Drawing 8: Drawing from memory:
Assignment: Study a photo for 3 minutes then draw from memory. This illustrates the fact that we use learned symbols for drawing -- symbols that have been learned in childhood for eyes, hair, nose, etc. Betty Edwards would say that those symbols were taken from storage in the left side of the brain, just like the symbols "A" "B" and "C." When I thought of drawing the eyes, I brought out the way I draw eyes, not the eyes that were in the photograph that I studied for 3 minutes.
Drawing 9: Drawing from a photo (sideways):
Assignment: Place the photograph on its side and draw the shapes and shadows that you see. For this drawing, the stored symbols were not utilized; observed shapes were (right brain). Though I drew the shapes and shadows that I saw, I still think I had some of those verbally-identified things in mind from time to time ("eyes," "nose", etc.). I wonder how different it would have been upside-down.
I didn't do very well sticking to the shading instructions. I was supposed to keep the shading to simple horizontal lines. I did it on the neck but that's about it.
Original photo:
I may try this again with a photo that has more defined shadows. It is definitely interesting to see the difference between stored symbols and the "artist's eye." I'd like to do better.
Another try:
Another try:
Did this one upside down.
Great start! I think you can see the shapes of what you want to draw very well, however you are having problems with the middle greys. For example, making a distinction between light grey and dark grey. As far as the David Bowie drawing is concerned I'd practice trying to make shading marks that have absolutely no direction to them. You can look at drawings by Seurat for great reference of this. Keep up the good work!
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Thank you for the suggestions! I definitely feel more comfortable with "no direction" shading. It is easier to schmear between light and dark.
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