Drawing Begins Even Before We Pick Up Pencils

"It is not what you look at that matters it's the way you see." Henry David Thoreau

Drawing Begins With Observation

When we discuss about drawing from life or observational drawing we tend to talk about techniques and everything to do with physical act of drawing but drawing begins even before we pick up pencils it starts with plain observation. The subjects, its shape, the light, graduation and many many more. So drawing is learning to see in a new way first. The more sensitively you observe the more believable and accurate your drawing will be.

All Drawing Is Memory Drawing

Even when doing an object study or life study there is always a moment when you look away from your subject to make a mark on your paper in that moment you draw what you remember and not what you see. The good news is that once we start to see and not just look we learn to switch from looking to seeing. So what is the differance one may ask.

Differance Between Looking & Seeing

​​Leonardo da Vinci believed that sight was mankind's biggest gift and important sense. Knowing how to see was crucial not only to create art but to live all aspects of life fully. In everyday life we often look at the world in a fairly superficial way. When we walk into a room we scan it just enough to not crash into something. But that would be basic survival to acknowledge something is there, But beyond that the quality of what is in the room is unimportant. This kind of observation is too general to be used for observational drawing. To have an honest depiction of a subject we cannot just look at it WE HAVE TO SEE ITSeeing means visually experiencing it, observing every bit of the subject intimately on a visual level and letting it leave a lasting impression in our memory.

Sir William Osler, the eminent professor of medicine at Oxford University once stated,

“There is no more difficult art to acquire than the art of observation.”

It sure is a task that comes to us naturally after a great deal of practice. So how do we go about it? Few excersice that help us attain this are stated below.

Memory Exercise

Listing a few task everyone can follow in their day to day life to help them see better.

1. Close your eyes and try to remember things in your room. How many you missed and how many did you see?

2. Dont just look at a table for instance. See if its a wooden table, a plastic table, what colour is it? Try not to miss those tiny details like the worn out edges of the table.

3. When you step out for a walk in the garden, dont miss the flower,the tress, leaves and its patterns and colours. See them all.

4. Look up as you walk and see everything in detail that passes you by.

Above all be aware about everything, little things around you. As we practice this more often you will start to see, than just look. And just like that you are one step closer to learning how to draw.