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Learning to SeeLet Go of Everything You KnowLearning to see means forgetting everything you know (or think you know) about seeing objects. Mastering the materials is the easy part of drawing.
Just Let Go! When you draw, you have to let go of everything you know about any object or figure. Whatever you know about a tree, a house, a table, or a person doesn’t matter. What you see, and learning to see is the only thing that matters. Preferences! Perhaps you find the outlines of things or people to be what strikes you most. Artists like you usually prefer line drawing, whether in pencil or pen. Other artists see volume, or solidity. If you’re one of them, you might want to start with charcoal or another soft medium to shade the world of your picture. On this page, we’ll address drawing from life, for the most part. But these principals apply to abstract art as well, or to anything drawn from your imagination. Remember, your drawings belong to you from start to finish. Use this information to help you get started but always feel free to go your own way. Negative Spaces! Make sure that you look at the empty shapes beside the shape that you are trying to draw. For instance, look at the shape between the top lip and a nose, or study the spaces between tree limbs. You should practice drawing some of these spaces, so you become used to observing these negative spaces. Although it may seem difficult when starting, it eventually will become second nature, just like riding a bike. Let the Grid be Your Guide! Grab a white card and create a grid of one-inch squares on it. Then put it behind your subject. You can even draw a grid on clear plastic and look through it. These reference points will help you make accurate judgments of the size of different parts of your subject. Upside-Down Drawing! When you draw an object upside-down it takes away the familiarity of everything. This forces you to look very carefully at this upside down image. Use this as a warm-up exercise. Grab any picture or photograph and put it on your drawing paper upside-down. Begin to copy it carefully - remember - you don't have to mentally rotate it! Draw it as you see it. Looks weird huh? If it does look weird then you are just starting to see the enjoyment that learning how to draw can bring. |