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I sure hope so, because this month I waded into unfamiliar waters. I signed up for a 11 hours and 35 online lessons — Portrait Drawing Fundamentals by Stan Prokopenko. It’s been 50 years since I studied portrait drawing and painting. My landscapes have been noted for their wildness and one Chicago Tribune art critic said my work leaves out the one thing that can “muck up” nature — humans. But since moving to the city in 2025, I find myself wanting to draw more and draw people

Art is often seen as a polished final product, something flawless and inspiring. We admire artists who carry sketchbooks everywhere, effortlessly capturing moments and ideas. Their work looks so refined that many of us try to imitate them, only to give up after a few pages because our sketches don’t measure up. I know I have done this whenever I previously decied to travel and try to draw or journal. But what if the real value lies not in the polished pages, but in the messy