Why it is worth learning to draw and how to do it

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Don't know how to draw, but always wanted to learn? This article will be the first step to learning. From it you will learn expert opinions, why some draw from birth, while others do not, what needs to be done to learn how to draw and what bonuses drawing brings to life.

Adults always need to explain everything. Antoine de Saint-Exupery, "The Little Prince"

Remember why the hero leading the story in The Little Prince gave up his “brilliant career as an artist”? That's right - the adults did not understand and did not appreciate his boa constrictor from the outside and from the inside.

If you draw a boa constrictor who swallowed an elephant, and you get a hat, then this article is for you. We brought in several experts - professional artists and designers - to answer questions such as:

• Why do some people know how to draw from birth, while others do not?
• why do i need to draw?
• can you learn it?
• if so, how to do it?

Interesting? Welcome to the cat!

Painting - a talent or a skill?

Expert opinion:

Why do some people know how to draw, while others do not? It's like asking why some people are blond and others dark.:) Because some things are given to us by nature, and some are not. You can learn, you can hone a skill, improve and take by perseverance, but that's another thing. Initially, the ability to draw is rather a gift …

In December 1911, the German impressionist Lovis Corinth suffered a stroke. The artist's right side of the body was paralyzed. For a while, he even stopped drawing - he forgot how to paint.

Modern scientists explain this "metamorphosis" by the fact that the ability to draw directly depends on the functioning of the brain.

For example, in 2010, Rebecca Chamberlain and her colleagues from University College London decided to find out why some people draw from birth and others do not.

It turned out that people who cannot draw see differently from artists. When they look at an object, they misjudge its size, shape, and color. That is why they are unable to accurately transfer the visible object onto the paper.

In addition, the predisposition to the visual arts depends on memory. People who cannot draw cannot remember, for example, the angle between the lines and, accordingly, translate it into a drawing.

Expert opinion:

It seems to me that absolutely everyone draws from childhood. But some are less gifted. Some just fall in love with drawing, others don't. Those who fall in love later become artists. If, of course, they show diligence and perseverance and if they do not allow everyday worries to drown out the love of creativity.

Justin Ostrofsky and his colleagues from Brooklyn College of the City University of New York hold about the same opinion as scientists from London. They believe that artists have more developed visual perception and are better at determining which element needs to be drawn and which can be omitted.

Expert opinion:

In fact, this is not such a simple question. Because another one is hidden in it: what does it mean to be able to draw? This is where the dog is buried. This is the main reason for controversy and disagreement. For perfectionists, being able to draw means being able to paint an extremely realistic painting, indistinguishable from photography. It is very difficult for such people to learn, because such a skill requires a huge investment of time and effort. It may take more than one year to train and refine the skill, but the person will still be dissatisfied with himself and will not believe that he can draw. Plus, many people eventually forget what the word "learn" means when it comes to training the body. Adults believe that learning is reading books, memorizing information. Realistic drawing is a practical skill that involves, first of all, the development of the eye. It doesn't happen overnight. At first it turns out not very similar, weak, bad. And for many, it is very difficult to deal with frustration in the beginning. They quit, saying to themselves something like, "It won't work anyway," or "I probably don't have the ability." And completely in vain. Practice shows that in drawing, quantity inevitably turns into quality. In addition, there are other people with less objective and more imaginative thinking. They are less demanding on the realism of the image, it is more important for them to convey state, feelings, emotions. Such people learn more easily, they see their progress, starting from the very first works (of course, a lot here also depends on the teacher, on his ability to draw the attention of students to the strengths of their work). They end up painting. They may also be critical of their skills and believe that they cannot draw or are not good enough. But this does not prevent them from engaging in creativity, namely, in the process of creative work, learning takes place. As I said, quantity turns into quality.

Surprisingly, long before the studies described, artist (and psychologist) Kimon Nicolaides argued that the main problem for people who think they can't draw is that they don't see things correctly. According to the artist, the ability to draw is not a talent, but a skill. Rather, 5 skills:

• vision of the edge;
• vision of space;
• vision of relationships;
• vision of shadow and light;
• vision of the whole.

Exercises to develop these skills are outlined in The Natural Way to Draw.

There is only one sure way to learn how to draw - the natural way. It has nothing to do with aesthetics or technique. It is directly related to the fidelity and accuracy of observation, and by this I mean physical contact with a wide variety of objects through all five senses. Kimon Nikolaidis

Supporters method of right hemispheric drawingalso believe that the "secret" is in the head. But the reason for the inability of some people to draw is that in the process of artistic creation they (mistakenly) use the left, rational, hemisphere of the brain.

The method of right-brain drawing was developed by art teacher Betty Edwards, Ph. D. in the late 1970s. Her book The Artist Within You (1979) became a bestseller, has been translated into dozens of languages and has gone through several editions.

The concept of Edwards was based on the scientific research of neuropsychologist, professor of psychobiology, Nobel Prize winner Roger Sperry.

Dr. Sperry studied "functional specialization of the cerebral hemispheres." According to his theory, the left hemisphere of the brain uses analytical and verbal modes of thinking, it is responsible for speech, mathematical calculations, algorithms. The right hemisphere, on the contrary, is "creative", thinks in images and is responsible for the perception of color, comparison of the sizes and perspectives of objects. These features Dr. Edwards called "L-mode" and "R-mode".

For most people, the left hemisphere dominates when processing information. 90% of people who think they cannot draw continue to “use” the left hemisphere during artistic creation, instead of turning on the “P-mode” and perceiving integral visual images.

Expert opinion:

There are no absolutely non-drawing people. There are circumstances - parents, teachers, society - that create situations of “failure”. A person simply begins to think too badly of himself. Undoubtedly, there are talented people, and everyone else has the opportunity to draw, but the desire is repulsed. People come to my classes who for many years only dreamed of painting, but the fear was too great. And in the classroom there is a thrill. No matter how much you run from a dream, it will still overtake.

To understand how this works, imagine you want to draw a chair. You say to yourself, "I'll draw a chair." The left hemisphere instantly translates the word "chair" into symbols (sticks, squares). As a result, instead of drawing a chair, you draw the geometric shapes that your left brain thinks the chair is made of.

Therefore, the essence of the right hemisphere drawing method is to temporarily suppress the work of the left hemisphere.

Thus, science is wandering about the idea that the ability to draw is a skill that anyone can acquire.

Expert opinion:

All people can draw. It's just that someone doesn't know about it yet.

This is the structure of the educational system in our world, which encourages the development of logical thinking and pays very little attention to the intuitive creative development of the individual. For example, I have the skills of classical drawing. In the classroom at the university, we drew only one performance for 16-20 academic hours, so that everything was perfect, classically. Then I studied at the British Higher School of Art and Design, where my world turned upside down. Together with me, in the same group, people studied who first took a pencil in their hands, and they did better than me. At first I did not understand: how is that ?! I am a designer, I spent so much time in drawing and painting classes, and my fellow students at that time studied mathematics, physics, philosophy, etc. But sometimes their work is more interesting than mine. And only after the first semester of study at "British" I realized that everyone can draw! The most important thing is to want it and pick up a pencil or brush.

Why is it worth learning to draw?

Iya Zorina, the author of wonderful articles on Lifehacker, once talked about her personal drawing experience. She started a sketch pad and "allowed herself to create." As a result, Iya wrote:

Now I quite understand why it is worth continuing and why everyone should try.

Why is it worth painting?

Drawing develops cognitive functions

Drawing improves perception, visual memory, fine motor skills. It helps to look at things deeper, to study subjects comprehensively.

Expert opinion:

Drawing helps to look at the world with different, new eyes, you begin to love nature, people and animals even more. You start to appreciate everything even more! The very process of drawing evokes incredible, delightful emotions. A person is spiritually enriched and grows above himself, develops and reveals his hidden abilities. It is necessary to draw in order to be happy and to give the world goodness and beauty.

Drawing is a way of expressing yourself

By drawing, a person reveals his personal potential. Painting is a dialogue of the inner "I" with the world.

Expert opinion:

Drawing gives something different to each person. Someone in this process finds peace and relaxation, and someone - buzz and uplifting. For others, this is the meaning of life. I am currently studying art therapy for children and adults. We can safely say that drawing helps to solve many psychological issues: increase self-esteem, remove tension in relationships (family or work), relieve fears, etc. For example, there is such a Mandala method - drawing in a circle (it is also called a healing circle). I checked it on myself - it works! Drawing is an unconscious process and it is always a connection with your "I", with your own potential, which is inherent in every person from birth. My advice: draw as much and often as possible, discover new facets of your life, fill with creativity every day!

Drawing boosts self-esteem

By drawing, a person becomes more self-confident. The fear of showing off your work and being misunderstood is inevitable. Every artist goes through it. But over time, "immunity" to unfair criticism is developed.

Expert opinion:

I just paint because I like it. Someone draws for sale (here you can express the answer to the question "Why?" In a universal equivalent). But the feeling of pleasure cannot be weighed or measured in any way. I once asked this question on my website, one of the answers sunk into my soul: "I draw in order to be happy." And it is clear that everyone has their own happiness. Someone is happy when they dance, someone is happy when they rush down the mountain on skis. Someone - when they draw. But the pleasure from the process arises when it works out, and if you study, it may not work out right away. However, if you overcome difficulties, then wings will grow. I will not say that this is forever, there are failures and disappointments. But the joy of what comes out is worth the effort.

Drawing as a way of meditation

Many people compare painting to meditation. Artistic creativity allows you to relax, enter a state of flow. The artists note that while painting, they "disconnect" from the outside world, there is no place for everyday thoughts in their heads.

Expert opinion:

Drawing is self-expression, another reality. It is very difficult to describe the sensations in words. Every person who comes to me has his own story. Sometimes it is tragic, sometimes joyful, but most importantly, they found the strength to come. Oddly enough, the most difficult thing is not to learn how to draw, but to come, start, get out of the comfort zone.

Drawing is fun

This is one of the most exciting things to do. When a city or, for example, a forest “comes to life” on a white piece of paper, you feel genuine pleasure.

Expert opinion:

Drawing is a pleasure. This is self-expression. This is an outburst of emotions and calming the nerves. Here you go, it happens, along the street, and the light is so beautiful, and the lilacs are blooming, and the houses are so beautifully arranged in a row … And you think: "Eh, I should sit here now and paint all this beauty!" And it's good in my soul right away …

How to learn to draw?

We asked our experts if it is possible to learn to draw? They answered with one voice: "Yes!".

All the artists you can think of have learned their craft at one time or another. Not a single great artist was such in 5 or 10 years, everyone had to learn. Alexandra Merezhnikova

At the same time, Ekaterina Kukushkina and Sophia Charina noted that you can learn to draw at any age, the main thing is desire or, as Vrezh Kirakosyan said, "love of drawing."

It's all about desire. There are plenty of tools and methods now. Learn for health! The main thing is desire and perseverance. Elizaveta Ishchenko

So, everyone can learn to draw. But how? The question of which teaching methods to choose was addressed to our experts.

Elizaveta Ishchenko advised to master the academic school and study with the teacher:

I am a supporter of the academic school - sketches, performances, proportions … I think we need to start from scratch. Not from the video “How to draw the hero of the movie“X-Men”in a ski suit in 2 hours,” but from the concept of shapes, geometric shapes and light.

And Vrezh Kirakosyan, on the contrary, considers the video tutorials to be very useful:

There is nothing better than watching drawing master classes. There are a lot of materials of this kind on the web: from the basics to serious work.

Alexandra Merezhnikova also recommends learning from a professional, but notes that, with constant practice, you can also use a self-instruction manual.

The general guidelines are simple. To learn to sew, you need to sew, to learn to drive - to drive a car, to learn to cook - to cook. Same with drawing: to learn how to draw, you need to draw. It is better to study with a teacher who can show, suggest, praise something - this is very important! But you can do it yourself. If we talk about self-study guides, I liked the book "The Art of Drawing" by Bert Dodson, it gives a rather coherent and flexible method. But, of course, everything is individual, for someone his method may not suit. Now the choice is large enough, you can find what you personally like.

Drawing from life is Sofia Charina's advice. This seems quite correct when you look at Rebecca Chamberlain's research.

It is very important for beginners to work from nature. Another indispensable teacher who will direct you in the right direction. Otherwise, the process will be longer and with errors. The work done from the picture is not useful. The fact is that two-dimensional media (photos, pictures) do not fully reflect the shape of objects, and this is very important. The person, in fact, does not feel it.

Ekaterina Kukushkina, based on her experience, made the following recommendations:

1. Get a notebook and draw at least one drawing a day.

   This is how a person develops attention and imagination. Every day he looks for new objects to sketch or comes up with something of his own, thus fills his hand and forms a creative view of the world.

2. Go for a couple of group painting classes - the atmosphere is amazing.
3. Go to exhibitions in your free time.
4. Monitor information on drawing on the Internet. Find artists, illustrators, designers who are close to you in spirit.
5. Explore the work of famous artists.

But don't repeat after someone else! Always remember that you are unique and inimitable, your style and handwriting are you! A person who boldly expresses his style will always stand out from the crowd.

In addition, Catherine advises trying to paint in different techniques.

As many different drawing techniques as possible (watercolor, gouache, applied painting, ink, pencil, plasticine, collage, etc.). It is best to draw the simplest things: fruits, dishes, interior items, etc. After a person has tried several techniques, he will be able to choose the one that suits him the most and start working in it.

Usefulness

In conclusion, we want to share with you a selection of portals and applications that may help you start drawing.

Communities of creative people (for inspiration)

• Behance.net
• illustrationmundo.com
• Thisiscolossal.com
• Revision.ru

Drawing Sites

• Drawspace.com
• Learn-to-draw.com
• Toadhollowstudio.com
• Drawsketch.about.com
• Drawschool.ru
• Purmix.ru
• Prostoykarandash.ru

Applications

• 5 best drawing programs for Android.
• 5 best drawing apps for tablet.