gRAPHICaNATOMY

 One of the big influences on my art education was was an early edition of Drawing on the Right side of the Brain by Betty Edwards. Some of the lessons were very important to me because it didn't just teach me how to draw but how to think and to see.

When I teach drawing to beginners I often use an analogy of the Matrix.
At the end of the first movie, the Neo character finally sees the world as what it is…. In his case green code. But when you are able to switch over your vision and think to see the "code" that makes the figure; figure drawing becomes much easier to do.

You have to see what you see…. not what you think you see. Not what you expect to see. you have to really look. With out judgment or expectation and   without naming things.
(I still recommend the book. Get an early edition if you can. )

Anyway, turns out there's a bit more science to back this up.


Why are some people better at drawing?



"First, people who can't draw well aren't seeing the world as it really is. When we look at an object, our visual systems automatically misjudge such attributes as size, shape and color; research over the past three years shows at least some of these misperceptions translate into drawing errors."


Yep, they are looking at it without the left side of the brian. Using the skills embedded in the right side, gives you a more accurate, but less verbal view.

The article goes on to suggest memory is also a factory. You look at the model, look down at your paper, and then you've already forgotten what you have seen.
Technique can help with this. Proper set up and posture can help. memory can be improved with practice.

And practice is another vital step.
"Columbia University Press, Chamberlain and her colleagues found practicing drawing significantly improved people's abilities over time"
There's no shortcut to getting out of hard work. You get what you give.

Labels: drawing, psychology