#line perception class

Sorry about the wait.

#3 

Previous exercises were made to create a conscious effort of observation, perception and implementation while drawing the lines you saw. Note that I am still talking about lines and will continue to do so for... forever, unless you are literally creating something, ie. a real human being and shaping it to your hearts content, then it will remain only as an interpretation created via lines, in the case of drawing. You must 

NOT, EVER

,

 forget this. You are creating interpretations via lines and via those lines you will construct different shapes in your paper. A nose it's not a NOSE, it's a set of lines that give you the interpretation of a nose! (I'm talking in terms of consciously thinking of it while drawing, you don't go around telling people "my interpretation of lines interacting with each other giving the viewer the impression of a human nose"... it's too bloody long)  The previous exercises also worked a little bit with your subconscious as you were drawing in a non conventional way. YOU WERE PAYING MORE ATTENTION TO ACTUAL OBSERVATION THAN TO WHAT YOU WERE DRAWING. This is terrific! THIS IS WHAT YOU SHOULD DO ALL THE TIME! OBSERVE UNDERSTAND PLAN INTERPRET We've covered the first two, now we'll tackle the planning. And by planning I don't mean image what you would like to draw (we're still not drawing by ourselves, but just coping lines that crate a drawing). I mean look at your work area (paper in this case) and plan where exactly are you're going to work, in a corner? the middle? Is my drawing going to use the whole space? This is probably one of the most difficult things to overcome when we start drawing, you draw things too small? too big? in a corner? it ends up looking crooked?... and god forbid trying to draw more than one thing in a space (ie two characters) the proportions, space and relation the two objects must share become a massive challenge! This brings us our next exercise, who is an old friend, must of us have seen it and on some cases hated it (I did, I'd rather draw all over it or avoid it completely).

YOU WILL NEED:

-Paper -Pencil -Eraser -Ruler -And to print one of these (if you can't print it's okay but just make sure that you do perfect squares when tracing the the grid on your new page) (also you don't have to use this one, I did because I was lazy and just took one of my drawings, if you think it's too hard pick another one)

Oh yeah, you remember it! (My oldest enemy!) I want you to tackle this as you did the previous two: 

by OBSERVING BEFORE YOU START!

 Look at each line, UNDERSTAND where each line starts in each of the sections, where does it end? Does it occupy the entire square? How does it interact with the rest of the other lines?... 

THINK ALL OF THIS BEFORE YOU EVEN DARE TO START DOING IT

. I don't really think this exercise needs further explanation. but in case you've never seen it before you are meant to copy the drawing on a replica of the grid you see. Use your ruler to do the square structure that encases the drawing and then the sections. If you have a printed copy then just copy the squares on your blank page, if not, then use the ruler to create perfect squares.

I WANT THIS BIG! AS BIG AS THE PAGE ALLOWS!

The square boxes are supposed to help you think in sections so it would be easy to recreate the drawing.

HOWEVER

When you do it, I don't want you to do sections, oh no, I want you to follow and chase a line throughout the entire space, the squares are supposed to give you guidance of how far away you are resting the line you are drawing or how close it is 

in relation to the original drawing. 

How is this line curving? what space in a section does it occupy? half of the section? upper left corner? does it intersect with another line somewhere? where exactly? ALSO, please DO NOT use the technique of "draw a circle to do the head" and all that crap! WE ARE STILL NOT DRAWING, WE ARE DOING LINES (that the result gives you a drawing in this cases it's just so you won't get bored of doing senseless spaghetti)

SO KEEP THAT IN MIND AT ALL TIMES! 

here are the results from the previous exercise. I didn't use any of the "draw a circle to make the face" and all that, this is a class about lines not about a full drawing (even when we ended up doing one) I am not really interested in the final product as it is NOT going to be exactly as the one in the first image.

The full purpose of this exercise is to create a constant conscious need to OBSERVE before drawing the line you intend to do. If you are new to the drawing word you will realize how capable you are at tracing lines to create something.  (I wish I had an example of a new student to show you, it's like you open your eyes to the  world of lines) 

#2

Some of you already know this but when reading the brain doesn't see letters, it sees  the entire word. Things as a whole, that's why even when you make a typo or misplace some letters within the word you can still read it... and even sometimes you don't realize it's misspelled. Your mind thinks is a full word. (See this article)

This happens often when we start drawing. We start drawing and we're swearing upon everything you wish to swear, that you are trying to make it so that your final product looks like the thing you are trying to draw... but let's be honest. Sometimes it ends up looking NOTHING like what we want to do.

That is because no matter how much you try if you haven't trained your brain to actually observe AND DRAW WHAT YOU ARE OBSERVING you will keep drawing the same lines over and over.

A face. Your brain sees a face but it doesn't see individual aspects of it, it sees: two eyes, a nose, mouth, eyebrows... etc it sees the whole and not what makes it all up (Unless it has a particular characteristic, then your mind focuses on that, because is not what the brain is used to see). And it's not that you can't draw, it's just that you already have a mental image of how these aspects needs to be when drawing that you keep repeating them over and OVER and OVER AGAIN. The so called comfort zone.

This next exercise will put you out of it in an extraordinary way. BECAUSE IT WILL CONFUSE THE BRAIN, what you're gonna do will make you see lines /LITERALLY/ instead of things as a whole and then the explanation I just gave WILL FINALLY DAWN ON YOU.

Please note that this will be the exercise that will pull you out of your comfort zone the most and IT WILL BE FRUSTRATING in various levels depending on the person. The more experienced you are at drawing the most frustrating it will get. 

But s is how you will train your brain to see lines instead of a face, or a hand, or a mouth.

YOU WILL NEED:

1. pencil

2. Paper

3. Eraser

4. A drawing that's only lineart that's NOT your own. Color books WORK WONDERFULLY.

 The drawing that you get can be downloaded from google, I'm gonna put one random here, you don't have to do that, you can pick another one. If you can print it, of have it physically, fantastic! If you have no way to print it, then okay, you can keep the image on your smartphone or computer screen.

This is mine (it's simple but interesting): 

Please do this on paper, it's more comfortable than on the tablet, but if you have no other work tool than the tablet, then use that.

FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS.

There is no limit time so don't rush.

You will draw, the drawing you picked, but you will keep your drawing like this:

YOU ARE NOT MEANT TO TURN IT THE DRAWING UPSIDE DOWN FOR ANY CIRCUMSTANCE

YOU ARE NOT MEANT TO TURN YOUR OWN DRAWING UPSIDE DOWN FOR ANY CIRCUMSTANCE

TAPE YOUR PAPER TO YOUR TABLE if you feel like you have no self control and will give up and turn it over.

YOUR FINAL DRAWING WILL BE UPSIDE DOWN TOO AS WELL, I am no evil overlord and meant for you to draw it the way it's supposed to be.

Whatever notion you may have of drawing, by doing squares or circles to create the base of the drawing... DON'T. LOOK AT THE LINES, OBSERVE AND TRACE THEM.

STOP THINKING "THIS IS A CHIN" IT'S NOT. IT'S A LINE THAT WILL CURVE IN CERTAIN DIRECTION AND WITH A CERTAIN DEPTH.

THAT IS HOW I WANT YOU TO THINK WHILE DRAWING.

If you used to do only stick figures or just eyes, or very basic things, once you finish and turn it over to see the final product you will see what you're really capable of and how  much you can improve in so little time!

Here is the result of my exercise from last class. a friend of mine once drew 6 fingers and he didn't know when or how it happened. It was awesome.

#1 OBSERVATION

A common misconception of drawing is that it's all in the wrist, the hand, the fingers.

Yes, the hand is trained to move in a certain way, muscle memory works this way. However, if you have been drawing for several months without a feeling of improvement this may not be due to lack of practice. The brain finds repetition pleasing and muscles fall easily into a comfort zone. This happens often not only when drawing, but drawing is our main focus at the moment. Your "comfort zone" could be i.e. drawing stick figures, or only draw eyes, etc. Is what you have trained your brain and your muscles to do again and again.

Enough of that.

The main tool you have while drawing is the brain.

Drawing is probably 60% observation and understanding, if not more, the rest is practice and a tiny bit of interpretation.

OBSERVE 

Most of you (who follow me) form part of the Sherlock fandom, you know how important is to observe. "You see but you do not observe." This happens too often even when you try to focus and this is because you haven't trained your brain to focus onto details, not because you're stupid or get distracted easily, again, the "comfort zone" situation.

I will attempt to pull you out of your comfort zone as much as I can in these posts, most of you will find this tedious and bothersome and will get exasperated while doing the exercises, this is NORMAL because the brain doesn't like when it's pulled out of it's comfort zone. So I ask for patience at all times while doing the exercise the way I will describe you to do it. FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS.

Time is essential for this next exercise, I need you to be in a controlled environment.

It needs to be quiet, and you will need to be concentrating for 15 minutes. Set a timer, get a comfy chair and comfy table and proceed, then, to read the instructions.

---The exercise---

You will sit this way:

If you're right handed then, sit like the one that says Righty. If you're left handed sit like the one that says Lefty, not necessarily on a high chair or drawing table, just somewhere comfortable for you.

Facing away from the paper at ALL TIMES while you do the exercise. (Yes, while you draw)

This will obviously lead you to draw a mess because you will not be able to see what you're doing until the 15 minutes have passed, I'm not interested in the aesthetics of the final product I'm interested in your observation skills.

You will stare at the hand you don't use to draw and will start drawing all... ALL... ALL.../ALL/ THE LINES YOU SEE IN YOUR HAND. Start with the outline, then the most significant ones, followed by the lines you thought weren't there.

You are NOT allowed to erase ANYTHING.

You are NOT allowed to look at the paper while doing the exercise. You are NOT allowed to stop once you start. You will do this for FIFTEEN MINUTES, set a timer.  If you still have time on the clock and you say "I'm finished" NO! KEEP DRAWING THE LINES YOU SEE. There are enough lines in you non dominant hand to keep drawing for more than 30 minutes. If you can't see any more lines, I'm sorry, but you need glasses (your fingerprints can keep you occupied for hours..). You will feel in a state of trance at some point if you concentrate enough, this is normal and desired, if you can achieve this it means you are completely absorbed in what you're doing and you are dedicating 100% of your attention to it.

Repetition of the exercise is encouraged, but not necessary. If you don't want to use your hand (or you can't) as a model for a second (or first) attempt you can do it by using a real life flower (not a photo, plastic flower works).

Don't cheat I will know if you do. Your deity of choice will know too, but more important you will know. You are the only one who wants to learn, I don't need this, I already know this stuff.

This exercise is to INCREASE your line observational skills. (In case you were wondering what was this all about and I wasn't clear enough)

I will post my results of the exercise on Thursday, you can send me a photo of what you did if you wish to, or if you have questions you can send an ask (I will not post any of them, if you don't want to.)

Hello

This is the intro to the art class I'm gonna be giving for free in the next posts.

The logistic of the class will be the next:

Posts for each session will be submitted once a week on fridays (we start next friday), this will give you plenty of time to do the exercise described in the post at least once, repetition is strongly encouraged.

Post will be tagged #line perception class. As it is what I will be covering.

You as a "student" will NEED and I repeat... NEED TO READ ALL THE EXPLANATION BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO TRY THE EXERCISES. READ.THE.SHIT.OUT.OF.IT.

NO CHEATING. If I say you will be doing said exercise for 10 minutes without stopping, you will. I am NOT the one who wants to learn, I already know this stuff, the only one who will benefit from it would be you and the only one who will fail to see the results at the end because you didn't follow through is you.

You require to read and do the exercises but you don't have to publish them if you don't want to. I understand most of you are shy and do not want to show us what you did, this is perfectly understandable. But keep the exercises with you.

However, I will do the exercise as well and post the result of it one day before I give the next class post, I will not post it right away because I don't want you to cheat.

If you want to share your results you are more than welcome to send me a photo of what you did (I will not share it) or post it in your blog, same if you have any questions, though, the exercises will be pretty simple to follow even if a little bit odd.

About the class:

This is a pre-drawing class, it is mainly for people who are beginners or who think they are stagnated into a 'beginner' level and can't seem to improve regardless of what you have tried.

You don't have to know any drawing theory, in fact I encourage you to forget any theory you had from previous experiences if you possess this knowledge.

You don't need to have any set of drawing skills, I welcome stick figure artists.

We will not start drawing right away, however I encourage you to have with you drawings of "before" the class so you can see the improvement after it.

You will need:

White paper, or recycled paper, as long as it's blank. It doesn't have to be a fancy sketchbook,  we will be doodling a lot a first so, something cheap. Save the fancy sketchbook for after.

Your favorite pencil/mechanical pencil. I encourage you to find something you like that's not too bulky but that you feel comfortable using.

Eraser. Any kind will work

Ruler for later posts.

Patience AND trusting the teacher (in this case me) At first you will think I'm making you do stupid stuff but it's NOT.