Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, Day Four

Edwards had us build picture planes, an 8 x 10 sheet of glass or plexiglass with cross-hairs drawn on it, and two different sized "frames" to lay over the glass. We used them (with extra grids added) for our cartoon recreations. Today we used them to get a sense for an "artist's eye", how an artist will see a scene as they draw it. We held the picture plane on the finger tips of our left hand, squinted at our hand with one eye, and used a non-permanent marker to "trace" the outline and edges that we saw. Here are the results:

Mama Bear's left hand.

Brother Bear's left hand.

It was amazingly easy to "draw" the "foreshortened" view of our fingers (pointing up toward us) using the picture plane. I also used it to "draw" a scene in the family room, with similar results. This little gizmo certainly gives one a new way of "seeing" one's surroundings.

Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, Day Three

After reading Chapter 5 about the development of drawing skills in children, I decided it might be wise to take a step back. Or two. Edwards points out that in the progression of artistic development, most people get stuck at around age 10, when they begin moving out of drawing in symbols (a circle represents a head, scribbles represent hair), and into drawing in a realistic manner. But, most of us are never able to work out the many problems inherent in making a realistic drawing of something in “real life.” We get frustrated that we can’t “get it right,” conclude that we “can’t draw” because we don’t have the talent, and give it up for life. Sad, huh?

So, seeing as Brother Bear is still in the “symbology” stage of his drawing development, I figured we might back it up a bit, keep our drawing lessons on his level, and try drawing more symbolically. I asked him what kind of drawing he wanted to do, "realistic" or “stuff like cartoons and superheros”, and he said "both". That was enough of an opening for me...I suggested we start with drawing one of his favorite cartoon characters, and that’s what we did today.

When I was in HS (my first day in a new HS after moving, come to think of it), we did reproductions using graphs. (I still have the poster of Nessie that I reproduced from a magazine ad hanging in my study - weird the stuff that sticks around, isn’t it?). So, I got us started using basically the same technique. Yesterday I spent about an hour making two “viewfinders” from sheets of glass and heavy black posterboard, so we were all set.

Our "subject", Sonic The Hedgehog, seen through a gridded viewfinder. We were just focusing on Sonic and the poster he is holding, leaving off the background elements.

Corresponding grids on our drawing paper.

Brother Bear's initial sketch, with poster colored.

Color added.

Final product (signed) with poster detail.

Brother Bear still is not entirely satisfied with what he is able to produce, but this process has helped him get a better sense of proportion. He did realize that he got his "grids" confused during the initial sketch process, which is why the spikes on the head and the poster are elongated. I keep emphasize the learning process as we go along, and I think with some practice he'll get to a place where he's more comfortable with his finished products. It probably doesn't help that he's learning "with" someone much older and a wee bit further along in their development. We talked about the developmental process, and I think he's okay with being where he is for now. That can be tough at any age.

Mama Bear's initial sketch.


After deliniating with Sharpie and erasing pencil marks.


I went for colored pencils instead of bold marker, 'cause I'm just girly that way.
..

After an hour and a half, I didn't have the patience or inclination to do the poster detail...another whole figure. For me, "good enough" was. Maybe next lesson we'll do Spiderman. Though I'm leaning toward Scooby Doo...

Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, Day Two

Day Two of Drawing Lessons with Brother Bear....

In an attempt to get us to shut off the analytical, language-oriented left brain, and get into the right-brain groove, Edwards instructed us to copy a line drawing by Picaso, viewed upside-down. The drawing is upside-down in the book, and we were supposed to draw it exactly as we saw it, working hard not try to identify each part we were drawing. Believe it or not, it came out way better upside-down that it would if I had try to do it right-side-up. And, that's pretty much the point of the exercise; get ye self out of ye way, brain, and let ye draw better!

Upside-down line drawing.

Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, Day One

Brother Bear has been begging me for weeks to teach him to draw. Kinda a challenge, since I can't draw worth beans myself. So, I pulled out Betty Edward's Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, and and ran up to Michael's earlier this week to pick up some materials. Brother Bear and I have set as one of our goal this quarter, learning to draw.

So, Day One of drawing lessons was pretty much creating a record of how much we currently suck at drawing:

Self-portrait, looking in a mirror.

Ugh.

Portrait of T-Bear from memory.
I was thinking of this pic while I drew it.

My hand.

I'm not posting pix of Brother Bear's drawing, because I don't want to embarrass him. I'll post them as he gets better and more confident in his skills. As for me, I have no pride to protect when it comes to artistic talent. I ain't got none. Yet...