Let's Take Another Look at Drawing

Let's take another look at drawing.

Drawing develops the practice of observation,  at looking closely,  of really seeing what is around us.

When we draw,  we are entering data,  like names and numbers are entered into a computer,
except the computer is our "brain".

It is from these stored images and observations that we create our paintings
and make our visual symbols.

Drawing is easy.

Just look!
Fasten your eye upon the edge of whatever it is that you are observing and make a mark.
Do not look at your paper.
Look at the next part of the object you are viewing and make another mark.
Continue moving around the contour of your chosen subject making more lines.
You do not need to look at your paper because your hand will draw what your eye sees!

This is called "blind contour drawing".  This is drawing.
You are making a record of your observations,  it's kind of like recording music.

Drawing creates the habit of "intense seeing".

Thus these images are "input" or "entered" into our storage place,  (brain),  of images and memories.

Thus stored, they are able to be retrieved at will.  When we view old drawings,  all the images and memories associated with the sketches are also remembered.

When confronted with the task of drawing an image of a tree,  we can go to our memory of images that we have drawn of trees,  retrieve one and use it in our new work.

We know about trees because we have drawn real ones and the images are right there in our memory.

A pad of paper near us at lunch,  after dinner,  or in our car.  A small sketch book in our purse or pocket.  A few lines,  a shadow,  a note about what we are seeing.

All comes flooding back,  when we look at these small sketches,  crude they may be,  no matter.

The marks are a record of our input and of the images that are stored in our memory,  ready to use and share in our real authenic paintings.

As a bonus we begin to actually "see" the world around us!