How to Draw a Dragon

I had a rare private art student yesterday. She is one of my favorites- brilliant, fun to chat with, and loves to draw. She brought a picture of a dragon to draw from, though she told me her mom doesn't really like dragons and would have preferred she draw her grandparents. I don't particularly like dragons either, but one thing I have learned over thirty years of teaching art is that students work harder if they like what they are drawing. So, H and I sat together side by side, and I showed her step by step how to draw a dragon.

Over the course of the hour, we discussed many things, including why slaves only counted as 3/5ths of a person in the early constitution. We also discussed how dragons were quite likely real, and seemed to have been described in the Bible. Part of the joy of private students is it is very peaceful and you have lots of time to really connect. Unfortunately, I can't take the time to teach private students, so it is a very rare privilege, for me, and I hope for the student as well.

As we drew the dragon, I found myself beginning to like dragons. I liked the curve of their necks, the scowl of their lips, the malevolent shape of their eyes, the upsweep of their horns, the intricate overlay of their scales....By the end of the hour, I discovered I was wrong. Dragons are very fun to draw, and I decided, without a doubt, I liked dragons.

When H first arrived, she told me that she has a friend who laughs at her when she shows him her art. She said he can draw dragons that look ready to jump off the page.
"So will yours," I promised her.
"I doubt it," she said.
When she finished her dragon, she said, "I can't wait to show this to my friend. I think he will be impressed."
Mission accomplished.

Drawing a dragon is like drawing anything. You look for the basic shapes, you correct the outline, you decide where your source of light is, and you shade accordingly. In the end, if you didn't love what you were drawing at first, you probably will by the last. It is really not all that different from a life well lived. You find the shape of the life you desire, you try to correct your choices to guide you to that life, you recognize that the source of all light is God, and you shade your moments accordingly. If you didn't love the life you were given at the first, I suspect with that method, you will love it in the end.

Psalm 36:9 (NIV)
For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.

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