The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain

1. Drawing is about perception, not talent

"Drawing is a curious process, so intertwined with seeing that the two can hardly be separated."

Everyone can draw. The ability to draw is not an innate talent, but a learnable skill. The key is developing the ability to perceive the world as an artist does. This involves training your brain to process visual information differently, focusing on what you actually see rather than what you think you see.

Overcoming mental barriers. Many people believe they can't draw because they haven't been taught how to see. This belief often stems from childhood experiences where their artistic efforts were criticized or misunderstood. By understanding that drawing is a skill that can be developed, like reading or writing, anyone can improve their artistic abilities.

Common misconceptions about drawing:

• It requires natural talent
• You need to be creative
• You must be able to draw straight lines
• It's only for "artistic" people

2. Shift to R-mode: Accessing your brain's artistic side

"To empty one's mind of all thought and refill the void with a spirit greater than oneself is to extend the mind into a realm not accessible by conventional processes of reason."

Understanding brain hemispheres. The human brain has two distinct modes of thinking: L-mode (left hemisphere) and R-mode (right hemisphere). L-mode is verbal, analytic, and sequential, while R-mode is visual, perceptual, and simultaneous. Drawing effectively requires shifting from L-mode to R-mode.

Techniques for R-mode shift. To access R-mode, you need to present your brain with tasks that L-mode finds difficult or uninteresting. This can be achieved through exercises like drawing upside-down images, contour drawing, or focusing on negative spaces. These techniques bypass the brain's tendency to rely on symbols and preconceptions, allowing for more accurate perception and representation.

Signs of R-mode engagement:

• Loss of sense of time
• Difficulty with verbal tasks
• Increased focus on visual details
• Feeling of being "in the zone"

3. Seeing edges: The foundation of drawing

"In drawing, an edge is always a shared boundary."

Redefining edges. In artistic terms, an edge is not just an outline, but the place where two things come together. This concept is crucial for creating accurate and lifelike drawings. By focusing on edges, artists can better represent the relationships between different elements in their compositions.

Contour drawing. One of the most effective exercises for developing edge perception is contour drawing. This involves slowly tracing the edges of an object with your eyes while simultaneously moving your pencil on paper, without looking at your drawing. This technique forces you to focus on what you actually see, rather than relying on preconceived notions of how things should look.

Types of edges in drawing:

• Contour edges (outlines)
• Implied edges (suggested boundaries)
• Lost and found edges (varying visibility)
• Shared edges (boundaries between two forms)

4. Negative space: The secret to better compositions

"Nothing is more real than nothing."

Shifting perspective. Negative space refers to the areas around and between objects in a composition. By focusing on these spaces rather than the objects themselves, artists can often achieve more accurate and balanced drawings. This approach helps overcome the brain's tendency to rely on symbols and preconceptions.

Practical applications. Utilizing negative space can dramatically improve various aspects of drawing. It aids in achieving correct proportions, creating more interesting compositions, and even simplifying complex subjects. By "drawing the space," artists often find that the subject itself emerges more naturally and accurately.

Benefits of focusing on negative space:

• Improves accuracy in proportions
• Enhances overall composition
• Simplifies complex subjects
• Helps overcome symbolic thinking

5. Perspective and proportion: Creating depth and accuracy

"Sighting is a two-part skill. The first part is sighting angles relative to vertical and horizontal, and the second part is sighting proportions relative to each other."

Understanding sighting. Sighting is the process of measuring and comparing angles and proportions in your subject. This skill is crucial for creating realistic drawings with accurate perspective. By using simple tools like a pencil held at arm's length, artists can make precise visual measurements and translate them to paper.

Applying perspective. Perspective is the art of creating the illusion of three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional surface. By understanding basic principles like horizon lines, vanishing points, and foreshortening, artists can create more convincing depth in their drawings. Regular practice in observing and applying these principles can significantly improve spatial rendering skills.

Key elements of perspective:

• Horizon line
• Vanishing points
• Foreshortening
• Scale and proportion

6. Light and shadow: Bringing drawings to life

"Light logic also requires that you learn to see differences in tones of light and dark."

Understanding value. Value refers to the lightness or darkness of a color. By mastering the perception and representation of value, artists can create the illusion of form, depth, and atmosphere in their drawings. This involves learning to see and render subtle gradations of light and shadow.

Techniques for rendering light and shadow. Various methods can be employed to depict light and shadow, including hatching, cross-hatching, and blending. The key is to observe carefully how light interacts with different surfaces and textures, and to practice translating these observations onto paper. Understanding concepts like highlights, cast shadows, and reflected light is crucial for creating convincing three-dimensional forms.

Components of light and shadow:

• Highlight
• Mid-tone
• Core shadow
• Cast shadow
• Reflected light

7. Unleashing creativity: The Zen of drawing

"Drawing can reveal much about you to yourself, some facets of you that might be obscured by your verbal self."

Drawing as meditation. The process of drawing can be a form of meditation, allowing you to quiet your mind and connect more deeply with your perceptions. This state of focused awareness can lead to insights about yourself and the world around you, fostering creativity and personal growth.

Continuous learning. The journey of learning to draw is never-ending. As you develop your skills, you'll find new challenges and opportunities for growth. Embracing this lifelong learning process can lead to ongoing personal and artistic development, opening up new ways of seeing and expressing yourself.

Benefits of regular drawing practice:

• Enhanced observational skills
• Improved problem-solving abilities
• Increased self-awareness
• Stress reduction and relaxation
• Greater appreciation for visual beauty in everyday life

THE NEW DRAWING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BRAIN

Drawing On Memories: Your History as an Artist

Drawing is A curious process, so intertwined with seeing that the two can hardly be separated. Ability to draw depends on ability to see the way an artist sees, and this kind of seeing can marvelously enrich your life. In many ways, teaching drawing is somewhat like teaching someone to ride a bicycle. It is very difficult to explain in words. In teaching someone to ride a bicycle, you might say, "Well, you just get on, push the pedals, balance yourself, and off you'll go." Of course, that doesn't explain it at all, and you are likely finally to say, "I'll get on and show you how. Watch and see how 1 do it." And so it is with drawing. Most art teachers and drawing textbook authors exhort beginners to "change their ways of looking at things" and to "learn how to see." The problem is that this different way of seeing is as hard to explain as how to balance a bicycle, and the teacher often ends by saying, in effect, "Look at these examples and just keep trying. If you practice a lot, eventually you may get it." While nearly everyone learns to ride a bicycle, many individuals never solve the problems of drawing. To put it more precisely, most people never learn to see well enough to draw.

Drawing as a magical ability

Because only a few individuals seem to possess the ability to see and draw, artists are often regarded as persons with a rare God- given talent. To many people, the process of drawing seems mysterious and somehow beyon

Last updated: August 7, 2024