Very nice. Is it graphite? If you haven’t received any education in art, you seem to be a natural at design. The composition draws your eye across the work, the trees being stylized provides a nice pattern for the background and they work to make the three frames cohesive. (Plus, the stylization reminds me of Thomas Hart Benton’s work, which I find fascinating.) As to whether it has a “pro” finish, different artists have different ideas of when a work is finished. If I’m asked to look at my wife’s incomplete works, my brain usually screams “You’re done! Stop before you accidentally ruin it by working it too much!”. I’ve worked with her long enough to know that I’m not privy to the idea she has in her head, and to keep my mouth shut on that subject. When she’s done, she’ll stop. So, if you got to a point where your sensibilities said “stop”; I’d say that you’re done, and no more polishing is necessary. ---
**Author:** ![PlaceboTarget](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/placebotarget/32/1073_2.png) [@PlaceboTarget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlaceboTarget)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-drew-a-picture-to-offer-it-as-a-gift/721319/6 "2015-06-01T20:29:21Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > That’s a piece that I would be happy to put on the wall and I’m not even particularly enthusiastic about nature or cycling. Thank you. 🙂 > [@scabpicker](#): > > Very nice. Thank you. As an amateur I’m quite satisfied with my products. As an art consumer, however, I’d say my drawings are mildly good. > [@scabpicker](#): > > Is it graphite? Pencils, liners, markers. I am equipped with paints and canvases of different sizes as well, but I don’t think I’ll paint anything soon. The advantages of limiting myself to drawing in black pencils and markers are overwhelming. I can easily turn the coffee table into my studio at night, while spending quality time with my family. It’s a clean activity. Plus, I can interrupt and resume work at any time. Usually I use HB pencils for the far background and 2B ones for the near background. I use black liners/markers for the foreground. There were several cases when I only used black liners and markers, but they were few. ---
**Author:** ![PlaceboTarget](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/placebotarget/32/1073_2.png) [@PlaceboTarget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlaceboTarget)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-drew-a-picture-to-offer-it-as-a-gift/721319/7 "2015-06-01T20:32:30Z")
Here’s a drawing I offered someone else last Christmas. It shows local skaters on a frozen river in the Netherlands. [![](http://tinypic.com/images/goodbye.jpg) ](http://tinypic.com/images/goodbye.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2015, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-drew-a-picture-to-offer-it-as-a-gift/721319/8 "2015-06-02T01:39:50Z")
Mein Gott! That’s drawing? It looks photographic! I understand if you don’t want to post larger images, as someone might swipe 'em, but, wow, I’d really love to see something closer-up and in more detail. From what I can see, you’re way, way into professional level artwork. At very least, you should be doing commissions for book covers and other work. Have you ever displayed your work at a gallery or art show? (Do you do sci-fi and fantasy?) ---
**Author:** ![PlaceboTarget](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/placebotarget/32/1073_2.png) [@PlaceboTarget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlaceboTarget)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2015, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-drew-a-picture-to-offer-it-as-a-gift/721319/9 "2015-06-02T05:47:29Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Mein Gott! That’s drawing? It looks photographic! I understand if you don’t want to post larger images, as someone might swipe 'em, but, wow, I’d really love to see something closer-up and in more detail. > > From what I can see, you’re way, way into professional level artwork. At very least, you should be doing commissions for book covers and other work. Have you ever displayed your work at a gallery or art show? > > (Do you do sci-fi and fantasy?) Thank you. It’s a trick, to put it plainly. People and objects are stylized and the picture size is small enough to allow for the illusion. I may draw well, but I’m far from professional standards in terms of range, quality and speed. I can compensate with a good feel for rhythm, structure and overall composition. Drawing is just one of my extraprofessional preoccupations, to which I can’t devote myself too much because it would mean sacrificing the time I spend with my family. I made this choice long time ago and I don’t regret anything. On the other hand, the idea of creating book covers and the like got me thinking. As for displaying my work in a gallery, well, I definitely need to improve to deserve that. Maybe that’s the reason why I haven’t kept any of my pictures. Once I know my works look good enough to stand the test of a professional critic, I may build a portofolio. Given my busy life, it may never happen. I used to be an avid sci-fi reader, but I’ve become extremely picky. In fact, I no longer consume that much fiction in general. When I draw, I make use of familiar images mainly to produce the aesthetic feeling of comfort and balance. In this endeavor, I rely largely on what people already know about the subject especially because my own drawing skills wouldn’t allow me to elaborate on it. So if I went into sci-fi and fantesy, it might be necessary to focus on exactly the aspects I try to disregard. To offer a better view of the winter scene above, I uploaded the picture on Tinypic again. I’m sorry I don’t have better photos. In fact, my wife took their picture to show them to her friends at work. [http://oi58.tinypic.com/2mocefa.jpg](http://oi58.tinypic.com/2mocefa.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![stui\_magpie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stui_magpie/32/11010_2.png) [@stui\_magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stui_magpie)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2015, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-drew-a-picture-to-offer-it-as-a-gift/721319/10 "2015-06-02T06:11:36Z")
I can’t access the pics at work but i take it you’re not trying to use a picture of a 7 legged spider to pay a bill. ---
**Author:** ![PlaceboTarget](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/placebotarget/32/1073_2.png) [@PlaceboTarget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlaceboTarget)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2015, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-drew-a-picture-to-offer-it-as-a-gift/721319/11 "2015-06-02T06:36:49Z")
> [@stui\_magpie](#): > > I can’t access the pics at work but i take it you’re not trying to use a picture of a 7 legged spider to pay a bill. No. Wait, what? ---
**Author:** ![stui\_magpie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stui_magpie/32/11010_2.png) [@stui\_magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stui_magpie)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2015, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-drew-a-picture-to-offer-it-as-a-gift/721319/12 "2015-06-02T06:44:02Z")
> [@PlaceboTarget](#): > > No. > > Wait, what? Sorry, my head works a little strangely. The premise reminded me of this [Overdue Account](http://www.27bslash6.com/overdue.html) ---
**Author:** ![PlaceboTarget](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/placebotarget/32/1073_2.png) [@PlaceboTarget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlaceboTarget)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2015, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-drew-a-picture-to-offer-it-as-a-gift/721319/13 "2015-06-02T07:01:55Z")
> [@stui\_magpie](#): > > Sorry, my head works a little strangely. The premise reminded me of this [Overdue Account](http://www.27bslash6.com/overdue.html) Funny, indeed. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2015, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-drew-a-picture-to-offer-it-as-a-gift/721319/14 "2015-06-02T07:03:36Z")
I like both tinypics you’ve posted very much. I found them to be quite evocative, and I, for one, would be delighted if you were to take it into your head to post any other samples of your work in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![PlaceboTarget](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/placebotarget/32/1073_2.png) [@PlaceboTarget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlaceboTarget)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2015, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-drew-a-picture-to-offer-it-as-a-gift/721319/15 "2015-06-14T07:34:20Z")
I usually sketch what I feel like, but last week someone asked me to draw the Eiffel Tower. This is the result: [![](http://tinypic.com/images/goodbye.jpg) ](http://tinypic.com/images/goodbye.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![PlaceboTarget](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/placebotarget/32/1073_2.png) [@PlaceboTarget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlaceboTarget)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-drew-a-picture-to-offer-it-as-a-gift/721319/16 "2016-07-17T09:10:18Z")
I’ve just returned from holidays with an appetite to draw something Greek. It’s probably not what people have in mind, but I’ve been enjoying it. I’ll offer the picture to the chalet owner where my daughter is spending part of her summer vacation. [http://i63.tinypic.com/15hmxs6.jpg](http://i63.tinypic.com/15hmxs6.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-drew-a-picture-to-offer-it-as-a-gift/721319/17 "2016-07-17T17:16:55Z")
It’s beautiful! ---
**Author:** ![Me\_Billy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Me\_Billy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Me_Billy)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-drew-a-picture-to-offer-it-as-a-gift/721319/18 "2016-07-17T18:10:38Z")
Each Christmas I am constantly telling people they DON’T need to go out and buy expensive gifts for everyone. (The people I am telling this to can barely pay their rent.) I say just make a simple handmade Christmas card and write a little something about what that person means to you. That card will be the best gift they could possibly receive! So excellent gift! ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-drew-a-picture-to-offer-it-as-a-gift/721319/19 "2016-07-17T22:22:55Z")
I’m very impressed by the shading. Also the exact linear regularity of the windows, which almost look like they were drawn with a computer-assisted-drawing tool. Good work on the human figure, too. It all comes together with a nice cohesion and unity. ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2016, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-drew-a-picture-to-offer-it-as-a-gift/721319/20 "2016-07-18T00:23:54Z")
These are quite lovely! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-drew-a-picture-to-offer-it-as-a-gift/721319.md?page=2)