Drawing "white space"

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This is another really useful trick that I learned from a book called "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain"

by: Betty Edwards

 

 

 

Tip: (From the book...) Instead of drawing, for example, a man's arm with his hand resting on his hip - look at the space between his arm and his body.

Do not look at his arm and do not look at his body.

Look only at the space in between his arm and his body... Then draw that space!

The same thing applies when it comes to drawing the outside edge of the man's arm...

Look at the nearest object to his arm and draw the space between that object and the man's arm!

That way, you overcome the tendency of the left side of your brain to make you draw things in the simplified symbol-like images, with which that part of your brain rationalizes the world around you. Then, having overcome this annoying tendency of the left-side of your brain to continually butt-in and interfere with your art - (which is, essentially, a job for the right side of the brain) - you end up easily being able to draw what is actually there - rather than what the left side of your brain would very much like you to draw...!!

Try it - you'll be amazed!!

 

[where are the friends ?]

Comment:

I have about 3,000 hours of life drawing practice - only practice -in my studio, professional training connected to the analysis of graphic expressions and unspeakable pain and dedication.

Betty Edwards is good, I have two of her books and agree with most of her theories.

However, I do not think it is necessary to go through so complicated exercises. The time can be used more effectively.

One must have a serious goal before him.

All he has to do is to get rid of unhealthy opinions which alter perfect incoming information into a display of deficiencies on the paper.

Modern artists do not seem capable of any sacrifices. Even some of the famous ones.

An illustration from Mr. Herringer's book "Zen in the art of archery":

The Master explains the principle - (it's rather difficult to get without long experience...)

1 Knock the arrow

2 Draw

3 Do not shoot, IT shoots!

Unless you understand this, you have a long way to go.

Excuse the preacher, it is for your own good.

www.oldrichnos.com

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On 4/1/2010 at 4:19 AM, where are the friends ? said:

Betty Edwards is good, I have two of her books and agree with most of her theories.

However, I do not think it is necessary to go through so complicated exercises. The time can be used more effectively...

Thanks very much for your contribution to artfreaks.com. Your insights and the sharing of your knowledge are greatly appreciated!

I would just like to add my own two pennies worth...

In my own personal opinion, gained after my own experience, I don't think that the exercises described in the book are complicated at all. They are very easy to do and, again - in my own personal opinion - well worth the time and the effort!

Of course, there is always something else to do, with which we can use our time more effectively... I think that most of us would be quite hard-put to use our drawing skills to save the planet, for instance?!!

However, if you do choose to spend some of your time learning how to draw, I do think that the time spent doing some of the exercises in the book would be very well spent.

Some of those exercises in Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain were a real revelation to me! Hey... I even managed to do a reasonably passable self-portrait!!

Number 1, below, was literally my first ever attempt at a self-portrait and number 2 was the result of my efforts after doing the "upside down" drawing exercise...