Tim

by Tim.

Not very long ago I struggled horrifically with art and drawing.

I saw artists that I admired and wanted to draw like but just couldn't make it work.

Tim Banks is the guy that helped me figure out how to draw. Up to that point, I'd get astronomically discouraged about drawing when I looked at other artists. But Tim's work made me feel like I could get it.

I took 2 one week summer classes from him back towards the end of high school. I also had the privilege to work with Tim for about a month at the Press.

He gave me a salt shaker when he left and I've kept it on every desk I've ever worked at.


He also left some drawings, two whales, and a note telling me I was fired. (I think the actual phrase was "extinguished from any further dealings with...") I still have the note. The whales I left to worthy inheritors. I assume they're still at the Press.

* * *

I remember in the first class Tim doodled on the board and said something like, "If you want to draw an arm like this (he scribbled some wiggly cartoon arm, it sort of looked like a wing) just go ahead."

I think my brain exploded right there. And it all started to make sense. Don't fool around trying to be something you're not, just go ahead and draw.

If that last bit sounds juvenile, starry-eyed, and something like a plot from a Disney channel original movie, that's fine and I'm prepared to deal with it. But I think everyone who loves to draw but is discouraged sooner or later comes to a point when they realize that they've either been given the grace to make it happen or cursed with good enough taste to understand, and to be under no delusions, they are not making it happen.

I ended up a few years later inheriting that class at camp and taught it for three summers. I did my best to make it happen for my students. It was fun.

That's enough. What I mean to say is Tim helped me a lot.

And here is his new blog:

http://timothybanks.blogspot.com/

Enjoy.