New Drawing On The Right Side of The Brain (Workbook) (Team Nanban) (TPB)

ART/CREATT\rrfY
LnanNrNG To DRAw is very much like mastering your a sport or a musicalinstrument:to advance ability,you must practice,practice,practice.But in practicing,what, specifically, should you draw? This convenientworkbook containsthe answer: forty basicand new exercises that reinforce the fivebasicskillsof drawing.Eachprovides appropriatesubjectmatter,brief instruction, sample drawings,a ready-madeformat in which to draw,and helpful post-exercise pointers.In addition to portrait drawing with pencil, you will explore new subject matter-still life, landscape, imaginativedrawingmediumssuchaspen and ink, using alternative charcoal, and cont6crayon. havealready If you are taking a drawing class, receivedinstruction through a book or course,or just prefer to learn by doing, this volume of guided practicewill be a permanentrecordof your work that offersthe perfect opporrunity to hone your skills and expandyour repertoire.
litti r llillilllll
r s B N 1- 5 8 5 4 2 - 19 5 - 2
TbeIr'iew Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain Workbook
Tarcher/Penguin booksareavailable at special quantirydiscounts for bulk' ,ase forsales promotions, premiums, fund-raising, andeducational needs.
ial booksor book excerptsalsocan be createdto fit specificneeds.For details, write Putnam SpecialMarkets, 36 Hudson StreegNew York, NY roor4. , Jrnruv P. Tancnrn/Penguin a memberof PenguinGroup (USA) Inc. Hudson Srreet 37y New York, NY roor4 www.penguin.com Copyright Ozciozby Betty Edwards All rights reserved.This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.Published simultaneouslyin Canada.
Library of CongressCataloging-in-Publication Data Edwards, Betqr. The new drawing on the right sideof the brain workbook: guided pracdce in the five basicskills of drawing / Betry Edwards. P.cm' IsnNr-;8y42-r95:-z r. Drawing-Technique. I. Edwards,Becy. Drawing on the right side of the brain. II. Title. Nc73o.E34 2oo2 74t:-d,czr zoozoz8769
Cover drawing and instructional drawingsby Brian Bomeisler Book designbyJoe Molloy Typesetin MonorypeJansonand Gill Sansby Mondo Typo, Inc. Printed in Canada 16 15 14 This book is printed on acid-free paper.
TbeIr'iew Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain Workbook
Contents
Foreword List of Supplies Glossary of Terms The Exercises
vll
lx
Exerciser Exercisez Exercise3 Exercise4 Exercise5 Exercise6 Exercise7 Exercise8 Exercise9 Exercisero Exerciserr Exercise rz Exercise13
Pre-Instruction Self-Portrait Pre-Instruction Drawing of Your Hand Pre-Instruction Drawing of the Corner of a Room Warm-up and Free Drawing The "Vase/Faces" Drawing Upside-DownDrawing Pure Contour Drawing Drawing Your Hand on the PlasticPicturePlane Settinga Ground Transferring Your Hand Drawing from Picture Planeto Paper Drawing Your Hand Holding an Object Drawing a Flower Drawing an Orange
+
6 9 r3
17 27 3o
tt
36 39
+3
46 +9 tz 56 59 6z 66
Exerciser4 Exercise15 Exercise16 Exerciser7 Exerciser8 Exercise19
Drawing I eaves Using Negative Spaces Drawing a Chair in Negative Space Drawing a HouseholdObject Negative-Space Drawing of a SportsPhotograph Negative-Space Drawing of an Actual Chair Copying a Master Drawing: Man Readingtbe Bibl,e, by Vincentvan Gogh
,v
di
. -.*-**u,*=-:*dsifl
Part lll The Perception of Relationships
Exercise zo Exercise zr Exercise zz Exercise z3 Exercise z4 Exercise z5 Exercise z6 Exercisez7 Exercisez8 Exercise z9
Sightingan Open Doorway Sighting a Room Corner The Knee/Foot Drawing Sighting a Still Life of Bookson a Table A Srill Life wiih Eilipses SightingRelationships in a Figure Drawing Proportionsof the Head in Profile Copying a MasterDrawing of a ProfilePortrait Drawing a Profile Portrait Still Life with AmericanFlas
t)
7S 8r.
8+87 9t
96,
IOO
.
I OJt: ,
Part lV The Perception of Lights and Shadows
Exercise 3o Exercise 3r Exercise 3z Exercise 33 Exercise 34
Drawing an Egg Lighted from Above Charlie Chaplin in Light and Shadow Proportionsof the Head in Full-FaceView Copying a Full-FacePortrait DrawingYour Self-Portrait in Light and Shadow
ro6 r09
fiz
t6 tzo
PartV The Perception of the Gestalt
Exercise 35 Exercise 36 Exercise 37 Exercise 38 Exercise 39 Exercise 4o
Usinglnk and Brush An Urban Landscape Drawing Hatchingand Crosshatching A Figure Drawingin Crosshatch An Imaginative Drawing Based on Leonardoda Vinci'sAdvice A Four-by-FourDrawing
rz7 r30 r33 \6 r+o
r+3
r+6
r47
Some Suggestions for Further Study
Portfolio and Yideo Ordering
VI
.i
Foreword
This workbookis designed asa supplement to my book TheNew Drawing ontbeRightSide of tbeBrarz.Its purposeis to provide convenient,effective guidedpracticefor the five basicskillsof drawing.The exercises in this workbookinclude somefamiliar kindsof drawings(upside-down drawing for example)and manynew subjects for practicingeachskill. For your convenience, the workbookcontainsan essential drawingtool, a plasticPicturePlane/Viewfinder, which will help you to makedrawings that givethe illusion of beingthree-dimensional The images andscenes. workbookis portablesothat you canuseit in thoseodd momentsof useful time, suchaswhile waitingin the dentist's officeor at the airport.As you completethe exercises in thesepages, you will be creatinga permanent,bound recordof your progress in drawing. Learningto draw is very much like learninga sportor learninghow to play a musicalinstrument.Onceyou havelearnedthe fundamentals, any advance in skillsis based on practice, practice, practice. In this workbook,I will invite you to venftrreinto working with new subject matter anddrawingmediumsbeyondthosecoveredin TbeNewDrawingon the Rigltt Sideof rheBrain. The exercises in this workbookarebased on the five perceptual skills of drawing that I havefully describedin TheNewDrawingontheRightSide of theBrain.Drawing is alwaysthe sametask,alwaysrequiring the same five skillsthat,with practice, becomeintegratedinto the whole skillcalledthe "global"skill-of drawing.It is the subiects andthe mediums that change. Because this is true, it really doesnot matterwhat you draw-any subject will do, and any medium will do.This is not surprising: all globalskills arecomposed of basiccomponentskillsthat are always activated when the globalskill is beingused-think of driving an automobile or playingtennis. I havefound,however, that many of my students who havelearned the basicskillsfind it difficult to choose for drawing.Often,feelsubjects ing the urge to draw something that catches their eye,they hesitate for fearthat the subject may be too hard to draw or that they will not have time to finish.This workbookis designed to solvesuchproblemsby providing suitablesubjects for practicingeachskill, brief instructions, an estimate of the time required(thoughthis will vary somewhat according to your naturalpacein drawing),andsuitabledrawingpaper, with ready-
Noteto tbe reader: Youwill find moreinformationon therelationship of drawingto the brainandcreativityin my book TbeNew Drawingon theRiglttSide of the Brain,which is widely available in bookstores andlibraries. For a two-hourinstructional video on the fivebasic skillsof drawingcovered in this workbook, seethe videoorderinginstructions in the back pages of the workbook.
in correctproportionsfor each drawnformatsandguiding crosshairs remarks addedpost-exercise I have drawing.For mostof the exercises, or helpful pointers. that provide additionalinformation,suggestions, in workdifficulty you will experience that the biggest I would guess is findingthe time to draw.Telling yourself that ing throughthesepages you will draw for an hour eachday,or evenan hour eachweek,rarely works.The commitmentof eventhat much time will probablyseemtoo mode-the leftgreat.You must rememberthat your brain'slanguage brain mod-does not wantyou to draw at hemisphere, verbal-analytic it becomes "set aside"while you aredrawing.The language all, because reasons why you shouldnot draw:you modeis very goodat presenting needto pay your bills,you needto call your mother,you needto balance your checkbook, or you needto tend to business. seamlessly time passes Onceyou actuallygetinto drawing,however, for me: has worked recommend what Therefore,I will andproductively. "two-minute miracle,"a techniquephysical a versionof the so-called evenwhen they do not want useto enablepeopleto exercise therapists "I don't havetime to takea walk to. They aretaughtto sayto themselves, just Oncethey areactually two minutes." right now,b:utl willwalk for and continuewalking. they forgettheir objections walking of course, Here is my versionof the two-minute miracle.Keepthis drawing Sit place,alongwith your pencilsand eraser. workbookin a convenient to yourself, in hand, saying down for a momentandtakethe workbook just turn to the pageof the next "I'm not really goingto draw now,but I'11 Then, takethe next step:"I'm not really goingto draw,but I'll exercise." just pick up the pencil and makea few marksto startthis drawing."Then, "I'm not really goingto draw,but I'll just sketchin someof the main in this drawing..." andsoon.Youwill soonfind yourselfwith a edges passed. thattimehas completeddrawing-and unaware I realizethat this may sound,well, stupid,but it doeswork.I have usingthis technique-a techniqueof (let's completedentire projects modeof the brain into letting one do crefaceit) tricking the language ativework. You may find this hard to believe,but the single most difficult and evenfor working artistsis gettingthe work problemfor art students fightingthe delayingtacticsof the verbalsystem, done.One is always the resultis writer's whosemantrais "Not now."At its mostextreme, block;a milder versionis calledprocrastination. block or artist's at everystep. for success aredesigned Thesedrawingexercises I know you will enjoythe process.
VIII
Supplies
in this workbook are avaiiable The art materialsneededfor the exercises in any art supply store.They can alsobe purchasedby mail orthrough the Internet, by doing a searchfor "art materials"or "art supplies." #z yellow writing pencil with an erasertop #4n drawing pencil, T\rrquoise,Faber Castell,or a similar brand
Eraser A white plasticeraser (Staedtler)
or a Pink Pearleraser
Pencilsharpener Graphite stick
#4"
z sticksof synthetic charcoal(CharKole or a similar brand) pencil #4n charcoal
Charcoal 6 sticksof natural charcoal
Conte crayons r black
r sanguine (reddishbrown)
Chalk r pale gray,or r pastel.r"rort
!
Erasable felt-tip marker
r black(Crayola,Sharpie, or a similarbrand)
lnk r smallbottle of blackIndia ink
r small bottle of brown writing ink

Brush #l or#Swatercolorbrush Alarm clock or kitchen timer Paper towels or tissues White $ping paper About 6 sheets Lightweight cardboard r piece, 8" x rott,to make a frame for the Picture Plane /Viewfinder.
IX
Glossaryof Terms
Abstract drawing.A translation into drawing of a real-life object or experience.Usually implies the isolation, emphasis,or exaggeration of some aspectof the real world. the act Awareness. Consciousness; of "taking account" of an object,person, or surroundings. Possiblesynonyms are "seeing" or "cognition." BasicUnit.A "startingshape"or "starting unit" chosen from within a composition for the purpose of maintaining correct sizerelationshipsin a drawing. The BasicUnit is always termed "one" and becomespart of a ratio, asin "r:2." Brain mode.A mental state,implying emphasison particular capabilitiesof the human brain, such aslanguage processingor visual spatial processing. Cognitiveshift.A transferenceof the predominance of one mental stateto another,e.g.,from verbal, analytic mode to visual, spatial mode, or vice versa. Composition.An ordered relationship among the parts or elementsof an artwork.In drawing the arrangement of forms and spaceswithin the format. Contour.In drawing a line that representsthe shared edgesof or shapesand spaces. shapes, A seriesof intersectCrosshatching. ing setsof parallel lines used to indicate shading or volume in a drawing. Also called "hatching." Edge.In drawing, a place where two things meet (for example, where the sky meets the ground); the line of separation (called a contour) between two shapes or a spaceand a shape. Eye level.In portrait drawing the horizontal proportional line that divides the head approximately in half; the eye-level line is located at this halfway mark on the head. Foreshortening.A means of creating the illusion of projecting or receding forms on a flat surface. Format. The particular shapeof a drawing surface (rectangular, square,triangular, etc); the proportional relationshiP of the length to the width of a rectanzular surface. {-* *. \ ;
Left brain hemisphere.
Right brain hemisphere.
f mage.Verb:Tocall up in the mind a mental copy of somerhing not presentto the senses; to seein the mind's eye.Noun: Aretinal image; an optical image received by the visual sysrem and interpreted or reinterpreted by the brain. lmagination.A recombination of mental images from past experiencesinto new patterns. Intuition. Direct and apparently unmediated knowledge; a judgment, meaning, or idea that occurs to a person without any known process of reflective thinking; an idea that seemsto "come from nowhere.tt Left-handedness. About ten percent of the population prefers using the left hand for motor activities such as writing or drawing. Location of brain functions may vary in both left and right handers. Left hemisphere.The left half of the cerebrum. For most righthanded individuals, verbal functions are located in the left hemisphere. Light logic.In art, the effect caused by a light source. Light rays, falling in straight lines, can logically be expected to causerhe following: highlights, cast shadows,reflected lights, and crest shadows. L-mode.A mental stare of information processingcharacterized aslinear, verbal, analytic, and losical.
Negative spaces. The areasaround positive forms that, in drawing share edgeswith the forms. Negative spacesare bounded by the outer edgesof the format. "Interior" hegative spaces can be parts of positive forms. Pencilgrades.The grade number stamped on drawing pencils indicates the hardnessor softnessof the graphite. "g" indicates"hard;tt"B" (illogically) indicates "black" or "soft." "Hs" divides grades between hard and soft by a middle grade, thusly:8n (the hardest),6u,4u,2H, HB,2r',4r,, 6r,8a (the softest).The #z yellow writing pencil is the equivalent of the sn or, more commonly, the zn drawing pencil. Picture plane.An imaginary rransparent plane, like a framed window, that alwaysremains parallel to the verrical plane of the artist's face.The artist draws on paper what he or she sees beyond the plane asthough the view were flattened on the plane. Invenrors of photography used this concept to develop the first cameras. Realisticdrawing. The objective depiction of objects,forms, and figures attenrively perceived. Also called "naturalism." Relationships.Inart, how the parts of an artwork are organized and connected.Also commonly known asperspectiae andproportion:the relarionship of angles to vertical and horizontal and the relationship of sizes to each other.
Right hemisphere.The right half of the cerebrum. For most righthanded individuals, visual, spatial, relational functions are located in the right hemisphere. R-mode.A state of information processingcharacterized assimultaneous,global,spatial,and relational. Sighting.In drawing measuring relative sizesby means of a constant measure (the pencil held at arm's length is the most usual measuring device); determining the location of one part relative to another part. Also, determining anglesrelative to vertical and horizontal. Symbolsystem.In drawing, a set of symbols that are consistently used to form an image-for example, a face or figure. The symbols are usually used in sequence,one appearing to call forth another, much in the manner of writing familiar words. Symbol systemsin drawn forms are usually set in childhood and often persist throughout adulthood unless modified by learning new ways to draw perceptions. Value.In art, the darknessor lightnessof tones or colors. White is the lightest, or highest, valuel black is the darkest,or lowesr, value. Viewfinden A device used by artists to frame a view and provide bounding edgesto a composition; similar to the device on a camefa that lets the user see what is being photographed.
The Exercises
EXERCISE I
Pre-Instruction Self-Portrait
Purposeoftbeexercise:
mirror
tape
Pre-instruction drawingsprovide a valuablerecord of, your skills:in drawing at the presentmoment, a record that will enableyou to apprec!in skills at a later date. ateyour advance Insttuctions: Look at page3 of the workbook,"Pre-Instruction Drawing #r, SelfPortrait." ,,
. '':::
sharpener
nceded: 3ominutes,more if needed
., Placeachairinfrontofamirroronthewall.(IfneceSsarytapea
small-say, frr I grr-11irror to the wall.) Sit at arm'slength from the mirror, leaningyour workbook againstthe wall and resting the bottom of the workbook on your knees'
+. Draw your self-portrait to the bestof your abiliry.

t. When you havefinished,date and sign your drawing.
Post- exercise remarhs: but Peopleare often highly critical of their pre-insuuction self-portrai.q where you wre truly dralvingyour if you look closely,you will seeareas l perceptions-perhaps the turn of the eyelid,the shapeof an eaq or the line of a collar.The qualiry of the drawing may surpriseyou: Or, if you can find no more to saythan "Ugh!" aboutyour drawing.be patient Drawing is a skill that can be taught and canbe learned;it is not magic, and it doesnot dependon geneticgood fortune.
EXERCISEI
PRE-INSTRUCTIONSELF-PORTRAIT
Pre-lnstructionDrawing#r: Self-Portrait
EXERCISEI
PRE-INSTRUCTIONSELF_PORTRAIT
E X E R C T S E2
Pre- InstructionD rarruiry of YourHand
Instntctions: writing pencil il sharpener needed: 15 minutes,more if needed Look at paget of the workbook,"Pre-InstructionDrawing#2, My Hand."
., Sit at a table with the workbook arrangedat a comfortableangle.
t
)' Try out variouspositionsof your non-drawing hand (the left if you are
right-handed,or the right if you are left-handed),and choosea position in which you will draw it. 4. Hold your posinghand still and makea drawing of your own hand.
t. Sign and date your drawing.
EXERCISE2
PRD-INSTRUCTIONDRAWINGOFYOURHAND
Pre-Instruction Drawing #z: MvHand
EXERCISE 2
PRE-INSTRUCTION
DRAWING OF YOUR HAND
Part I The Perception of Edges
EXERCTSE 3
Pre-Instruction Drawing of the Cornerof aRoom
Material,s: #z yellow writing pencil Pencil sharpener Timeneede* About zo minutes,more if needed
Instractions: r. Look at page7 of the workbook,"Pre-Instruction Drawing#j, A RoomCorner." z. Look aroundthe room in which you are working and chooseone corner to draw.It can be a simple,empty corner,a corner with a few items,or a very complicated scene. 3. Sit in a chair with the workbook on your lap. 4. Draw the room corner to the bestof your ability. 5. Sign and date your drawing
EXERCISE 3
PRE-INSTRUCTTON
DRAWTNG OF THE CORNER OF A ROOM
Pre-Instruction Drawing #3: A Room Corner
EXERCISE 3
PRE-INSTRUCTTON DRAWING OF THE CORNER OF A ROOM
ExERcrsE J
pRE-rNsrRUcrroN DRAWING oF THE coRNER oF A RooM
Part I The Perception ''of Edges
E X E R C I SE
Warm-up andFree Drawing
fuIanials: &k-tip marker or #4ydrawing trnncil Peneil sharpener Eiteneeded dboutrominutes
Purposeof tbe exercirc: This exerciseis designedto give you a feel br the very personalexpressivequaliry of pencil lines on paper.You will "try out" the line srylesof , masterartistsand then experimentwith your own marks,both fast and slow.Your personalsryle will emergein the courseof using this workbook.It comesfrom your history your physiology,your personaliry your cultural background,and all the factorsthat make opl,i.you cannot plan your sryle or foretell it, but you can watchfor its emergence. See pagero for an illustration of style differences. Instractions: r. Turn to pagerr of the workbook,"Line Styles." z. In Formatr, makevery fast"Matisse"marks(seeExamplea). 3. In Format z, makemedium-fasr"Delacroix" marks(seeExample b). 4. In Format 3,makemedium-slow "Van Gogh" marks(seeExarnplec). y. In Format 4, makevery slow "Ben Shahn"marks(seeExample d). 6. In Format;, makeyour own marks,somefast,someslow. 7. Sign and date your drawings.
EXERCISE 4
WARM-UP
AND,FREE DRAWING
.*:tS
Henri Matisse, StandingNude,rgor-o3.Brush and ink, ro%x 8 inches. Collection, The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of Edward Steichen.
Matisse marks.
Vincent van Gogh, Groaeof CXtpreses,figg. Drawing-reed pen and ink, z4%x fi% inches. Gift of Robert Allerton. Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Van Gogh marks.
Eugene Delacroix (1798-1863), EtadesdeBras et detames,ryor--o3. Pen and sepia ink on buff paper,2r7 x 3to mm. Worcester Sketch Fund Income. Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Delacroix marks.
rl"
f ,* --:a"$tlrlJll
,*sft$,*
Ben Shahn (1898-1969, Russian-American), Dn t RobertOppmbeimer,ry54,brushand ink, r9% x rz%inches. The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Ben Shahn marks.
1$
ff*
EXERCISE 4 WARM-UP AND FREE DRAWING
EXERCISE 4
WARM-UP
AND FREE DRAWING
s@':
ffiWT':':: ::":st:":
f r,+,
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Heather Allen by the author.
Grace Kennedv bv the author.
Grace Kennedy by Brian Bomeisler.
These are demonstration drawings by instructor Brian Bomeisler and myself We sat on either side of the same models, used the same drawing materialq and drew for the same length of time. Yet see how diferent our styles of drawing are: my style emphasizes line, while Briants emphasizes form. T2
EXERCISE 4 \ryARM-UP AND FREE DRAWING
li q
ExERCTsE 5
The "Vas elF'aces" Drawirg
Materials: #z yellow writing pencil and eraser Pencilsharpener Time needed: About; minutes
Purposeof tbe exercise: This exercise is designed to demonstrate the possibilityof conflict between the brain'slanguage mode,which I havetermed"L-mode," and its visual-perceptual mode,or "R-mode." The "Vase/Faces" drawingis a visualillusion drawingthat canbe seeneither astwo facingprofilesor asa symmetricalvasein the center. You aregivenone half of the drawing andyour job will be to draw the second profile-thus inadvertentlycompletingthe symmetrical vasein the center. fnsffuctions: Tirrn to pagert in the workbook,"Vase/Faces Drawing for RightHanders," or, if you areleft-handed, to page14, "Vase/Faces Drawing for Left-Handers."
2.
Redrawthe profile alreadyprinted on the page. With your pencil,go over the lines, namingthe partsasyou go:"Forehead .. . nose.. . upperlip.. . lowerlip . . . chin.. . neck."
vase. )' Next, draw the missingprofile that will completethe symmetrical When you cometo the point in the exercise shownin the drawings below,you may beginto experience a sense of conflictor confusion. Continuethroughthis momentof conflict,self-observing asyou draw to becomeaware of how you solvethe problem..
A 't'
-et
ExERcIsE t
rHE "vAsr/racrsn
DRAwTNG
^)
rt
Po st- exercise remarhs: You may havestoppedat the onsetof conflict or confusionand given yourself someinstructionsto solvethe problem,suchaq,'Don't think of the namesof the features.Draw the vaseinstead."There are many other solutions.Somestudentsstart over and work from the bottom up. Some. or establishpoints where the line turns on grid the drawing in squares the outermost and innermost cufves. conflict is that by askingyou to name The reasonthe exercisecauses the facial featuresasyou redrew them, I strongly activatedyour brain's languagemode.Then I gaveyou a task (to draw the missingprofile in reverseorientation) that can be achievedonly by making a mental shift to the visual,perceptual,relational R-mode.For most people,the strugof conflict or confusion. gle to makethat shift is markedby a sense
t6
ExERcrsE t
rHE
nvesr/recrs" DRAwING
.--'*i
EXERCISE
Upside-Down Drawitrg
Materials: Picasso's rgzodrawingof the composerIgor Stravinsky, page18; oq alternatively: the drawingof the horsein foreshortened (frontal)view,pagezo; the drawing Horse andRideabyan unknownGermanarrist,page zz; or the figuredrawingby the Austrian artistEgonSchiele, page24. #z yellow writing pencil,sharpener, anderaser Pencil Time needed: 10to 40 minutes
Purposeof tbe exercise: This exercise is designed to reduce conflictbetween brain modesby causing your language modeto drop out of the task.Presumably, the language mode,confused andblockedby the unfamiliarupside-down imageyou will be drawing becomes unableto nameandsymbolize as usual.In effect, it seems to say, "I don't do upsidedown," and allows the visualmodeto takeover.R-modeis the appropriate modefor this drawingtask. Instructions: The drawing you havechosen(the PicassoStraainskjt,the frontal view of the horse,theHorse andRideror the figuredrawingby Egon Schiele) is printed upsidedown.Your copywill alsobe doneupsidedown.The accompanying pagefor your drawingis side-by-side with eachupsidedown image.Startinganywhere you like-most peoplestartin the upper left-handcorner-begin to copythe drawingyou havechosen. Note: I advise against drawingthe wholeoutline.If thereis any error in the outline, the parts will not fit together.This is quite frustrating to Rmode,which is specialized for perceivinghow partsfit together. z. Moving from line to adjacent line, space to adjacent space, fit the parts togetherasyou go.Try not to nameparrsasyou aredrawing.Draw the linesjust asyou seethem,without trying to figureout what you are drawing.When you cometo partsthat seemto forcetheir names on you-such asthe handsandthe fac-try to focuson thosepartsasjust unnamed shapes. When you havefinishedyour drawing,turn it right sideup. I think you will be surprised andpleased by what you see.Just be sureyou don't rurn the drawingright sideup until you havecompletelyfinishedit. Signanddateyour drawing.Includethe notationalways usedfor a copieddrawing:"After Picasso," "After Anonymous"(for the German drawingor the frontal view of the horse), or'After Schiele."
i
il
t. Time permitting it is extremelyhelpful to do a secondand evena thild

upside-down drawing,usingthe drawings you did nor choose the first time.
:t
EXERCISE O
UPSIDE-DOWN
DRAWING
17
EXERCISE 6
UPSIDE-DOWN
DRAWING
r9
EXERCISE6
UPSIDI,_I)O\,VNDRA\,VING
EXERCISE O
UPSIDE-DOWN
DRAlryING
a1
ExERcrsE 6
upsron-oowN
DRAwTNG
25
: Post-exercircrEmaib
',
sense commen &at it iggasier"t-o against It goes fraw.g upsideifoSrrr,' downthdn right sidqrip. Whtiir anirnagp,!.s
verbalbrain mode is disorientedin itp attedptto ufevisu
it aftarendf' andc*eEiae.Therefore, name
sesttri
over;Sincewe,car*tgirn the w4 the visual mode to'talire
gain'r our maintaskin learnifugm drawis to learnhow'"to '

visual mode evenwhen things are right sideup.
sNrncrsn 6
uPsr,DE:EowNDR*wING
EXERCTSE 7
Pure Contour Drawing
Materials: #z yellow writing pencil, sharpener, anderaser Maskingtape Alarm clock or kitchen timer Time needed: About 15minutes
I.
Purposeof tbe exercise: The aim of this.exercise, aswith the previous one,is ro causeyour brain'slanguagemode to drop out asyou draw,this time by presentingit with a taskthat seems boring repetitive, and unnecessary. A secondpurposeis to introduce the first basicskill of drawing the skill of perceiving edges. Instractions: T\rrn to pagezg of the workbook.
) Tape the workbook to a tabletop.

1
)' Setyour kitchen timer for 5 minutes.
4. Sit at the table with your drawing hand holding the point of your pencil in the middle of the workbook page,ready to draw.
t. Now turn aroundin your seatso that you are facing in the opposite
direction. Gaze ata single wrinkle in the palm of your non-drawing hand. 6. Begin to draw that wrinkle, definedin drawing asan."edge." Move from wrinkle to wrinkle (edgeto adjacentedge),confiningyour drawingto what you seein the center of your palm, in an areaof about a square inch. Dcv.not aftempt to outline your whole hand,and do not flrrn to look at the drawing you are creatingon the page.
l-*-
EXERCISE 7
PURE CONTOUR
DRAWING
27
7. As your eyesvery slowly track the edgeof eachtiny wrinkle in your palm,one millimeter at a time, your pencil will recordyour perceptions simultaneously. Your hand and pencil will function like a seismograph, recording every detail of what you are seeing. 8. Continueto drawuntil the timer signals you to stop.Then turn andlook at your drawing. 9. Signand dateyour drawing.
'.\ /': {,*,

!'i,
,v
I. 2.
Tbe Fiae PerceptaalSkills of Drawing The global skill of realistic drawing includes thesefive perceptualskills: Tbeperception of edges,expressed through "line" or "contour" drawing. Tbeperception of spaces,in drawing called "negativespaces." Tbeperception of relationsbips,known asperspectiveand proportion.
often called "shading." +' Tbeperceptionof l,igbtsand shadows, of tbegestah--that is, the whole, or the "thingness"of the 5. Tbeperception thing. With practice, thesecomponentskillsbecome integratedinto a single, globalskill, enablingyou to draw whatever you see. Po st- exerci se remarks:
Studentsoften laugh when they seetheir drawings:tanglesof indecipherablelines.This exercise, however, is one of the mostimportanrin the workbook. Many artistsdo a bit of Pure Contour drawing(sometimes called "blind" contour drawing) every time they sit down to work. Pure Contour drawing is the most efficientway I know of preparing the brain for visualtasks. The verbalbrain mode,which is seemingly easily bored,findsthe taskso tedious(andso "useless'intermsof producing a recognizable, nameable image)that it quickly dropsout, enabling the visualmodeto comeforward.R-mode,however, seems to find detailed complexity fascinatingand will keepon with the drawinguntil the timer sounds. If at somepoint in your Pure Contour drawing you found yourself becominginterestedinyour perception of the tiny areain your palm, that indicatesa shift to the visual mode.If not, try another shortsession.
Examples of students'pure contour drawings.
z8
EXERCTSE7
PURE CONTOUR DRAWTNG
Pure contour drawing.
E X E R C I S E7
PURE CONTOUR DRAWING
29
EXERCISE B
DrawittgYour Hand on the PlasdcPicturePlane
Materiab #z yellowwriting pencil,sharpener, anderaser PicturePlane/Viewfinder inserted into this workbook. (Remove it as directed. To makethe Picture Plane/Viewfinder more rigid, cut a narrowframe-about an inch and a half wide-from cardboard anduse tapeto attachit to the backof the PicturePlane/Viewfinder.) Erasable felt-tip markingpen Slightlydampened tissueor paper towel Time needed: About5 minutes
Purposeof the exercise: This exercise introduces the conceptof the "picture plane,"one of the key concepts in learningto draw The picture planeis an imaginary, transparent hangs in plane,like a sheetof imaginaryglass that always front of an artist's face.An artistusesthe picture planeto flattena perceivedimage(like a photograph) in order to translate the actualthree(thatis,flat) paper. dimensional scene into a drawingon two-dimensional In this exercise, you will useyour actualPicturePlane/Viewfinder to draw your handwith the fingerspointing towardyour face.This is calleda "foreshortened" view,andit is one that mostbeginningstudents regardastoo difficult to draw.The PicturePlane/Viewfinderwill provide an actualsurface on which you will draw the flattenedimageof your three-dimensional hand,and,in addition,a viewfinderto framethe image.Like magic,your flat drawingon the actualplasticplanewill appear three-dimensional.
JamesMontgomery Flag, I WantYou,r9r7, 3ox 4o inches. Poster by Walter Rawls. Imperial War Museum, London, England.
ExERcrsE 8
onewtNc
youR HAND oN THE pLAsrIc prcruRE pLANE
Note: To makecorrections. setthe marker down andusea dampened tissueto erase lines withoutmlaingyourposed band.Be aware that the felt-tip markerwill makea line that is somewhat rough and shaky. You may want to try this exercise again, with your handin anorher position.Simply wipe offthe Picrure Planeand do anotherdrawing.Try t really "hard" view-the more complicated, the better.Save your last drawingfor the next exercise. Instructions:
I.
Uncapthe felt-tip markerand hold it in your drawinghand. toward your facein foreshortenedview. Balance your plasticPicturePlane/Viewfinderon your "posed"hand. SeeFigure8-r. Closeone eyeso that you arelooking at your handwith only one eye. This removes binocularvision-literally, "rwo-eyedvision"-which produces two slightly differentimages that aremeldedrogerher by the brain to providedepth perception. Closingone eyeproduces a single image,a flat image,of your hand.
z. Restyour other handon the edgeof a table,with your fingers pointing
of your handon the plastic t. With the marker,beginto draw the edges PicturePlane/Viewfinder. just asyou seethem,without Draw the edges trying to figure out why they are the way they are.Be sure nor ro move eitheryour handor your head.You must keepa constanr, unchanged view.Draw the edges with asmuch detail aspossible (recallthe lesson of Pure Contour drawing). Allow the edges of your wrist to touch the edges of the format.SeeFigure B-3. 6. When you havefinished, placethe plasticplaneon a pieceof white papersothat you canseethe drawingon rhe plastic. Post-exercise remarks: With relativelylittle effort,you haveaccomplished one of the truly difficult tasks in drawing-drawing the humanhandin foreshortened view How did you accomplish this so easily? You did what a trained artistdoes: you copiedwhat you sawflattenedon the picture planein this instance, an actualplasticplane.Understanding how ro usethe imaginarypicture planeis the secretro portrayingthree-dimensional formsin realisticdrawing. More than any other exercise, this is the one that mostfrequently causes students to experience the "Aha!Sothat'show it's done!"of learning to draw.I can now definedrawing for you: Drawingiscoplingusltatjtou see,fanened onthe pictureplane.
Figure 8-r.,.
Figure 8-2.
EXERCISD U
DRAWING YOUR HAND ON THE PLASTIC PICTURE PLANE
31
r7
7
1a
ExERcIsE 8
onewrNc YouR HAND oN THE PLAsrIc PIcruRE PI-{NE
EXERCISE
Settinga Ground
Materiah #z yellow pencil ot #48 drawing pencil,sharpeneq and eraser #4n graphitestick Dry papertowel or tissue Tirne needed: t to ro minutes
Purposeof tbe exercise: "Settinga ground,"which means toning the paperyou will draw on by rubbingit with graphiteor charcoal, providesseveral advantages. First, the tonedgroundprovidesa middle valueor shade to which you can addlights andshadows by erasing the lighted areas and darkening the shadowed areas. Second, I find that students seemmore comfortable startinga drawingwhen they havealreadyworkedon the paperto tone a ground.For some,a blank white pagecanseemintimidating.Third, tonedpaperis very forgivingin termsof correctingerrors.It allowsyou to makecorrecrions invisibly by just erasing a mistakeand rubbingto restorethe tone. Instructions:
I.
Turn to page3t of the workbook.You will seea pre-drawnformat (a line definingthe edgeof a drawing)with crosshairs, faint verticaland horizontallinesthat divide the format into four equalquadrants. on a sheetof scratchpaper,rub down one of the sharpedges of your graphitestick to createa roundedcorner. format.use the dry papertowel or tissueto rub the graphite-covered area, pressing very firmly,until you haveachieved an even,silverytone on the paper.SeeFigures9-t and 9-2. If you wish,usean eraser to cleanup the edges of the format;o! you may wantto leavethe softtoned areaaroundthe format that is often left from the rubbingprocess.
2.
lightly shade )' Usingthe roundededgeof the graphite, the areawithin the
1
t. Practice"makinga mistake"andfixing ir. Make a pencil mark on the

toned area, erase it, andrub the tone againuntil the eraser mark disappears. You may needto add a bit of graphitefrom the graphitestickor from your pencil andthen rub again.
EXERCTSEg
SETTTNG A GROUND
1)
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Figure 9-2.
Post-exercise rem&rks: Your paperis now readyfor the next srep-a beautiful drawing of your hand.Learningto set a groundis a usefulskill. At times,however, you will wantto draw directly on untonedpaper. In this workbook,you will useboth methods.
34
EXDRCISEg
SETTTNG A GROUND
L@*
EXERCISE g
SETTTNG A GROUND
3t
E X E R C I S EI o
Your Hand Transferring Drawittgfrom Picture Planeto Puper

Parposeof the exercise:
Materials: with the PicturePlane/Viewfinder, drawingof your handin foreshort8 enedview from Exercise #z yellow writing pencil,sharpener, anderaser Time needed: Joto 40 minutes
the flattened image,an artistcopiesonto PaPer In drawinga perceived ,,seen,, 8,drawing on a real or imaginarypicture plane.In Exercise image youi ha.rdon the plastic,I madethe imaginarypicrureplaneinto an a.toal planeon which you drew your handwith your felt-tip marker. copythat drawingfrom the plasticPicrurePlaneonto You will nor^/ Thus,we haveinsertedan extrastep-drawing on an actual paper. of drawing,which,by you to the process pi.,,tt. plane-to accustom flattened iefinition, is copyingdirectly onto paperwhat the artistsees "on the plane." Instructions: First Part of the Exercise
r. T\rrn backto pageIt of the workbook,with the printed format,the faint 9' andyour tonedgroundfrom Exercise crosshairs, z. Setthe plasticPicturePlanewith the drawingof your handon it alongsideyour tonedformat.You will seethat the formatsof the Picture Plane/viewfinderandyour toned ground arethe samesize,andthe in the sameway'SeeFigure ro-I' divide the space crosshairs on plasticto your tonedpaperby 3. The first stepis to transferthe drawing Note wherean edgeof andspaces. lightty sk"t.hi.rg in the main edges the e4geof the format.with your pencil,mark that yoo, wri.t touches Ask yourpoint on the paper.Follow the directionof the line on plastic. direcwheredoesit change within the quadrant, self;what is its angle? tion?SeeFigureIo-2.
rhe sprce above rh 6ngernail
the space between
fingers
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Figure ro-2.
Figrrre ro-3.
Figure Io-4.
i L,
36ExERcIsEIoTRANSFERRINGYoURHANDDRAWINGFRoMPICTUREPLANEToPAPER
Try not to namethe parts,suchasfingersandfingernails. The edges of the fingernails andthe shapes aroundthe fingernails aredefinedby a shared edge. Shift your focusro rhe shapes aroundthe fingernails, and draw thoseshapes. The shapes areeasyto seeanddraw because you have no memorizedsymbolfor them,asyou havefor fingernails. By this means, you will haveinadvertently drawnthe fingernails, andyou will find that they arecorrectlydrawn.SeeFiguresro-3and ro-4.
t, As you transferthe drawingfrom plasticonto your papel continueto

checkall the pointswherethe linestouch the format lines andthe crosshairs. Then continuero copy all the angles and curveswithin each quadrant, noting whereeachpoint touches or crosses a crosshair or wherea point falls within a quadrant. Instructions: Second Part of tbe Exercise
I.
When you havefinishedcopyingthe main edges of your handdrawing from the plasticplaneonro pape! you arereadyro startturning the sketchinto a more detaileddrawing againusingyour handasthe model. First, setasidethe plasticPicturePlaneand rerurn your "posing"handto the positionin which you originally drew it on the PicturePlane. Closeone eyeto flattenthe image.Carefully look at eachcontouredge of your hand.Adjust and refineeachedgein your drawing,recallingthe lesson of Pure Contour drawing.SeeFigure ro-5:. Half closeyour eyes to seethe largeshapes of lights andshadows in your hand.
andyour pencil to darken +' Useyour eraserto "draw out" the light shapes the shadow shapes. The exampledrawings, Figuresro-6 and ro-7,will guide you. 5. Signand dateyour drawing.
Figure ro-6. Drawing by student Mark Dalgaard.
Post-exercise remarks: This is your first "real" drawing and I can assume with someconfidence that you arepleased with the resuks. The conceptof shared edges-that is, a placewheretwo thingscometogetherto form a single,shared edge that,in drawing,is represented by a "contour" line-is an important concept. It helpsyou to escape the influenceof memorizedsymbols by enablingyou to draw easy, unnameable partswhile simultaneously and effortlessly portrayingthe difficult parts.On page 17is an additional format for practicingthis exercise again, drawingyour handin a different position. Returnto the Pre-InstructionDrawing of Your Hand (Exercise z, p.5) to appreciate how your skillshaveadvanced. The next rhreeexercises will providepracticebased on rhe above instructions but usingdifferentsubiect matter.
Figure ro-7.Drawing by instructor RachaelThiele.

EXERCISE IO TRANSFERRING YOUR HAND DRAWING FRoM PICTURE PLANI To PAPTR
77
?8
EXERCISE IO
TRANSFERRING YOUR HAND DRAWING FROM PICTURE PLANE TO PAPER
EXERCISE II
DrawingYour Hand HoldinganObiect
Materials: #z writing and#4n drawingpencils, sharpener, anderaser Felt-tipmarker PicturePlane/Viewfi nder #4n graphite stick Dry papertowel An objectto hold: a pen or pencil,a setof keys, a handkerchief, a small toy,a glove, or anythingelsethat appeals to you Time needed: 30to 40 minutes
Purposeof tbe exercise: your In this exercise, you will againdraw your hand.This time, however, interestand handwill be holding an object,thus addingcompositional providing a new challenge while encouraging you to practicethe skills just you have learned. Instructions: Turn to page42 in the workbook,with the pre-drawnformat andfaint crosshairs.
z. Useyour graphitestick andpapertowel to set a ground.You may wantto
try a slightly lighter or slightly darkergroundthan the one you usedfor the lastexercise.
) )' Uncapyour felt-tip markerso that it is readyto use.
,'l
Hold the objectyou havechosen in your non-drawinghand andtry several poses to find one that you like. of felt-tip marker, closeone eye,andusethe markerto draw the edges your handandthe objecton the plasticplane. When you havefinished, placethe plasticplaneon a sheetof white paperso that you canseethe markerlinesof the drawing.Setyour toned format alongside the drawingon plastic.
the PicturePlane/Viewfinderon your posinghand.Pick up the t. Balance
of the picture-planedrawing 7. Usingyour pencil,copythe main edges onto the tonedpaper. When you havesketched the whole hand and objectonto the paper,set the PicturePlane/Viewfinderasideandreturn your posinghand,holding the object,to its original position. 9. Again,closeone eyeto flattenthe imageandcarefullyredraweach contouredge,adjusting andrefiningthe drawingasneeded.
IO.
andshadWhen the edges aredrawn,look for the shapes of lighted areas to maskout fine detail.Erasethe lightowedareas by squintingyour eyes ed shapes anduseyour #4n drawingpencil to darkenthe shadowed shapes. signand dateit. When the drawingis finished,
EXERCISE II DRAWING YOUR HAND HOLDING AN OBIECT
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Drawing by student Mark Gray.
Drawing by student K.M. Lee.
Drawing by student Laurie Kuroyama.
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Drawing by student EtJrel Branham. Drawing by student Diane Hahn.
4o
EXDRCISE II
DRAWING YOUR HAND HOLDING
AN OBIECT
Drawing by Alice Picado.
Post-exercise rema.rks: This drawingprovidesopporftnities to differentiate textures-here, the difference between the fleshof the handandthe objectit is holding. I havefound that students arevery inventiveat usingthe pencil in a varietyof waysto showthe differences between, say, a metalobjectand the handthat holdsit. Intuitively,they vary the thickness of lines,the smoothness or roughness of pencil marks,andthe lightness or darkness of tone. This is a challenging drawing,but eachtime you practicethe routine of drawing-that is,choosing a subject, selecting a poseand composition, seeing the imageflattenedon the plane,anddrawingthe flattened imageonto paperusingthe conceptof sharededges-the process will becomemore familiar to you andwill be more smoothlyintegrated.
Drawing by the author.
Drawing by Brian Bomeisler.
Drawing by Grace Kennedy.
EXERCISE II
AN OBIECT
+r
A) -T-
EXERCISE II
AN OBIECT
EXERCISE
T ) LLJ
DrawirtgaFlower
Materials: #z writing and#4s drawingpencils, sharpeneq anderaser PicrurePlane/Viewfi nder Felt-tip marker Fresh flower(or a silk floweqif necessary), with the stemand a few leaves Time needed: rt to zo minutes
I.
Purposeof tbe exercise: This drawingwill showyou the beautyof simplepencil lineson ungroundedpaper. You will be drawinga flowerwith its stemandleaves. Flowers, of course, arethree-dimensional, andthe leaves are arranged in differentdirectionsaroundthe stem.How to portray this threedimensionality often mystifies students. As you haveseenwith your hand drawings, however, usingthe picture planeis the key to realistically depictingthis beautifulform on paper. Paradoxically, you must first flattenthe form in order to depict its true volume asa three-dimensional form existingin space. Instructions: Turn to page+t of the workbook. From hereon, you will be drawingthe crosshairs in pencil sothat you canerase them later if you wish. Leanthe flower against a plain background prop,suchasa box or a book coveredwith white paper.You may alsoplacethe flower in a vaseif you wish. Hold the PicturePlane/Viewfinder verticallyin front of the flower. Closeone eyeanduseyour felt-tip markerto draw the edges of the just asyou seethem flattenedon the plane. flower,stem,andleaves Be aware that the line will be somewhat shakyanduncertain.
(. Using yorr #z pencil and drawing with a light, thin line, transferthe
z. Lightly draw a setof perpendicular crosshairs into the blankformat.
main pointsof your plasticplanedrawingonto the paper. Setthe PicturePlane/Viewfinder to one side.Look closelyat eachpart of the floweqstem,and leaves, and,usingyour #4n drawingpencil (whichis softerthan the #z writing pencil),redrawall of the edges. Remember the lesson of Pure Contour drawing:pay closeattentionto details and to how the parts fit togetherto form the whole. if you wish;signand dateyour drawing. 7. Erasethe crosshairs
EXERCISE 12
DRAWING A FLOWER
+3
Post - exercise remarks: You haveiust completed a "line" drawing-that is, a drawing in pure line without shading. Yet, asI am sure you can see,your drawing of the flower appears to be fully three-dimensional,because jtoudreat thesbared just edges of yar subJect asJoa sa.w them ontbeplane.Line alone can give your drawingthe illusion of three dimensions, and line alonecanmakea beautiful drawing.
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4+
EXERCISE 12
DRAWING A FLOWER
EXERCISE 12
DRAWING
A FLOWER
E X E R C I S E1 3
Drawitrgan Orange
Materials: #z writing and#4n drawingpencils, anderaser sharpener, nder PicturePlane/Viewfi Felt-tip marker An orange, with the peel cut into andpeeled triangularsections halfwayback(asin the example drawing) Sheetof white papet about9" xrz" Time needed: 20to 30minutes
Purposeof tbe etcerc$e: givesyou further practicein usingthe PicturePlaneto This exercise you will be drawinga draw a "difficult" view of an object.In this case, with the peelsmovingin three dimensions' orange, half-peeled Instructions: r. Tirrn to page48 of the workbook. within the format,dividing z. Using yot:ir #z pencil,lightly draw crosshairs the format into four equalquadrants. your drawingby Compose 3. Setthe orangeon a pieceof white paper. holdingup the plasticPicturePlane/Viewfinderandmovingit backand forth and up and down in front of your setupuntil the orange,framedby that you like. forms a composition the viewfinder, 4. Using your felt-tip marker,draw the orangeon the Picture Alwaysrememberto closeone eyein order to flamen Plane/Viewfinder. the image. to guideyou, with your #z pencil copythe main y. Usingthe crosshairs contoursof your plasticplanedrawingonto your drawingpaper. Usingthe orangeasyour model, 6. Setthe PicturePlane/Viewfinderaside. refineandrevisethe drawingby seeingand drawingasmany detailsas of Pure Contour drawing.If you wish,use recallingthe lesson possible, your #4n pencil for this detailed drawing.When you find yourself marveling at the beauty of the objectyou are drawing you will have madea mentalshift to the visualmode. if you wish; sign and date your drawing. 7. Erasethe crosshairs
46
EXERCISE rl
DRAWING AN ORANGE
Post - exercise remark s: The lastfive exercises havefocused on the first component skill of drawing:the perceptionof edges. By definition,an edgein drawing is a shared edge. Recallthat by drawingthe edgeof the facein the Vase/Faces exercise, you simultaneously drew the edgeof the vase. Additionally,when you drew your hand,drawingthe shapes aroundthe fingernails caused you to inadvertentlydraw the fingernails. By using edges asthey aredefinedin drawingandby usingthe conceptof the picture planeto draw varyingsubjects, suchasyour hand,a flower,and an orange,you are gaining knowledgeof wbatdrawingisandof howtodoit.
EXERCISE 13
DRAWING AN ORANGE
47
4B
EXERCISE r3
DRAWING AN ORANGE
Part ll The Perception of Spaces
E X E R C I S E1 4
Drawirg Leaves Using N.gative Spaces
Materials: #z and#4n pencils, sharpener, and eraser Felctip marker PicturePlane/Viewfi nder Stemof a plant,ro" to 12"tall, with medium-sized leaves (seethe drawingfor an example) A sheet of 9" x rz" white paper Time needed: About3ominutes
Purposeof tbe exercise: This exercise buildson your new ability to seeanddraw edges by introducingyou to one of the mostimportantskillsin drawing: seeingand drawingnegative spaces. Negativespaces areimportantfor three reasons: r. Seeing negative spaces makes it easyto draw difficult views,especially foreshortened views.Negativespaces build on the conceptof edges in drawingasshared edges: if you draw the negative spaces arounda foreshortened form, you will haveinadvertentlyalsodrawnthe form, and you will find that it is drawncorrectly. z. An emphasis on negative spaces strengthens andimprovesthe unity of your compositions. on negative spaces causes the language modeof the brain to 3. Focusing drop out, allowingaccess to the visualbrain mode,which is suitedto the taskof drawing. When you focuson an "empty" space, the language modeseems to say, in effect, "I do not dealwith nothing."It takesa momentfor a negative space to "pop" into focusasa shape. This increment of time may be the language modeobjecting "what areyou looking at?I can'tnamethat.If you aregoingto gazeat nothing I'm dropping out."Perfect.Just what we want. Instructions: r. Tirrn to page5r of the workbook,with the printed format. z. Lightly draw the crosshairs with your #z pencil. on a pieceof white paperand coverit with 3. Lay the stemwith leaves your plasticPicrurePlane/Viewfinder. 4. Ratherthan thinking of drawinga lea{ look at the white shapes surroundingthe leaves. Focuson one of thoseshapes andbeginto draw that first "negative space." Then draw an adjacent negative space. onto your paper. Do not draw the leaves t. "Copy" all of the white spaces at all, but be aware that in drawingthe edges of the negative spaces, you will haveinadvertentlydrawnthe edges of the leaves.
49
EXERCISE 14
DRAWING LEAVES USING NEGATM
SPACES
49
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Your concernis with ignorethat edge. another, Where one leaf crosses spaces only. the negative of the white shapes 7. As in drawingyour hand,note wherethe edges the crosshairs' andwherethey encounter touch the format edges useyour pencil to fill them in so 8 . When you havedrawn all of the spaces, aredark andthe positiveforms (the stemand spaces that the negative areleft untouched. leaves) if you wish;signand dateyour drawing. 9. Erasethe crosshairs Post-exercis e remarks:
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I am sureyou canseethe power From the imageyou havejust created, spaces negative drawing.Drawingsthat emphasize of negative-space arestrong the compositions because to look at,perhaps area pleasure and improvescomposition) always spaces (emphasis on negative hasbeen attention that equal areunifed,meaning andshapes the spaces paid to both.
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EXERCISE 14
DRAWING LEAVES USING NDGATIVE SPACES
EXERCISE 14
DRAWING LEAVES USING NEGATM
SPACES
t1
EXERCISE I f
J
Drawitrgachair in NegativeSpace
Materials: and eraser #z pencil,sharpeneq PicturePlane/Viewfi nder Felt-tip marker #4r graphitestick andpapertowel, for settinga ground Photograph of a chaiqabout5" or 6", cut from a newspaper or magazine (or usethe advertisement one on page t+of the workbook) Sheetof white paper, 9" x rz". Time needed: About 3ominutes
Purposeof the exercise:
One commonproblemin startinga drawingis decidinghowbigtomnketlte of your drawtoo large,the subiect you draw the first shape frst shape.If too small,the subject If you draw the first shape ing will go offthe page. then dealwith theuninyou must will sit in the centerof the pageand g arca. Choosingwhat I call a "BasicUnit" asa tendedempty surroundin will solvethis problemandenableyou to end with the startingshape you intendedto draw. composition Instructions: r. T\rrn to page5y of the workbook,with the printed format. with your #z pencil. z. Lightly draw the crosshairs in 3. Seta groundwithin the printed format,following the directions Exercise 9. moving overyour chair photograph, +. Lay your PicturePlane/Viewfinder you would like to draw it arounduntil you find a composition
5z
EXERCISE If
DRAWING A CHAIR IN NEGATIVD SPACE
spaces of the chair.Choose one to useas t. Look at the variousnegative a BasicUnit or startingshape. The shape shouldbe roughlymedium in sizecompared to the other negative spaces-neithertoo largenor too small.You needa manageable unit of a simpleshape. SeeFigurer5-rfor an example. With your felt-tip marker, draw the shape of that space onto the plastic PicturePlane/Viewfi nder. 7. Placethe PicturePlane/Viewfinderon a sheetof white papersothat you canseethe shape you havedrawn.
I l
8 . With your #z pencil,copythat shape onto your tonedformat,usingthe crosshairs to guidethe sizeandplacement. SeeFigure r5-2. 9. Setthe PicturePlane/Viewfinderasideandbeginto draw the remaining negative spaces of the chair by referringto the photograph. Make sure that you sizeand shape all of the spaces in relationship to the BasicUnit. In this way,you will end with the composition you chose in the first place.SeeFigure ry-3. When you havefinisheddrawingthe negative spaces, useyour eraser to removethe tone of eitherthe spaces or the chair itself. Erasethe crosshairs if you wish;sign anddateyour drawing. Post-exercise remarks: This exercise in using a BasicUnit is the key to startingdrawings. If you havea chance to watcha professional artistwork, it might seemto you that the artist"just startsdrawing."On the contrary, by the time an artist makes the first mark on the paper,the subject hasbeenscanned andthe BasicUnit hasbeenmentallychosen. The artistthen locates the Basic Unit within the format,perhaps with somequick handmovements over the paper(sometimes called"phantom"drawing),in order to ensurethe correctsizingandplacingof the BasicUnit within the format.It happens sofast,however, that it seems to someone watchingthat the artistiust startsdrawing. In the exercises to come,if choosing a BasicUnit seems slow and somewhat tediousto you, rememberthat with practicethe process will soonbecomeautomaticandvery rapid.Then, you will no longerneed the plasticPicturePlane/Viewfinderor the marker. The process will be entirely mental,andsomeone watchingyou will think that you "just start drawing." The BasicUnit alsodemonstrates that drawing in its own way,is beautifullylogicalin its spatialaspects. are When the spaces andshapes drawnjust asthey appear on the picture planeandin correctrelationship to the BasicUnit, they fit togetherin a logicalrelationship that seems satisfting andfascinating. To me,this is one of the delightful aspects of drawins.
Figure ry-2.
Figurer5-3.
EXERCISE rt DRAWING A CHAIR IN NEGATM SPACE
t3
,4
EXERCISE rJ
DRAWING A CHAIR IN NEGATM
SPACE
EXERCISE If
DRAWING
A CHAIR IN NEGATIVE
SPACE
_-, ))
EXERCISE 16
Drawittg aHousehold
Obiect
Material,s: #z and#4n pencils, sharpener, anderaser PicturePlane/Viewfi nder Felt-tip marker A household object,suchasa corkscrewbottle opener,eggbeateq whisk,scissors, or any gadget that appeals to you. Time needed: About zo minutes
Purposeof tbe exercise: This exerciseprovidesfurther practice in using both negativespaces andthe BasicUnit in order to help "set"theseskills.You will be drawing on an ungroundedpapet to againdemonstrate the beautyof pencil line on paper. Instructiont:
I.
T\rrn to page58of the workbook,with the printed format.
) Lightly draw the crosshairs in the format with your #z pencil. ) objectin front of you, proppingit upright if you wish. )' Setyour chosen 4- Hold your Picture Plane/Viewfinder up in front of the object.
Now, closeone eye and movethe Viewfinder arounduntil you find a composition you like. Choosea negative space to useasa BasicUnit. This canbe,for example, a space in the handleof the scissors, a space between the wiresof the whisk,or the space between the handleand arm of a corkscrew bottle opener.
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useyour t. Holding the PicturePlane/Viewfinderassteadilyaspossible, felt-tip markerto draw your BasicUnit on the plasticplane. 6. Usingthe crosshairs to guideyou,use your#zpencil to transfer your BasicUnit to your format on the paper.
,7
Set asidethe Picture Plane/Viewfinder.Now draw the rest of the negative spaces of the object,usingeither your #z or #4n pencil. The #z pencil produces a thin, light line; the #4n, a wider,darkerline. Be sureto closeone eyeto removebinocular vision, so that you cansee the object asthough it were flattenedon the plane.
8 . Continue until you havedrawn all of the negativespaces, thus drawing the obiectitself. Erasethe crosshairs if you wish; sign and date your drawing. Post-exercirc remarks: One of the striking characteristics of negative-space drawingsis that no mafter how mundaneyour subject-a chaiq a bottle opener,an eggbeater-your drawing will seemsomehowbeautiful andsignif.cant This demonstrates, I believe,the power and importanceof negative spaces in art.When you look at classic artworksin museums or in books on art, I guaranteethat you will seestrong emphasis on negativespaces over and over again.
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Drawing by student Kenneth Mclaren.
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16
DRAWING A HousEHoLD oBIEcr
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EXERCISE 16
DRAWING A HOUSEHO!-D OBIECT
E X E R C I S E1 7
Negative-Space Drawitgof aSports Photograph

Purposeof tbe exercise: The five component perceptualskillsof drawing-seeing edges, spaces, relationships, lights andshadows, andthe gestalt-apply to every drawing no matterwhat the subject matter.For the purposeof these exercises, we aretakingup theseskillsone by one. In this exercise, the emphasis is againon negative spaces, with the subject this time a sportsfigure.The purposeis to demonstrate that foreshortening in figuredrawing-one of the truly difficult aspects of learningto draw-is madeeasyby shiftingfrom the foreshortened formsto the negative spaces aroundthem.We areusing a sportsphotographbecause suchphotographs very ofteninclude foreshortening and arereadily available in everyday newspapers (whereas finding a modelto posefor you in a foreshortened positioncanbe quite difficult). Instructions:
I.
Materials: #z and#4n pencils, sharpener, and erasef PicturePlane/Viewfi nder Felt-tipmarker A sports photograph from a newspaper or magazine,preferably one that includes a foreshortened view of an athlete, andpreferablyone aslarge or largerthanthe openingof the PicturePlane/Viewfi nder Time needed: About3ominutes
Turn to page6r of the workbook,with the printed format.
z. Lightly draw the crosshairs within the format with your #z pencil.
1
moving )' Lay your PicturePlane/Viewfinderoverthe sportsphotograph, the planearounduntil you find a composition you like.
space to useasa BasicUnit-perhaps the space 4. Choosea negative between the arm andbody of a figure,or between the figureandthe edgeof the format.The shape shouldbe of medium sizeand asuncomplicatedaspossible.
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EXERCISE 17
NEGATM-SPACE
DRAWING OF A SPORTS PHOTOGRAPH
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Photograph by Joe Kennedy
5. Draw the BasicUnit on the plasticplanewith your felt-tip marker. 6. Transferthe BasicUnit to your format. spaces (thusinadveftenrlydrawingthe 7. continue to draw the negative outsideedges of the athlete). 8. If you wish,draw the shapes within the figure(edges of clothing helmet,andso on) until you aresatisfied that the drawingis complete. but your negative-space 9. You may wantto addsomelights andshadows, drawingwill standon its own asa beautifulline drawing. ro. Erasethe crosshairs if you wish;signand dateyour drawing. Post-exercise remarks: Looking at your completeddrawingshouldhelp you rcalizehowseeing and drawingnegative spaces makes drawingeasy. Because edges in drawing aresharededges, drawingnegative spaces aroundthe positiveforms givesyou the difficult forms-the foreshortenedviews of formswithout your havingto draw them.Drawing foreshortened formsis always problematic, because we all havepreconceived, memorized information and symbols for forms-human armsandlegs,for example. Foreshortened viewscontradictthat informationandthus aredifficultto seeanddraw asthey appear on the picture plane.on the other hand,we haveno preconceived, memorizedsymbolsfor negative spaces, and thereforeit is easyro seeand draw them.This is one of the important secrets of drawins.
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EXERCTSE17 NEGATTVE-SPACE DRAWTNG OF A SPORTS PHOTOcRApH
EXERCTSEr7
NEGATIVE-SPACE DRAWING OF A SPORTS PHOTOGRAPH
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EXERCISE IB
N.gative-Space Drawitrgof an Actual Chair

Purposeof tbe exercise: of a chair,is a good to a photograph Drawing an actualchair,asopposed way to summarizeall the skills you havelearnedso far.In a photograph, the imageis alreadyflattened.In drawing a real chair,which existsin you will call on all of the previousexercises. space, three-dimensional First, you must flatten the imageby viewing it on the Picture Planef Viewfinder and closeone eyeto removebinocular vision. Then, you will you seeon the picture spaces a BasicUnit from the negative choose you will draw the negative plane.Usingthe conceptof sharededges, just asyou seethem on the PicturePlane/Viewfinder, confident spaces of the chair. the edges that you are simultaneouslydrawing Instructiont:
I. 2.
Material,s: and sharpener, #z and#4n pencils, eraser Graphitestick andpapertowel for setting a ground PicturePlane/Viewfi nder Felt-tip marker or size Chair of any shape Time needed: 30to 40 minutes
T\rrn to page65of the workbook.Set a ground in the printed format. in the formatusing yotr #z pencil. Lightly draw the crosshairs
) )' Setup your model:a chair.

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your composiHold your PicturePlanein front of your faceto choose tion. Move the Picture Plane backward,forward, and from sideto side,as The chair shouldalmostfill a photograph. thoughyou werecomposing the Viewfinder,so that it will takeup most of the format when you draw it on your paper.
Figure r8-r.
Figure r8-2.
Figure r8-3.
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Bxrncrsn 18
DRAwING oF aN AcruAL CHAIR NEGATTVE-SpAcE
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A student'suninstructed drawing of a chair.
to useasa BasicUnit-for negative space t. Choosea medium-sized between example, a space between the slatsof a chair backor a space rungs.Next, usethe felt-tip markerto draw your BasicUnit on the PicrurePlane/Viewfinder. SeeFigure 18-r. See Useyour #z pencil to transferthe BasicUnit to your tonedpaper. Figurer8-2. to adjacent to your BasicUnit, remembering spaces 7. Draw the negative imageof the chair.See closeone eyeto flattenthe three-dimensional Figure18-3. to positiveshape, putting the Work from part to part,negative space jigsaw drawingtogetherlike a przzle.SeeFigure r8-4. the negative spaces, beginto work on the When you havecompleted You canerase out or darkenany chair itself andits surroundingspace. highlightsor shadows. 18-6, and r8-7. SeeFiguresr8-5, Prop your drawingup andstepawayfrom it a bit to seeit from a fresh point of view.Make any changes that you feel areneeded. Erasethe crosshairs if you wish;sign anddateyour drawing.
Figure 18-4.
Figure r8-5.
Figure 18-6.
Exrncrsr rB
NEGATIVE-spAcEDRAWING oF AN AcruAL cHAIR
63
Post- exercis e remarks: Congratulations on completinga very difrcult drawing.Chairsaresuch familiar objects that we carry in our mindshard-to-erase visualsymbols for chairsthat we havememorizedfrom childhood drawing.For example,we knowthatchairlegsare all the samelength.In the PicturePlane flattenedview, however,eachchair leg may haveappearedto be a different length,andyou may havehad trouble accepting that perception. Paradoxically, if you drew the chair legsjust asyou sawthem on the plane,they will appearto the viewer of your drawing to be appropriately all the samelength.This is the magicof drawing.
Figurer8-7. Drawingby the author.
64
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NEGATIvE-SpAcEDRAwING oF AN acruAr- cHArR
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NEGATIvE-spAcE DRAwING oF AN AcruAL cHAIR
65
E X E R C I S E1 9
Copyinga Master Drawing:Man Readingtlt Bible,by Vincentvan Gogh

Purposeof the exercise: a schoolof During and afterthe decades of AbstractExpressionism, copyingmasterworks was paintingoriginatingin New York in the r94os, new out of favor asa way of training artistsin America.Now, however, appreciation of drawingskillsis bringingthe practicebackinto art schools. is an excellentwayto practiceyour Copyingmasterdrawings drawingskills,andyou will learn a greatdealfrom copyingthis wonderful artwork. (the proportions,width Note that the format of Man Readingthe Bible to length, of the outsideedge)is slightly different from the one you have beenusing,and differentfrom the format of your PicturePlane/ proportions Viewfinder.Wheneveryou copy a drawing, make surethatthe of tbeformat aretltesame. Your drawing format canbe a different size,but it must be in the sameproportions.If you think it through, you will see why.The spaces and shapes fit togetherto fill the format: if'you were to use a different format for this drawing-say, a square-neither the shapes nor the spaces could matchthe original. Instructions:
I.
Materials: #z and#4n pencils, sharpener, and erasef The reproductionof the Van Gogh drawingon page68 Time needed: 45 minutesto r hour
T\rrn to page69of the workbook,with the printed format in the same proportionsasthe original drawing. You may wantto lightly draw crosshairs on the original drawingand fall on your format,measuring carefullyto makesurethe crosshairs at the midpoints of the drawing.This will help you to keepyour copy in proportion by seeingwhere the variouspoints fall. You may want to turn this drawingupside down to makea start.Whether it is right sideup or upsidedown,beginby drawingthe negative spaces aroundthe seated man and chair.
spaces withinthefigureaswell.For example, 4. Usethe conceptof negative canbe seenanddrawn the shape between the man'stwo forearms asan "interior negative shape." The shape of his lower right trouser beneath his left handcan alsobe seenanddrawnasan interior negative shape.
66
EXERCISE 19
COPYING A MASTER DRAWING: MAN READING THE BIBLE
of the chair rungs relativeto t. Check the anglesof the negativespaces the horizontalandverticaledges As you of the format and crosshairs. progress, checkeachspace andeachshape to seeif you havematched the original. Useyour #4n pencil to darkenthe shadow shapes of the vestand trousersYou may want to turn the Van Gogh drawing upside down to betterseethe shapes of tHEshadows. if you wish; sign and date your drawings.Because 1. Erasetlre crosshairs it is a c<ipied drawing be sure to designate it as"After Van Gogh." Post- exercise remarks: Even though you havecopied a masterdrawing in this exercise, when you look at your work you will notice that your own style of drawing has inevitably shonethrough. The samewastrue when Van Gogh himself copied masterdrawings:his distinctive style alwaysshonethrough. One of the wonderful things aboutthe Van Gogh drawing is the distribution of lights andshadows. for example, how the shapes of the See, lights and shadows on the lower left leg revealthe shapeof the folded cloth andthe leg underneath.The experienceof copying this drawing will help you in the later light/shadow exercises.
EXERCISE 19
67
EXERCISE 19
EXERCISE 20
Sightingan Open Doorwalr
Materials: #z and#4e pencils, sharpeneq and efaser PicturePlane/Viewfi nder Felt-tip marker Time needed: About 3ominutes
Parposeof tbe exercirc:
In this exercise you will practicethe third component skill, the perceptionof relationships, alsocalled"sighting." This is a two-part skill: sightingangles relativeto vertical andhorizontal,andsightingsizes relativeto eachother.Commonly known as"perspective andproportion," sightinghasbeenthe Waterlooof many an art student. It is a complicated skill, both to learn andto teach,but the Picture Plane/Viewfinder is extremelyeffective in clarifyinghow to seeand draw relationships. You will useyour pencil asa sightingtool, just asartistshavebeen doing for centuries. Look at the accompanying sketches to seehow to do this. Practiceby holding your pencil ararm'slength withjtoarelbow locke toestablish a.cznstant scala closingone eye,aligning the blunt end of your pencil with the horizontaltop edgeof a doorway, and placingyour thumb to mark the other edgeof the doorway(seeFigure zo-r).This measured width is your BasicUnit, or "r." Now, keepingyour thumbin the sameposition,turn the pencil to verticalandfind the relationship
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16
EXERCISE 2O
SIGHTING AN OPEN DOORWAY
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(the ratio or proportion) of width to height of the doorway.SeeFigures 2o-z,zo-3, andzo-4.Inthe sketches, the ratio is "One (BasicUnit) to one andtwo-thirds,"expressed asmllYou will transferthis ratio into your. drawing by using your pencil to measureyour BasicUnit inyoar drawing then repeatingthe measuringof the vertical edgeof the doorwayin the drawing anddrawingthe verticaledge. SeeFigures2o-t, zo-6,andzo-7. Your pencil is alsoyour sighting tool for determining angles. Angles are sightedrelative to vertical and horizontal. To practice,hold your pencil perfectly horizontally with both hands,closeone eye,and comparean anglein a corner of the room you are in with horizontal. SeeFigure zo-8. Rememberthe angleanddraw it on your paperusing the horizontal crosshairs and the horizontal edgesof the format as
Figure zo-5.
EXERCISE 20
SIGHTING
AN OPEN DOORWAY
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guidesto drawingthe angleyou sawin the room corner.SeeFigure zo-g. Be sureyou stayonthe planeintaking sights. Your sightingpencil always stays on the surface of the imaginaryglass picture plane.Just as recedingedges lie flat on the faceof a photograph, the imageyou are drawingliesflat on the picture plane.You cannot"pokethrough"the planeto takea sighton a recedingedge. SeeFigureszo-roand zo-rr. Instructions: Turn to page7+.The format will be left untoned,asthis will be a line drawing. Choosea sitefor your drawing-an opendoorwayleadinginto another room or into a closet, or a door opento the outside. Seethe example drawings for ideas. Seatyourself in front of the site.Useyour PicturePlane/Viewfinder to find a composition you like. SeeFigure zo-rz. and choose a BasicUnit. +. Hold the PicturePlaneassteadilyaspossible I suggest you usethe shapeof the doorway.
Figure zo-8.
t. Useyour felt-tip markerto draw the BasicUnit on the plasticplane.

If you wish,you can alsodraw someof the main edges, suchasthe ceiling angles or the floor angles, but be aware that the line will be very shaky, andit is easyto makeerrorsin the drawing. All you really needis the BasicUnit.
Figure zo-9.
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Figure zo-ro. Figure uo-rr.
Figure zo-rz.
Figure zo-r3.
EXERCISE 20 SIGHTING
Figure zo-r4.
AN OPEN DOORWAY
72
6. tansfer the BasicUnit to your format.SeeFigure zo-rJ. 7. Usingyour pencil asa sightingtool, beginto sightthe angles andpro-
portionsof the doorwayandthe surroundingwalls,floor,andceiling. Draw in all of the mostimportant edges: the edges of the doorway, the opendooq andthe edges wherethe wallsmeetthe ceiling andwhere the wallsmeetthe floor.Do not forgetto emphasize negative spaces whereverpossible, especially for smallformslike door handles, light fixtures,andpotted plants.SeeFigure zo-r+. If any areaof the drawingdoesn'tquite "look right," hold up your PicturePlaneagain, matchup the Basicunit drawnon the plasticwith the doorway, and compare the angles or proportionsyou seeon the plane with your drawing.Make any necessary corrections and completethe drawing. if you wish;sign anddateyour drawing. 9. Erasethe crosshairs Post- exercise remarrts: You havejust completeda drawingthat manyuniversiryart students would find daunting.Sightingangles andproportionsis a complicated skill, requiringthat you learn first how to "rakesights"andthen how to transferthem to your drawing.once learned, the skill quickly becomes automatic, andyou will be takingsightswithout havingto remind yourself how to do it at everystep. Every globalskill seems to havea component similar to sighting relationships in drawing-for example, learninggrammarin writing learningthe rulesof the roadin driving learningmusicalnoration, learningthe rules of the gamein chess. Thesecomponents seemdifficult andmuch too complicated at first,but later they becomeautomaticand providethe structureneededto practicethe skill. Sightingrelationships is requiredin everydrawingandfor every subject. Because of its complexity, srudentoften leavesighting unlearnedor half-learned, ensuringthat they will makeerrorsin their drawings that they will not know how to correcr.Sightingrelationships is well worth the effort ro learn andbecomes surprisinglyenjoyable once learned.
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EXERCISE 20
SIGHTING
AN OPEN DOORWAY
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74
EXERCISE 2o
SIGHTING
AN OPEN DOORWAY
EXERCISE ZT
SightingaRoomCorner
Materials: and #z and#4e pencils, sharpener, eraser Picture PIane /Vi ewfinder Felt-tip marker Graphitestickandpapertowel for settinga ground Time needed: 30to 40 minutes
Purposeof tbe exercise: by including choose a room cornerthat is complicated For this exercise, a cornerof choose Alternatively, tables, lamps,and curtains. a bed or sofa, Because and appliances. cupboards, your kitchen,with its countertop, is a this exercise is more intricatethan the opendoorway, this subject made. you have to yourself how much progress goodway to demonstrate to abstract, however, that realisticdrawing(asopposed Remember, the sametask,always drawing)is always nonobjective, or imaginative andmediumsvary but not the basic requiringthe sameskills.Subjects skillsof drawing. Instructions: r. Turn to page77of theworkbook,with the printed format.Seta toned with yolut#z pencil. groundand lightly draw in the crosshairs and cupboards. Choosea sitethat includesfurniture or countertops
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Choose your composition. to choose )' Usethe PicturePlane/Viewfinder If you and draw your BasicUnit on the plasticwith the felt-tip marker. wish, carefullladda few of the main edgesand angles.
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Transferthe BasicUnit to your tonedground. plane.Think of the onthe aresighted all angles andproportions Remenbe4 your eyesandthe "model" between planeasan invisiblepaneof glass in front of you. edge, putting the imageof the room corner Work from edgeto adjacent together like a fascinatingjigsaw ptzzle.Avoid naming parts asyou draw spaces. negative them, anddo not forgetto emphasize
usingyour pencil to "takesights." andproportions, t. Check all angles
of the corner,"squint"to see andspaces 7. When you havedrawnthe edges anddarken Eraselighted areas the largeshapes of lights andshadows. to view it shadowed areas. Stepawayfrom your drawingoccasionally andto checkfor errors. from a distance if you wish;sign anddateyour drawing. 8. Erasethe crosshairs
Drawing by Grace Kennedy.
EXERCISE 2I
SIGHTING
A ROOM CORNER
75
Post-exercis e remarks: Sightingrelationships of angles and proportionsby the methodyou are learningis called"informal perspective," asopposed to "formal perspective," which is the method requiring horizon lines,converginglines,and vanishing points.Professional artistsareusuallytrainedin both methods, but nearly all useinformal perspective when paintingor drawing. Formal perspective is simply too cumbersome andunnecessarily complicated for today'sartists, andinformal perspective, when well practiced, is amazinglyaccurate. Many students find eveninformal perspective drawingpainfully difficult at first,but it soonbecomes easyandevenquite engaging. When friendsseeyour drawingof a room corner,they may askin amazement, "How did you dothat?" Your reply might be,"I've just discovered I have sometalent for drawingD-after which you cantell your friends how you really did the drawing!You may be interested to compare your justcompleted perspective drawingwith your pre-instructiondrawingfrom Exercise I feel confident that you will be pleased with your progress. 3.
Drawing by Lizbeth Fermin.
76
E X E R C I S E2 I
SIGHTING A ROOM CORNER
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EXERCISE 2I
SIGHTING
A ROOM1CORNER
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E X E R C T S E2 2
The Knee|FootDrawirtg
Materials: #z and#4n pencils, sharpeneq anderaser PicturePlane/Viewfinder Felt-tip marker Time needed: 20to 30minutes
Parposeof tbe exercise: Sightingrelationships of angles andproportionsis neededfor every just drawing,not drawingsof buildings and interiors. This exercise providesexcellentpracticefor seeinganddrawingedges, spaces, and relationships, the first three componentskillsof drawing. Instructions: Turn to page8oof the workbook.Leavethe formatuntonedandlightly draw the crosshairs. Usethe PicturePlane/Viewfinder to choose a view of your own knee and foot, of your feet, or of one foot, with or without shoe(s). Use your felt-tip marker to draw the main negativespaces and edgeson the plasticplane. to your paper, usingthe +. Usea pencil to transferthe main edges crosshairs to guideyou.
t. Setthe PicturePlaneto one side,in a spotwhereyou canstill seeit.

Completethe drawing checkingbackto the PicturePlaneif necessary. The sizechange from the kneeto the foot seems incredible, but doublecheckit the foot in this perspective view really is that small!If you draw the proportionsjast asthey appearf.attened onthe plane,they will look correct when the drawins is finished.
Drawing by charlotte Doctor.
Drawing by student BobJean.
78
EXERCISE 22
THE KNEE/FOOT
DRAWING
6, Be sure to emphasize negativespaces asyou work on the drawing.
Shoelaces, for example, arebeautifulwhen drawnusingthe negative spaces in and aroundthe laces. if you wish; sign and date your drawing. 7. Erasethe crosshairs Post- exercise remarks: This is one of the bestexercises for convincingstudents to accepttheir perceptionswithout second-guessing. The struggleto accepta sighting that contradictsstoredknowledgecan be difficult. I havewatched studentsrepeatedlytake sightson an angleor proportion rhar rhey questioned. Sometimes I hearthem sayto themselves, "It can'tbe," and they checkthe sight againand againuntil they finally acceptit. Then, on seeing that the questionable proportionor anglemadetheir drawing look right, they find it easierto acceptthe next questionable sighting. This is one of the mostimportant lessons in drawing:ro see, accept, and draw just what you seeon the plane.
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Drawing by student Ernest Kirkwood.
Drawing by student Lonnie Lewis.
Drawing by studentJoyce Canfield.
EXERCTSE22
THE KNEE/FOOT
DRAWTNG
79
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ExERcrsE zz
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DRAwTNG
EXERCISE 23
Sighting a Still Life of Bookson aTable
Materials: #z and#4n pencils, sharpener, anderaser PicrurePlane/Viewfi nder Felt-tip marker Graphitestick andpapertowel for settinga ground Several books, spreadat random on a table Time needed: About 3ominutes
I.
Purposeof tbe exercise: Because you areso familiar with what the shape of a book lookslike, it canbe hard to acceptthe apparent shape changes that occurwhen you draw booksthat arelying flat on a table andrecedingfrom your planeof vision.In certainpositions, and at certainangles, a book lying flat on a tablemay appear on the picture planeto be impossiblynarrow or impossiblyshort.The hard part of this exercise is to draw books lying on a tablein the unexpected shapes that they presenr wben seen onthe pictureplane. Instructions: Turn to page83of the workbook,with the printed format.Tone the groundto a paletone andlightly draw the crosshairs with your #z pencil. choose a BasicUnit-either a negative space between two booksor a positiveform (oneof the books).
) andwith the )' Hold the PicturePlane/Viewfinderassteadilyaspossible,
z. Usethe Picture Plane/Viewfinder to find a composition you like and
felt-tip markerdraw your BasicUnit on the plasticplane.
+. Usingthe #4r
pencil,transferthe BasicUnit to your drawingpaper.
to adjacent space, 5. Setthe PicturePlaneasideand work from shape putting the drawingtogetherlike a puzzle.Remember to closeone eye to flattenthe image.
6. Pause everyoncein a while to checkthe shapes of the bookson the
Picture Pl ane /Viewfi nder. of lights andshadows by squintingyour eyes to mask 7. Look for the shapes out fine detail.Eraseout the lighted shapes and darkenthe shadowed areas with your #4n pencil. 8. When you arefinished, erase the crosshairs if you wish,then signand dateyour drawing.
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EXERCTSE 23
SIGHTTNG A STILL LIFE OF BOOKS ON A TABLE
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EXERCISE23
S T G H T T N GA S T I L L L I F E O F B O O K S O N A T A B L I
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EXERCTSE23
STGHTTNG A STILL LrFE OF BOOKS ON A TABLE
83
EXERCTSE 24
A Still Life with Ellipses
Materials: #z and#4n pencils, sharpener, and efaser PicturePlane/Viewfi nder Felt-tip marker Still-life setup:The breakfast table is alwaysa good still life, or you may wish to setup a teapot,a cup andsaucer, and a glass half-filled with water.Any objectswith circular topswill provideellipses for your still life. Time needed: jo to 40 minutes
Purporc of the exercise: An ellipseis an ovalshape, like a stretched-out circle with slightly flattenedsides. When you look at a circularobject,suchasa coin,with when one eyeclosed, it appears to be not circularbut elliptical in shape increase the When you tilted at an anglerelativeto the picture plane. to be a flat shape. angle, the ellipsechanges shape until the objectappears because, bafling to students, This "perspective of ellipses" often seems what we know again, the shape seenon the picture planecontradicts aboutcircularshapes. Ellipsesplay an important role in drawingstill lifes,landscapes, focuses therefore, anddrawings involving architecture. This exercise, on ellipses. As always, the solutionis to draw them just asyou seethem flattenedon the plane. Instructions:
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T\rrn to page86of the workbook,with the printed format. If you wish, lightly tone the paperbeforeyou addthe crosshairs. to choose a composition. Useyour PicturePlane/Viewfinder in your still-life setup). a BasicUnit (perhaps one of the objects
2.
) and choose )' Hold the Picture Plane/Viewfinderassteadilyaspossible
+. Usingyour #4n pencil,transferthe BasicUnit to your paper.

of the tops(and to closeone eyewhen drawingthe ellipses t. Remember oq better bottoms!) of cups,glasses, andplates. Try to seethem asshapes, stlll, see theshapes of tbenegttiue spaces strrounding the ellipses.
6. As always, to adjacent space, putting the partstogether work from shape
like a puzzle.If you startedwith a cup,for example,checkthe negative space next to the cup.That space will be boundedby the edgeof the next object.Draw that objectandmoveto the next space. 7' As you are drawing,be sureto step awaya few times and checkto see ofl seems that the perspective andproportion"look right." If something hold up the PicturePlane/Viewfinder, matchup the BasicUnit on the causing problems. Viewfinderwith the object,andthen look at the areas
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84
EXERCISE 24
A STILL LIFE WITH ELLIPSES
Henri Matisse . Stufu for StillJrf" ofu, deHeem,ryt5,Graphite on two sheets of paper. zo%x zr%inches. Philadelphia Museum of Art. The Louise and Walter Arensberg Collection.
Comparewhat you seeon the Viewfinderwith whatyou havedrawn. If what you havedrawn doesnot matchwhat you seeon the picrure plane,makethe corrections. B. Erasethe crosshairs if you wish,then signand dateyour drawing. Post-exercise remarks: The mostcommonerrorsin drawingellipses aredepictingthe ellipse endsastoo pointed anddepictingrhe upper curve asgreaterthan the lower curve.Theseerrorscanbe avoidedby looking very closelyar the shape you aredrawing. Drawing ellipses canbe either mind-bendinglydificult or incredibly easy, depending on whetheryou are ableto acceptthe elliptical shapes asyou seethem on the picture plane.The ellipses ar the bottomsof cups, saucers, and glasses areparticularlydifficult to see, because you know the objects arerestingon a flat surface. A commontendencyfor beginnersis to makea straightline across the bottomsof cupsandglasses, presumably sothey won't tip over!Shiftingto drawingadjacent negative space is extremelyhelpful in drawingellipses.
E X E R C I S E2 4
A STILL LtFE WITH ELLTPSES
85
86
EXERCISE 24
A STILL LIFE WITH ELLIPSES
Perception .rif'Relationships
EXERCISE ) IL)
Sighting Relations,hips, in aFig,rre Drawing
Parposeof the exercise: and #4n pencils,sharpener, eraser Plane/Viewfinder -tip marker
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In this exercise, you will seehow sighting works in drawing a human figure.You will be copying a sketchof a life-size sculpture of the writer EdgarAllen Poe,which is situatedon the campusof the University of Maryland.With the sketchis a diagramof the sightsI took to make the drawing. Insttactions: Turn to page89of the workbook,where you will find the sketchand diagramof the Poe sculpture.on page89,you will find a printed format.
., Using you,r #zpencil, lightly draw the crosshairs within the format ) )' Placeyour Picture Plane/viewfinder over the sketch.The crosshairs will
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help guide your copy of the sketch. Use your marker to makea mark at the top of Poe'shead and at the bottom of the chin on the plasticPicturePlane/viewfinder.This is your BasicUnit. Useyour #z pencil to rransferthe BasicUnit to your paper. Thesetwo marks are all you needro start your drawing on the paper. You will usethis Basicunit in sighting all of the anglesand proportions of the figure.
t. Usingyour #4r pencil,draw the headon your paper,checkingthe placement of the featuresrelative to the whole head. Now begin to sight the figure: a. Sight the angleof the arm againsthorizontal.Draw the upper edge of the arm. b. Sight the length of the arm to the elbow With your pencil, measure the Basicunit, then the edgeof the arm.The proportion (the ratio of the BasicUnit, which is your "r") to the length of the upper arm is r: z (seethe diagram).Draw the edgeof the upper arm to the elbow. c. Sighl the angleof the forearm againstthe horizontal (the ledgeis horizontal).Draw that edgeand the edgeof the ledge.
Instructions continae onpage:gz.
EXERCISE 2t
SIGHTING
RELATIONSHIPS
IN A FIGURE DRAWING
87
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EXERCTSE 2t
STGHTTNG RELATIONSHTPS rN A FTGURE DRAWING
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EXERCISE 2t
SIGHTING
RELATIONSHIPS IN A FIGURE DRAWING
89
Practice sighting the figure in tlis drawing. I suggest using the length of the head as your Basic Unit Henri Matisse, Two Skacbesof a Nude Girl Playinga FhtePencil on white papenry%x8% inches, Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. Gift of Mr. and Mrs.Joseph Kerrigan.
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EXERCTSE 2t
STGHTTNG RELATIONSHTPS rN A FIGURE DRAWING
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EXERCISE 2t
SIGHTING
RELATIONSHTPS rN A FIGURE DRAlryING
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d. Sightthe lengthof the hand against the BasicUnit. The rariois r:r. (Checkit twice if you find that hard to believe!) Draw the handby usingthe negative shapes aroundit. Draw the negative space in front of the chestandthe shape of the far ledge. Drop a "sightline" (seethe diagram)from the front of the headto the point of the knee.Determinehow far down that point is by going backto your BasicUnit and checkingthe ratio ro the point of the knee. The ratiois r:3.
6'
Having locatedthat point, checkthe angleof the upper leg anddraw in that edge.
h. Drop another"sightline" ro determinewherethe point of the shoe toe is located,and checkthe position(the anglerelativero verrical). Go backto your BasicUnit, then comparerhe distance. The ratiois r:y and a little bit more. Having locatedthe shoe-toe, usethe negative space in front of the lower leg to draw that edge. Sightthe lengthof the shoeagainsr your BasicUnit. The ratio is r:r%.Double-check if you find that hard to believe.
k. Usenegative spaces to draw the other shoe, but sightthe length.

The ratio is r:r because the shoeis slightly foreshortened.
l. F'inishyour drawingby addingshadows anddetails.

m. Erase the crosshairs if you wish;signand dateyour drawing.
Post-exercise remarhs: The sightingprocess, asyou havenow experienced it, may seemtedious. Remember, however, that learningany new skill requiresslowprocessing in the early stages. For example, asmenrionedearlier,learningthe rules of grammarwasa complicated taskthat,when learned, became automatic andindispensable. Sighting, I believe, canbe regarded asthe "grammar"of drawing.Learningit now will preventfrustratingerrors in future drawings. Trust me:sightingwill soonbecome rapid andauromatic,enjoyable andeasy.
9z
EXERCISE 2'
SIGHTING
REI-ATIONSHIPS IN A FIGURE DRAWING
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E X E R C I S E2 6
Proportions of the Head in Profile
Materials: #z and#4n pencils, sharpeneq and eraser Diagram of the proporrions of the headin profile Blankdiagramof the profilehead Note:Yo.u will needto asksomeone to modelfor y minutesfor this exercise. Time needed: About20minutes
I
Purposeof tbe exercise: The proportionsof the humanheadarevery difficult to seeclearly. I venfureto saythat only someone trainedin perceptionor in drawing is ableto bypass the brain processes that maketheseproportionsdifficult to perceive. For reasons that areuncleaqa personuntrainedin seeing relationships apparently the features of the faceasbeinglargerin sees relationto the whole of the headthan is actuallythe case. This exercise will providescaffolding for seeing the correctproportions. Instructions: Tirrn to pages 94 and95of the workbook,with the diagramshowingthe proportionsof the headin profile andthe headproportion diagram. shownin the printed diagramonto the partially drawndiagramon page9t. Now find someone to act asa measuring model.Ask that personto sit for you for five minutesin profileview.Look carefullyat your model's headandfeatures. Then, using a pencil to measure, checkeveryproportion that appears on the diagram, payingparticularattentionto the curl)e proportion "Eye level to chin equalsey leael to thetopof theoutermost of tbehead," of tlteey andthe proportion "Eye level to chin equalsback to the backof the ear."Thesearethe two key proportionsfor successful profile portraits.
) Working carefullyand memorizingasyou draw,copythe proportions
Drawing by student Tom Nelson.
nxtnclsn z6
pRopoRTIoNs oF THE HEAD IN pRoFILE
93
Profile view: General proportions of the head and placement of the ear. Portrait of Sconby instructor Beth Fermin.
Demonstration drawing by the author.
Drawing by student Heather Tappen.
94
EXERCISE 26
pRopoRTIoNs
oF THE HEAD IN PRoFILE
EXERCISE 26
PROPORTIONS OF THE HEAD IN PROFILT
9t
E X E R C I S E2 7
Copying aMaster Drawirg of a Profile Portrait

Purposeof tbe exercise: This beautiful1883 drawingMme.Pierre Gautreau(also known as Madame X), by EnglishartistJohnSingerSargent, providesperfect practicefor seeingand drawingedges, spaces, and relationshipsespecially the proportionsof the headin profile. Instructions:
I.
Materials: #z and#4n pencils, sharpener, and eraser PicturePlane/Viewfi nder Time needed: zo to 30minutes
T\rrn to page98,with the reproductionof the Sargent drawing,andsee the accompanying diagram on page97.
') On page of the workbook, you will find the printed format. 99
a
on the format. )' Using a pencil,lightly draw the crosshairs
+. Lay your PicturePlane/Viewfinderdirectly on top of the Sargent reproductionandnote wherethe crosshairs fall on the portrait profile. usingthe lengthof the nose(from the t. Choosea BasicUnit. I suggesr innermostcurveto the outermosttip) for comparingall other proportionsin the drawing.For example, the proportionof the noselengthto the forehead is the ratio one to one and a half,or rtYr.Make two marks, one at the innermostcurve and one at the tip of the nose. Using yorr #z pencil,transferthe two marksof your BasicUnit to the paper. the following sequence of steps, corresponding with the 7. I suggest numberedsteps in the diagram: r. In the upper right quadrant, find the point wherethe forehead meets the hairline.Double-check it, usingyour BasicUnit to measure the placement. Mark that point, andusethe negative space in front of the forehead to draw the forehead's curve. z. You locatedthe tip of the nosewhenyou markedyour BasicUnit. Double-check the positionof the mark against the crosshairs. of the negative space in front of the nose/forehead. 3. Draw the shape Recallthe conceptof shared edges. the tip of the noseandthe tip of the chin +. Imaginea line that touches in the reproductiondrawing.Lighdy draw that sightline on your papet checkingthe angleagainst vertical.Compareyour BasicUnit 96
EXERCTSE27 COPYING A MASTER DRAWTNG OF A PROFILE PORTRAIT
to the length from nose-tip to chin-tip. The ratio is yt%.Markthe tip of the chin on your sight line. t. Draw the shape of the negative spacedefined by your sight line. This will give you the shapeof the upper lip, the lower lip, and the chin.
6. Relative to the crosshairs,find the innermost curve of the chin/neck. Mark that point on your drawing. 7. Look at the shape of the negative spacemade by the chin and neck. Draw that shape. 8. Relative to the crosshairs,locate the back of the head and draw the edge. 9. Locate the back of the ear and draw the ear. ro. Locate the back of the neck and draw that edge. rr. Observe how small the eye is relative to your Basic Unit. Draw the eye,locating it relative to the innermosr curve of the nose. rz. Draw the eyebrow relative to rhe eye,checking rhe curve of the eyebrow by looking at the negarivespacebeneath the eyebrow. 13. Observe the size of the mouth relative to rhe eye and draw the mouth. 4. Locate the ear relative to rhe crosshairsand compare the length of the ear to your Basic Unit. Surprisingly, the ratio is nearly r:r %. Draw the ear,checking the negative spacebehind the ear.
rt. Draw the shapeof the head and hair. ft. When you are finished, erasethe crosshairs.Sign and date your drawing with the noration'After Sargent."
Post-exercise remarks: If you lay one fingeroverthe fearures in the Sargent drawing,you will seewhat a smallproportion of the wholeform is occupiedby the features of the face.It is often quite surprising when you first really seethe proporrions of the humanhead. This exercise hasprovidedpracticein flexibly movingthroughthe first threeskills of drawing:edges, spaces, andrelationships. As you will find with further practice, these strategies of seeingaresomewhat interchangeable.If you arehavingtrouble drawingan edge, the adjacent negative space will solvethe problem.If you arehavingtrouble assessing an angle,envisionthe angleasa negarive space boundedby an imaginaryverticalor horizontal edge. This redundancy of strategies helpsto makedrawingeasyandenjoyable.
EXERCISE 27
COPYING A MASTER DRAWING OF A PROFILE PORTRATT
97
John Singer Sargent. Madame X. Graphite on oG white paper. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Frances Ormond and Miss Emily Sargent, r93r. $r.43.3).
98
EXDRCTSE27
COpyrNG A MASTER DRAWTNG OF A PROFTLE PORTRAIT
EXERCISE 27
COPYING A MASTER DRAWING
OF A PROFILE PORTRAIT
99
.-,.----:::
EXERCISE ZB
Drawinga Profile Portrait
Materials: #z and#4n pencils, sharpener, and erasef PicturePlane/Viewfi nder Felt-tip marker Graphitestick andpapertowel for settingthe ground Note:For this exercise, you will need a modelwilling to posefor 3oto 6o minutes(with breaks, of course; the model.can be readingor watching television). Time needed: About r hour
2.
Purposeof the exercise: Now that you havelearnedthe proportionsof the headin profileby drawing imageof theJohnSingerSargent copyingthe two-dimensional the next stepis to draw a profilefrom life, using a model.Drawingfrom life is always more challenging andthereforemore satisfying. Instractions: Turn to pagero2of the workbook,with the printed format. Seta groundandthen lightly draw in the crosshairs. model.(Four or five feet awayis a gooddistance.) SeeFigurez8-I. compose your drawingsothat the Usingthe PicturePlane/Viewfinder, of the Viewfinder. model'sheadis framedwithin the edges Mark eyelevelto chin for this drawing. t. Choosea BasicUnit: I suggest with your felt-tip the BasicUnit on your PicturePlane/Viewfinder marker.Two marks,one at the model'seyelevel and one at the bottom your BasicUnit. You may wishto of the chin, areenoughto establish See the line will be shakv. draw the outline of the head.but be aware Figuresz8-z andz83. Next, transferthe two marksdefiningthe BasicUnit to your format.See Figure z8-4.
) Seatyour modelin profile view,and seatyourself fairly closeto the
Figure z8-1.
Be sure to check the proportions you learned in Exercise 26.
EXERCISE 2E
DRA\ryING A PROFILE PORTRAIT
Figure re z8-3.
Figure z8-4.
Start with the featuresin profile by drawing the negztiae tpaceinftont of the forehead, nose, lips, andchin. SeeFiguresz8-5and z8*6. 8. Now, follow steps4 through 15in Exercise26. the ground aroundthe head.This helpsgreatlyin 9. If you wish,erase seeingthe large form of the head and the relationshipof the featuresto the wholehead. In drawing the model'shair, squint your eyesto seethe larger highlights and the shadows. Aztoid drawingsymbol,ic hair-repeatedparal,l,el or carlylines. Hair forms a shape. Focuson drawingthat shape. , Be sure to include the model'sneck and shoulders, which provide a support for the head,and include someindication of the model'sclothing. date the drawing,addingthe model'sname. Post- exerci seremarks: Ideally,you would havetwo or three sittingswith your model, and during eachsitting you would maketiny adjustments to rhe edges, spaces, and relationships.Sometimes, changinga line by iust the width of a pencil lipe will be the movethatsuddenly capturesthe likeness. Be alert for thesemomenrs: they aretruly satis$ring.
II.
tz. When your drawing is finished,erase the crosshairs if you wish. Sign and
*u:*.'50".r,
Figure z8-6. Draw the negative shapes around eyeglasses.

rxnncrsn z8 DRAwING A pRoFILE poRTRAIT
EXERCISE 2U
DRAWING A PROFILE PORTRAIT
E X E R C I S E2 9
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Still Life with AmericanFlag
Materials: Charcoal andpapertowel,for setting a ground Charcoal pencil and eraser PicturePlane/Viewfi nder Felt-tipmarker An Americanflagof any size (or,if a flagis not available, a striped towelor shirt) Time needed: 30to 40 minutes
Purposeof tbe exercise: Sofaq you havebeenfocused on the first three componenr skillsof drawing:edges, spaces, andrelationships. This exercise is a rerurn to still-life drawing emphasizing the samethreeskillsbut using a different subject-the Americanflag. The flagis usefulasa subject because we know it so well. We havean embedded knowledge that the flag'sstripesarestraightand all the same width, andthat the starsare all the sameshape. Because we "know" this, when we try to draw the flagit canbe dificult for us to accepr the perceptionof crossed stripesthat occurswhenever the flagis foldedon itself.Equally difficult ro acceptareperceprions that the stripewidths appear to change due to ripplesin the fabric,andthat the starscan appear to be variedin their shapes depending on how the fabricis folded. For this reason, the flagis a goodsubject for practicingdrawingexactly what you seeon the plane,without second-guessing the visualdata. Instructions:
I. 2.
Turn to pagerot in the workbook,with the printed format. Tone your paperto a palegroundwith your charcoal, rubbingwith a papertowel to a smoothtone.Lightly draw the crosshairs with your charcoal pencil. Arrangean Americanflagon a table,hangingat an anglefrom a flagpole, or drapedover a chair,sothat the stripesappear ro cross.
A student's pre-instruction drawing of a flag.
A post-instruction drawing of aflag
EXERCISE 29
STILL LIFE WITH AMERICAN FLAG
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Usingthe PicturePlane/Viewfinder, compose your drawing.Choosea BasicUnit-perhaps the width of the field of stars-and draw it with your felt-tip markeron the plasticplane. With your charcoal pencil, t. Transferyour BasicUnit to your tonedpaper. startyour drawingby completingthe edges of the field of stars. Useyour pencil to sightthe angles of the stripesasthey appear on rhe plane.Anglesarealways assessed relativeto verticaland horizontalon the plane.If you arenot sureof your sights, hold up the PicturePlane and checkthem relativeto the vertical andhorizontaledges of the plane just asthey appear andthe crosshairs. Draw the angles on the plane. that the 7. If your flaghasripplesin the fabric,closeone eyeandobserve widthsof the stripesappear to change (seethe accompanying drawing). just Draw thesewidth changes asyou seethem. 8. Note that the starsin the flagwill appear to change shape because of the effects of perspective on them.They may not always be symmetrical; just as they may appear to be quite distortedin shape. Draw the stars they appear on the plane.
9. Sign anddateyour finisheddrawing.
Post - exerci se remark s: Often,the seemingly simplestsubjectsprovidethe bestlessons in drawing.This is true of the flag.This drawingmay seemdifficult at first,but onceyou acceptwhat you seeon the plane,it becomes easy. Learningthat is an importantlesson. Drawing shouldbe easy, andit is easy, oncewe stopfightingour storedconceptualknowledge about how things"shouldbe" andsimply acceptperceptions asthey appear on the plane. The next exercises will focuson the fourth skill: seeing lights and shadows. After the rigorsof sighting joy returnsto drawing,because lights and shadows arepowerfulelements in depictingthe three-dimensionality of forms-or in "makingthings look real,"asmy students sometimes put it.
ro4
EXERCISE 2g
STILL LIFE WITH AMERICAN FI-tc
EXERCISE 29
STILL LIFE WITH
AMERICAN
FI/,G
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EXERCISE 30
DrawinganEggLighted from Above
Materials: Charcoal andpapertowel,for toning a ground Charcoal pencilanderaser PicturePlane/Viewfi nder Felt-tipmarker White-shelled eggor eggs, in an egg carton Piece of whitepaper,9"x 12" Lampor spotlight Time needed: About z5minutes
Purposeof tbe etcerctse: This exercise introduces the fourth skill, the perceptionof lights and andrelationshadows, andbuildson the first threeskills (edges, spaces, as ships). You will seethe edges of the shapes of lights and shadows of either negative shapes or positiveforms,andyou will seethe shapes lights andshadows to the whole of the in relationship to eachother and drawing. levelin Lights andshadows areusuallynot perceived at a conscious ordinary life. We seelights and shadows subconsciously; they tell us the shapes of this mentalprocess. of things,but we aregenerallynot aware at a conscious In drawing however, we needto seelights and shadows level.They arevery beautiful,andseeinganddrawingthem is extraordinarily satisfying. SeeFigure 3o-r. In traditionalart instruction,there arefour aspects of light and shadow. Together, thesearecalledthe logic of light, or, in short,light light, andcrest logic.Theseaspects reflected are:highlight,castshadow, shadow. SeeFigures3o-r)3o-2, and3o-3. Highlights arethe lightestlightsin a picture. Castshadows arethe darkest darksin a picture. Reflected lights arenot aslight ashighlights. Crestshadows arenot asdark ascastshadows. The Note;The lightestlight you canachieve is the white of the paper. mark your pencil or charcoal darkest dark you can achieve is the darkest will make. In this exercise, you will be drawingan eggoEif you prefer,several eggs. Because to roundedforms, the useof light logic appliesespecially an egglighted from above effectively demonstrates the four characteristics of lights and shadows. Instructions: r. T\rrn to pagero8of the workbook,with the printed format.Look at the accompanying drawingof an egg,pointing out the four areas-highlight, castshadow; reflected light, and crestshadow. Light rays,bouncing of the offthe flat surface the eggsitson andsoftly lighting the underside egg,createareas of reflected light. Light raysbypassing the eggresultin crestshadows curvedform. on the outermostcrestof the egg's
EXERCISE 30 DRA\ryrNG AN EGG LTGHTED FROM ABOVE
gles
Figure 3o-r.Drawing by student Elizabeth Arnold.
to6
Figure 3o-2.
z. Usingyour charcoal, tone the paperwithin the format to a palegray. Rub it to a smoothtone.Lightly draw crosshairs in the formatusingyour charcoal pencil. j. Arrangea still life with an eggor several eggs on a pieceof white paper. Usethe lamp or spotlightto illuminate rhe still life from above and slightly to one sidein order to producecastshadows, meaningthe shadowsproducedwhen objects block light rays. choose your composition andthen 4. Usingthe PicrurePlane/Viewfinder, choose a BasicUnit; I suggest the width or lengthof one egg. y. Useyour charcoal pencil to transferyour BasicUnit to the format. 6. Now draw the main edges, spaces, andrelationships of the eggsandthe shadows they cast. The negative spaces aroundthe eggsandcastshadows will help you to seethe shapes accurarely. 7. Squint your eyesand searchthe still life for the lightesilightsand the darkestdarks. Erasethe highlightson the eggsanddarkenthe castshadowswith your charcoal pencil. 8. Carefullyobserve the crestshadows andthe reflected lights on rhe eggs. SeeFigure 3o-r. Usingyour eraser and charcoal pencil,slightly lighten the reflected lights andslightly darkenthe crestshadows to approximate the values you seein thoseareas of the eggs. the crosshairs; signand dateyour drawing. 9. Carefullyerase Post-exercise remarkr More than anything,I believe, students wanrto know how ro "shade" their drawings so that formslook three-dimensional. The abiliry ro see subtledifferences in values(the lightness or darkness of one areacomparedto another)is one of the key requirements for achieving this goal. The four aspects of light that you havelearnedin this lesson will help you to seethosedifferences by knowingwhat to look for andthen bringing them to your conscious awareness. Onceyou canseethe four aspects of light, you candraw them.
1.\
'7
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I Figure 3o-3. The two drawings above demonstrate how lights and shadows change when the light source is moved. Where is the light coming from in Figure 3o-zl In Figure 3o-3? In Figure 3o-4?
Figure 3o-4.
EXERCTSE30
DRAWING AN EGG LIGHTED FROM ABOVE
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EXERCISE 3I
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CharlieChaplinin Light and Shadow
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Materials: Charcoal, naturalor syntheric Charcoal pencilanderaser
Purposeof tbe exercise:
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PicturePlane/Viewfi nder Time needed: 30to 40 minutes
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In the exercises on edges, spaces, and relationships, you wereencouraged to seeanddraw fine detailsin order to increase your ability to discriminateslight changes in edges, shapes, angles, andproportions. With the fourth skill, the perceptionof lights andshadows, the focus shiftssomewhat. The visualsystemof the humanbrain canvisualize-that is,seein the mind'seye-missing informationfrom incompletecues. In drawing just this means that if you giveyour viewer enoughcluesaboutthe subject of a drawing,the viewer canenztision the missingparts,andviewers of drawings seemto greatlyenjoythe envisioning process. The photographof Charlie Chaplin you will be copyingin this exercise is a good example of allowingshadows to obscure details, thus requiringthe viewer to fill in the missingparts. Norr.'Because of the harshlight usedin the Hartsookphotoof Chaplin,reflected lights and crestshadows (which you drew in the previousexercise) areobscured. Instructions:
-I.
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T\rrn to pagerrrof the workbook,with the printed format.
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Tone your format to a fairly dark shade rubbingto smooth with charcoal, the tone.The naturalcharcoal is soft and easyto usefor settinga ground, but it smears makes easily. Syntheticcharcoal a darkertone andis less subject to smearing, but it doesnot erase aseasilyasthe naturalcharcoal Try both on somescratch paperand choose the one you like best. Usingyour charcoal pencil,lightly draw crosshairs both within your format and on the reproductionof the Chaplin photo. Choosea BasicUnit andtransferit to your drawingusingthe charcoal pencil.The width of the crown of the hat would makea goodBasicUnit.
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andyour BasicUnit to guideyou,copythe main 5. Usingthe crosshairs edges of the portrait,payingcloseattentionto the shapes of the negative spaces aroundthe figureaswell asthe interior negative shapes.
Charlie Chaplin. Photograph by Hartsook. International Portrait Gallery.
EXERCISE 3I
CHARLIE CHAPLIN IN LIGHT AND SHADO\ry
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With your erase!beginto erase out rhe lightedshapes, leavingthe shadow shapes in the dark tone of the ground.It may help to rurn the drawingupsidedown for part of your drawingtime. Draw only what you 7. Notice how little detail is requiredin the fearures. see. Chaplin'sright eye,for example, is almostentirely portrayedby the largedark shape aroundthe eyeandthe tiny shape of the white of the eye. Regard lines asnarrowshadow shapes: seethe edges of the vestandthe shadows aroundthe mouth. pencil to finishthe drawing but be carefulnot to over9. Useyour charcoal draw the image.Do not addwhat is not there.
IO.
When you arefinished, erase the crosshairs. Signanddateyour drawing adding "Charlie Chaplin,aftera photo by Hartsook." Post - exercise remarks: In light/shadowdrawing,the lighted shapes andthe shadowed shapes can be thoughtof aspositiveandnegative spaces: if you draw (or erase) one,you havesimultaneously drawn the other.If there seems to be an error somewhere in your drawing comparefirst the lighted shapes and then the shadowed shapes in your drawingof Chaplin with thosein the originalphotograph. If one or the other doesnot matchthe shapes you seein the photograph, makethe necessary adjustments. One of the secrets to successful light/shadowdrawingis to allow your viewerto envisionwhatis left out. As mentioned, this givesthe viewer greatpleasure, and the viewer is gratefulfor beingallowedto "see into" the drawing.Don't giveaway the gameby addingtoo much detail.
EXERCISE 3I
CHARLIE CHAPLIN IN LIGHT AND SHADOW
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EXERCISE3I
CHARLIE CHAPLIN IN LIGHT AND SHADOW
EXERCISE )'' 1: J
Proportions of the Head in Full-Face View
Materials: #z and #4n pencils, sharpener, and eraser Time needed: About ry minutes
Purposeof tbe ercerctte: In Exercise z6,yottlearnedto draw the proportionsof the headin profile.The next challenge is to draw a portrait in full-faceview,incorporatingthe fourth skill, the perceptionof lights andshadows. This exercise in learningthe generalproportionsof the humanheadin fullfaceview is helpful in portrait drawing,because theseproportions seem to be difficult to seewithout training.The mostfrequenterror is enlarging the features relativeto the wholeshape of the head.It is well worth takingthe time to memorizeandthen practiceseeing the correctproportionsin order to avoidpersistent errorsin drawingfaces. Instructions:
I.
Turn to pages u4 and rryin the workbook,which showthe full-face diagramandthe blank diagramsideby side. Working carefully and memorizing asyou go,draw in the proportions of the features in the blank diagram. Go backoverthe diagrams at leasr onceto help you rememberthe main points,especially these: a. Eye level to chin equals eyelevelto the top of the head. (Note that the thickness of the hair is addedto the upper proportion.) b. The space betweenthe eyesequalsthe width of one eye. Checktheseproportionson your own faceby lookingin a mirror.Use your pencil to measure the key proportions. If possible, find someone who is willing to be a measurement modelfor you andcheckthe proportions again, measuring directly on the model'sheadwith your pencil. You canalsousefull-facephotographs asmeasurement models.
EXERCTSE 32
PROPORTTONS OF THE HEAD IN FULL-FACE VIEW
Pre-instruction drawing by Howard Rhodes, September r, r984.
l,,lFqFf.**llf sf * frl" :,'?iiF'K{i** ffi*$&s ' ,llwreh*eq 1*j- ?$*4
Post-instruction drawing by Howard Rhodes, December ro, 1984.
EXERCISEJ2
PROPORTIONS OF THE HEAD IN FULL-FACE VIEW
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EXERCISE
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PROPoRTIONS
OF THE HEAD rN FULL-FaCE
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EXERCTSEl2
pRopoRTIoNS
OF THE HEAD IN FULL-FACMEW
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EXERCISE 33
CnpyingaFull-F'ace
Portrait
Materials: Charcoal andpapertowel,for toning a ground Charcoal pencil and eraser PicturePlane/Viewfi nder Time needed: About3ominutes
Purposeof the exercise: In this exercise, you will be usingcharcoal to copy a full-faceselfportrait by Picasso, alsodrawnin charcoal. You will gainpracticenot only in drawingthe proportionsof the head,but alsoin usingcharcoal to createa rangeof dark and light values. Portrait drawingrequiresprecisediscriminations in termsof edges, spaces, relationships, and lights andshadows. Beforeyou startyour drawing compare the generalized proportionsof the headasshownin the Exercise head.You will 3zdiagramwith the proportionsof Picasso's find minute variations. For example, Picasso drew his left eyeslightly lower than his right eye.The mouth is slightly wider on the right sideof his facethan on the left. His right earis slightly higher than his left ear. By makingthesevery fine visualdiscriminations and drawingyour perjust asyou seethem,you will capturePicasso's ceptions likeness. Instructions:
I.
Ttrrn to pageu8 in the workbook,the reproductionof Picasso's SeF Portrait,Barcelona, r899-r9oo. On pagerr9is a format with approximately the sameproportionsasthe original. Tone your paperlightly with charcoal, rubbingit to a smoothtone with the papertowel.Lightly draw crosshairs with charcoal pencil and,if you wish,draw crosshairs on the reproductiondrawing.If you prefer,you canlay your PicturePlane/Viewfinderdirectly on top of the reproduction to providethe crosshairs.
the disl. Choosea BasicUnit eyelevelto chin,the lengthof the nose, tancefrom the outsidecornerof one eyeto the outsidecornerof the other eye,or any BasicUnit you prefer.tansfer your BasicUnit to your tonedground,usingthe crosshairs to guidethe placement. Usingthe crosshairs to guideyou,beginto draw the headon your toned paperwith your charcoal or the pencil.You may startwith the features largeshape of the head.
t, Checkall the proportionsasyou draw.Youwill find that thoughthey

closelyconformto the full-facediagramproportions, there areslight differences. Paycloseattentionto thosedifferences anddraw them just as you seethem.
n6
EXERCTSE 33 COPYTNG A FULL-FACD PORTRATT
6. Use the shapes of the negativespaces aroundthe head-for example,the dark shapeon the left side of the reproduction,which will definefor you the shapeof the jaw,ear,and hait Use your charcoalstick to darkenin thosenegative spaces. rather than 7. Try using the whites of the eyesasinterior negativeshapes, drawing the irisesof the eyes. This will help you to placethe irises correctly. 8. Once you havesketchedin the main features, begin erasingout lighted areasand darkeningshadowed areas. Squint your eyesto seethe lightest lights (the highlights) on the nose,the temple, and the shirt. Draw the castshadows besidethe nose, under the brow,the cheekbone, the upper lip, and the chin. Softly erasethe reflectedlight on the rightiaw and darkenthe crestshadows on the right cheekbone and jaw.Be surenot to add more detail than you seein the drawing. Sign and 9. When your drawing is finished,carefully erasethe crosshairs. datethe.drawing, noting that it is "After Picasso." Sincecharcoal drawings smeareasily,you may want to sprayyour drawing with charcoal fixative,but be awarethat the fixativewill slightly changethe appearance of the charcoal. Po$- exercise retnark s: This exercisehasprovided practicein four of the basicperceptual skills-seeing and drawing edges, spaces, relationships,and lights and shadows-as well aspracticein seeingand drawing the headin correct proportion andin usingcharcoal asa drawingmedium. The Charlie Chaplin drawingwasin two values only: blackand white. The Picasso drawing hasa wider rangeof values-very light, light, medium, and dark-and thereforehasgiven you an opportunity to seeand draw the four aspects of light logic highlights,castshadows, reflectedlights,andcrestshadows. All of this is helpful preparation for the next challenge,drawing your self*portrait.
EXERCTSEJ3
COPYTNG A FULL-FACE PORTRATT
T17
Pablo Picasso (r88r-r91), Self-Portra't,Barcelona, r895r9oo. Charcoal on paper, zz.5x16.5 cm.. Picasso Museum, Barcelona. @zoozEstate of Pablo Picasso/Artist Rights Society (ARS), New York. II8
EXERCTSE 33 COPYING A FULL-FACE PORTRAIT
I
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EXERCISE 11
COPYING A FULL-FACE PORTRAIT
II9
EXERCISE 34
DrawingYour Self-Portrait in Light and Shadow

Purposeof tbe exercise: Self-portraits areoften described asone of the mostdifficult tasks in drawing but they are actually neither different from nor more difficult than other kindsof drawing.All drawings requirethe samebasiccomponent skillsthat you havebeenstudying: seeingedges, spaces, relationships,andlights andshadows. I believethe real problemis that eachof us hasa stronglyembedded, memorizedsetof symbols for the human face,developed during childhood.Settingthis symbolsystemaside is the difficult part.Moreover, we havebeliefsaboutour own appearance (both positiveandnegative), aswell asmemoriesof how we appeared in the past,andthesecanaffectour perceptions. As always, the solution is to draw just what you see,always checkingrelationships against one another. A reminder:in drawing your self-portrait, rememberto include seeingand drawing negative spaces in order to strengthen your compositionandthe unity of spaces andshapes.
Materials: Mirror #z and#4n pencils, sharpener, eraser Felt-tip marker Dampened tissuefor corrections Graphitestick andpaperrowel, for setting a ground Note:Yotwill needa floor lamp or clip-on light to illuminate one side of your head. Time needed: r to z hours
Remember, drawing is not photography. Self-portraits drawn by the same artist vary greatly one from another as shown in these drawings by instructor Brian Bomeisler. While still portraying a likeness, the setting and mood change.
EXERCTSE34
DRAWTNG YOUR SILF-PORTRATT IN LIGHT AND SHADOW
:,
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Above: Self-portrait before instruction, by Rebecca Feldman, age r4,June u,rggg. Right: Self-portrait after instruction, Jlune25,1999.
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Above: Self-portrait before instruction, by Patrick O'Donnell,June il, 1999. Right Self-portrait after instruction, June 25,1999.
EXERCISX 14
DRAWING YOUR SELF.PORTRAIT
IN LIGHT AND SHADOW
Above: Pre-instruction drawing by Tony Schwart z, July n, ry89. Right Self-portrait after instruction, July 16,1989.
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Before and after self-portraits by a student in a five-day workshop.
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EXERCTSE34
DRAWTNG YOUR SELF-PORTRATT rN LrcHT
AND SHADOW
Instructions: r. Turn to pageDSof the workbook,with the printed format.Using graphiteand a papertowel,seta groundwith a medium-darktone. Lightly draw a setof crosshairs within the format with your #z penEil. z. Sit in front of the mirror. Reach forward,andwith the felt-tip marker' and a ruler, draw a format edgeon the mirroq about6" x8Yr".Now, draw crosshairs on the mirror within the format.When you aredrawinga self-portrait, the mirror becomes the picture plane.The mirror {lattens your image.SeeFigure 34-r.
Figure34-r.
of your 3. Gazeat your reflectionin the mirroq trying variousposirions headto compose the drawing.Choosea BasicUnit-perhaps two marks that designate eyelevel andthe bottom of your chin.SeeFigure 34-2. #z pencil,transferthe marksof your BasicUnit ro your 4. Using yo:ur format.This will ensurethat the drawingof your headwill be correctly sizedwithin the format,neithertoo largenor too small.Then, lightly sketch in the main edges andspaces of your headandface.It is not necessary to draw in everydetail of your features: sometimes the parts you leavefor the viewerto envisionrurn out to be the bestpartsof a drawing. of lights andshadows in your image. Work t. Now, look for the shapes mainly with the eraser to start,erasing out the largelighted shapes. For example, you might erase out the negative spaces aroundyour head; alternatively, you might darkenthe negative spaces, asPicasso did in his self-portrait. Establishing the shape of the headhelpsyou ro envisionthe features. 6. squint your eyesandlook at your imagein the mirror to find the lightest lights,the highlights,andthe darkest darks(which areoftenthe cast shadows). Erasethe highlightsanddarkenthe castshadows with your #4n pencil.SeeFigure 34-3. of reflectedlight-for example, 7. Squintyour eyesagainto find any areas light reflected under the jaw or chin from a light-coloredshirt or blouse. Softly erase the areas of reflectedlight. 8. Squintyour eyesagainto find any areas of crestshadows, oftenfound on the nose, the cheekbone, the jaw,or the chin.Carefullydarkenthe crest shadows. spaces to correctlylocate 9. Usethe whitesof your eyesasinterior negative your irises. You will probablyfind that the whitesof your eyesarenor as light ashighlights. carefully erase rhe whitesanddarkenthe irises,comparingthesetonesto your lightestanddarkest values beforedrawing them. ro. Find and erase any highlightsyou seeon your hair.This will help to establish the character andshape of the hair. rr. In continuingto draw the features, leavesomedetailsfor the viewerto envision, especially in the shadowed areas. SeeFigure 34-4. rz. When the drawingis finished, signand dateit.
Figure34-4.
EXERCTSE34 DRAWTNG YOUR SELF-PORTRATT rN LrcHT AND SHADOW
I2J
Post-exercise remarhs: You will find it interesting to compare this drawingto rhe pre-instruction self-portraityou drew in Exerciser. I feel surethat you will be pleased at the comparison. In the past,I havehad students who literally did not recognize their pre-instructionself-portraits astheir own work, because their skillshad advanced so much farther. As you comparethe two drawings,think about what you have learnedsincethe first drawing andhow that learningis evidenced in your new self-portrait. Often,students find that the first drawing includesmemorizedsymbolsfrom childhood,which areoftenparticularly evidentin the eyes, the nose,andthe ears,aswell asin the enlargement of the features relativeto the full head.It might be interesting for you to measurethe relationshjp "Eye level to chin equalseyelevel to the top of the head"in both of your self-portraits. A second characteristic I haveofrenseenin the pre-instructionselfportraitsis a kind of blandness or blankness in expression. In conrrasr, the post-instruction self-portraits areoftenintense-sometimesvery intenseandserious-and always full of life. In judging your drawing and hoping for an exactlikeness, be aware that self-portrait drau:ingis notpbotograpltjt.The next self-portrait you draw may showanotheraspect of your appearance, andthe next yet another. If you look at a seriesof self-portraitsby the sameartist-for example, Rembrandtor van Gogh-they look remarkablydifferent from one another.In eachself-portrait, you recognizethe person,but you seean imagepainted or drawn with a different mood and from a different point of view
12+
EXERCTSE 34
DRAWING YOUR SELF-PORTRAIT IN LIGHT AND SHADOW
EXERCTSE J4
DRAWTNG yOUR SELF-PORTRATT rN LrcHT
AND SHADOW
125
PartY The Perception of the Gestalt
A Definition a.ndEtcplana.tion of "The perceptionof the Gestalt The word gestaltliterally means "shape," but it hasevolvedto signi$r a setof elements, thoughts, or perceptions that,when takenall together, amountto more than the sum of the parts.The perceptionof the gestalt is the fifth componenr skill in drawing.The imageis seento be more than the sum of the materials from which it is made,the subject it portrays, andthe other componeit perceptions of edges, spaces, relationships, andlights andshadows. The image,takenall together, hasa meaningand a purposeof its own:to porrraythe inherentcharacrer of the subject, whetherthe drawingis a self-portraitor a depictionof a singleflower, an egg,or one'sown hand.In the language of zen,the ancientBuddhist philosophy, the gestaltrepresents the "thingness of the thing" its essential nature. In this workbook,I havetaughtyou the first four drawingskillsedges, spaces, relationships, andlight/shadow-by direct,specific instructions. The fifth skill, however, the perceptionof the gestalt, cannot be taughtdirectly.I canname,describe, and point it out to you, but it is an experience that will needto simply happenasa resultof your slowing down and perceivingsomethingwith the focusedattenrion required for drawing.I feel surethat you haveexperiencedthe gestaltalready, perhaps when you drew the flower andsuddenlyperceived how exrraordinarily complicated andbeautifulthe flowerseemed, or whenyou drew the profile portrait and weresurprised at how suddenlybeautiful the personyou drew seemed. I believethe perceptionof the gestaltcanbe equated with the "aesthetic response," which is a term from the branchof philosophy calledaesthetics, the srudyof beauty. The aesthetic response occursat that momentwhen you suddenlyseethe beautyof something whetheran idea,an elegant solutionto a problem,or something familiar seenin a new way.The perceptionof the gestalt is one of the greatpleasures of drawing.An artist who hasexperienced it oncehopesto havethe experience again. The perceptionof the gestaltcanthus keepyou drawingforever. In this sectionof the workbook,I will presenta varietyof new exercises, subjects for drawing,media,andtechniques. I hopethat you will experience the aesthetic response, the perceptionof the gestalt, in every drawingyou do from this point forward.
Ellsworth Kelly Qgz1. ; American). Apples, 1949. Pencil,ry%xzz%inches. Museum of Modern Art, New York (gift of John S. Newberry by exchange).
Shokei (r628-r7ry), Mia Riting. Signed "Hokkyo Shokei, aged 86." KanoSchool. Landscapein ink on paper, z9o x t3o mm. Bigelow Collecrion, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
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THE PERCEPTION OF THE GESTALT
EXERCISE
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UsingInk andBrush
Materialr Drawingink, suchasIndia ink or brownink madefor writing pens #z pencil,sharpener, and eraser #7 or #8 warercolor brush Saucer or platefor mixing the ink with water Jarof waterandsomepapertowels or cleanrags Time needed: Aboutzo minutes
I.
Purposeof tbe exercise: Insteadof charcoal or pencil,in this exercise, I'd like you to try usingink andbrush.This mediumis a bit dauntingat first,because you cannor erase to correctmistakes. In this drawing however, you will lightly sketchthe imagefirst andthen addwater-thinned ink with a brush.This is a usefultechniquefor makingquick sketches. In this exercise, you will be copyingan ink-and-brush self-portrait by Picasso. I havechosen this drawingnot only because it beautifully demonstrates ink andbrushtechnique, but alsobecause it reinforces the lesson you learnedwith the fourth skill, lights andshadows, rhara surprisingamountof detail canbe left for the viewerto envision. Instructions: Turn to pager29of the workbook,with an approximately square format for use with Self-Portrait,Barcelona, rgooby Picasso, on pagerz8. shadow shape on Picasso's headandface.That shape defines the features. Then, turn the drawingright sideup andsketchthe main edges andnegativespaces directly onrothe paper. For this drawing,imaginethe crosshairs andchoose a BasicUnit without literally goingthrough all the stepsof the process.
) of the ) ' Mark your BasicUnit within the format.Beginto draw the edges
z. You may wantto turn the drawingupsidedown to betterseethe large
largeshapes of lights andshadows, sizingthem in proportionto your BasicUnit. Do notaddmore detailthanJnu see in tlteoriginal. For example, half of the lower lip is left undefined. Draw the shapes of the shadows in that areajust asyou seethem. Make sureyour eye-level proportionis correct.Remember, eyelevelto chin equals eyelevelto the top of the head.Because the hair is thick, you must adda bit more to the upper proporrion.
t. Onceyour sketchis complete,dip your brushin ink, then in warerto thin

the ink, andbeginto paint the outlinesof the head,the shouldeqand shirt.Notice that the brushcontinues aroundthe edseof the formatto framethe head.
Brush and ink drawing by student Brenda Sanders.
EXERCISE 1f
USING INK AND BRUSH
r27
6. Dip the brushin ink againandpaint the largeshadow shape, which
shapes the eyebrow, nose, mouth, and chin. shapes on the lighted sideof the head 7. carefully makethe smallshadow that completethe features. When your drawingis finished, signand dateit, adding"After picasso." Post- exercise remarks: This drawingwill surelyillustratefor you the powerof light/shadow drawing.Can'ryou envisionthe eye,nose,andmouth in the shadowed sideof Picasso's head,eventhoughthereis nothing therebut a fearurelessshadow? Envisioningthe missing features will help to triggerthe perceptionof the gestalt.
Pablo Picasso (r88r-r97) Self-Portra' t Barcelona, r9oo.Pen, ink, and watercolor on paper, 9.5 x g.6 cm. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Raymond paul donation, in memory of his brother, C. Michael Paul, 1982. @zoozEstate of Pablo Picasso/Artist Rights Society (ARS), New York.
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EXERCISE 3t
usrNc rNK aND BRUSH
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E X E R C I S EJ '
USING INK AND BRUSH
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EXERCISE 36
An UrbanLandscape Drawittg
Materials: #z pencil Free-flowing, fine-tipped, black-ink writing pen,suchasthe Sanford Uniball Micro pen PicturePlane/Viewfi nder Felt-tip marker Tineneeded: 30to 4t minutes
Purposeof the exercise: in available, rural landscape Sincefew of us havean easilyaccessible us, many of to more familiar a scene this exercise you will be drawing for a drawing This may seeman unlikely subiect anurban landscape. areso familiar we barelytakenoticeof them.The suchscenes because andanysubiect, purposeof this exerciseis to demonstratethat anj)scene of subject can be the when lovingly viewedand carefullydrawn, on edges, a beautifuldrawing.In this drawing you will concentrate andperceivingthe gestaltof a perhaps spaces, relationships, negative unlikely subject.
r30
nxnncrsr 36
AN URBANLANDScAPEDRAwING
Instrurtions:
I.
Turn to pager3z, with the printed format. what you might describe asa truly ugly corner,full of signboards, stoplights,andstorefronts. Parkyour car (or setup a folding chair if you areon foot) nearthe truly ugly corneqandprepareto draw while sitting in your car or on your folding chair. Useyour PicturePlane/Viewfinder to framethe view Choosea composition.
z. By automobile or on foot, exploreyour neighborhood or town to locate
t. Choosea BasicUnit. Draw it on the plasticplanewith the felt-tip

marker. 6. Transferthe BasicUnit to the paperusing your #z pencil. You may usepencil,or you may startdrawing 7. Sketchthe main edges. directly with the pen if you wish. Usingline only,beginto draw the scene boundedby your Viewfinder, at first focusingmainly on the negative spaces. If you havesignboards in your scene, draw the lettersby drawingthe negative spaces aroundthe letters.This will unify the letterformsinto the composition (if you drew the lettersthemselves, they would "pop out" of the composition). to adjacent shapes, andfrom shapes to adjacent spaces. 9 . Work from spaces Useyour pencil to sightangles relativeto verticalandhorizonral, and proportionsrelativeto your BasicUnit. Fit the partstogetherasthough the scene were a complex,fascinating puzzle. When you havefinisheddrawingall the edges of the shapes andspaces, you may wantto useyour pen or pencil to darkenin someof the shapes or spaces. Alternatively, you may wish to keepthe drawingasa pure line drawing.
II.
When you havefinished, signand dateyour drawing.You may wish to add a title- UrbanLandscape, Ao Ugb Corner, Fifih andBroadway. Post - exerci se remarhs: In this drawing,your subject-the urbanlandscap*was probablymade up of mostlystraightlinesand angles, but the samedrawingtechnique canbe readily appliedto other kindsof landscapes aswell.Negative spaces, for example, areenormouslyhelpful in drawingtree trunks, branches, andthe spaces aroundclumpsof leaves. I hopethis drawingconvinces you that subject matreris of very little importancein drawing.Anything-an old pair of shoes, a baseball cap, a towel hung overthe backof a chair,an unmadebed-can, when lovingly observed, producea beautifuldrawingandprovide a sense of the gestalt.
nxnncrsr 36
AN URBAN LANDscApE DRAWTNG
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EXERCISE J6
AN URBAN LANDSCAPE DRAWING
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EXERCISE 37
Hatchingand Crosshatchitrg
Materials: #z and#4r pencils,sharpener, and eraser Penand ink, or a writing pen with a medium-fine dp Charcoal and a charcoal pencil Contecrayon, blackor sanguine (reddishbrown) Time needed: About zo minutes
I.
Parposeof the exercise: Hatching and crosshatching are techniquesof shadingwith rapid parallel lines that often intersect or cross. Almost every trained artist uses hatching or crossharching to give the effectof shadowor texftre change. In addition,crosshatching allowsa lovely sense of light and air ro permeate a drawing.Each artisr over time developsa personalstyle of hatching or crosshatchingjust asyou willin time developyour own way of crosshatching.In the early stages of learning to draw,crosshatching seems to require someinstruction, asindicated in the reproduction of a page from a r93os book on drawing. Instractions: T\rrn to pager3t of the workbook,printed with six small formats. in the examplesgiven in the early drawing manual: a. In Formatr, useyour #z writing pencil. b. In Formatz,useyour #4 drawingpencil. c. In Formatj, usepen andink or a writing pen. d. In Format4, usecharcoal or charcoal pencil,or both. e. In Format5, usecontecrayon. f, In Format 6,useyour favorite style of hatching using any of the above mediums.
) within eachof the formats, practicemakinghatches andcrosshatches as
EXERCISE 37
HATCHTNG AND CROSSHATCHTNG
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Post- exercis e remarks:
It is through practicethat your own style of hatchingor crosshatching will develop.I suggest that you practice this valuabletechniqueasa form of doodlingduring odd moments, suchaswhen talking on the phoneor sitting in meetings
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EXERCTSE37
HATCHTNG AND CROSSHATCHING
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EXERCISE 37
HATCHTNG AND CROSSHATCHTNG
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EXERC I SE
38
A fipre Drawing in Crosshatch
Materials: Conte crayon, sanguine (reddish brown) Eraser Time needed: 30to 40 minutes
Purposeof the exercise:
In the previousexercises in this workbook,you haveuseda smoothtone to delineate shadows. In this exercise, you will be copyinga figuredrawing by AlphonseLegrosin which nearly all of the shadows areformedb hatchedlines.As you cansee, of asidefrom the linesdefiningthe edges the form, the drawingis formed almostentirely with hatchedlinesthat cross, not at right angles, but at very smallangles. at small Crossing angles allowsthe artistto build up the hatches, creatingevendarker tonesby slightly changing the anglewith eachoverlapping setof hatches.You will draw your copy of Legros'sdrawing in conte crayonsothat you canexperience the natureof that medium. Instructions:
I.
Tirrn to pager39 in the workbook,with the printed format for usein copyingthe drawingSeaad Male,byAlphonseLegros,on pager38. Note that the original drawingwasin red chalk,a somewhat softermedium than contecrayon. For this drawing,you will practiceputting your skillson automatic by omitting the drawingof the crosshairs, usingimaginarycrosshairs instead.
Choosea BasicUnit-say, the bottom edgeof the negative above space the thigh.Locatethe BasicUnit by eyewithin the blank format anddraw that edge. All proportionswill be drawnrelativeto that edge. Draw the outer edgeof the figure,usingnegative spaces andsightingall angles andproportions. of payingattentionto the overallshape t. Beginto hatchin the shadows, eachshadowed area. Notice that wherethe hatches cross, they cross at smallangles, not at right angles. Right-anglecrosshatches canbe very awkwardto work with, often producinga patchwork-like effect. Tirrn both drawings upsidedown to compare the largeshadow shapes andto seewherethe darkest of areas fall. In thoseareas, build up layers hatches the by hatchingbackoveryour first setsof hatches, changing angleslightly with eachnew set.
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nxrncrsr,38
A FrcuRE DRAwTNGrN cRossHATCH
when you havefinished,sign dnd date the drawing addingthe notation 'After Legros." Post-exercis e remarks: crosshatchingcan seemlike a complicatedway to achievea shadow shape, but the effectis so beautiful that the techniqueis well worth learning. It may haveseemeddifficult at first to "fearherour" the hatchesin order to makea smoothtransition from a shadowed areato a lighted a,rea. This dependspartly on the amount of pressureyou apply with the pencil point. I recommendpracticing crosshatching using varying pressures and varying amountsof spaces betweenthe hatchedlines. Hatching is the mark of the trained artist. Learning ro usethis technique will give your drawingsa professional look that is unmistakable.
exrncrsn 38
A FrcuRE DRAwTNG rN cRossHATcH
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Alphonse Legros, red chalk on paper. Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York.
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nxrncrsn 38
A FTGURE DRAWTNG IN CROSSHATCH
E X E R C I S E3 6
A FIGURE DRAWING rN CROSSHATCI.I
r39
EXERCISE 39
Drawing An Imaginative Based on Leonardo da Vinci'sAdvice

Parposeof tbe exercise:
Materials: Smallamountof ink, coffee, tea, or cola(preferablydiet cola,because it contains no sugarthat would make your drawingsticky) Writing pen Four or five sheets of newspaper Time needed: About 3ominutesof drying time and aboutr5minutesfor drawing
seenin the mainly on something havebeenbased Thus far,the exercises drawing real world. This is a form of drawingcalled"realism."However, of real life. Drawing canalsodepict neednot be confinedto portrayals One of the problemswith imaginative the world of the imagination. drawing is finding a way to start.This exerciseis inspired by the writing on that artistsstudythe stains of Leonardoda Vinci, who recommended scenes imaginative with envisioned old wallsto sparktheir imaginations andfigures. Instructions: r. Turn to page4z of your workbook,with the printed format.(Forthis drawing you will not needthe teachingandlearningaids,the Picture the BasicUnit, or the crosshairs.) Plane/Viewfindeq Carefully your drawingPage. beneath of newspaper z. Placesomesheets tea,or spill someink thinned with water,or somecoffee, but deliberately cola,within the format.Allow the liquid to run whereit will, andthenlet it dry for about3ominutes. triggeredin your trying to "see"images 3. Studythe stainson the paper, mind by the stains. with images 4. Usingthe writing pen,beginto reinforcethe envisioned to createthree-dimenandcrosshatches addinghatches line, perhaps sionalforms. that the drawingis y. Continuereinforcingimages until you aresatisfied finished. 6. Title your drawing.This is an importantstepandshouldbe givensome thought.Then, signand dateyour drawing. Post- exerci se remarks: This is a good exerciseto repeatagainand againin order to nurrure your of the real world, your imagination. As you continueto draw images For drawings. of remembered with images mind will becomestocked example, canyou call up in your mind'seyethe imageof the floweryou These 19? Iz,or the man readingthe Biblein Exercise drew in Exercise
t40
EXERCTSE39
AN IMAGINATIVE
DRAWING BASED ON LEONARDO DA VINCI'S
ADVICE
images haveremarkable longevityand arereadilycalledup to guide your drawingwhen,for example, you wantto drav/a floweror a seated figurefrom your imagination. Completelyimaginarycrearures and scenes evolvefrom amalgamations of remembered images. The process of drawingimaginarycreaturesitself helpsyou to envisionimages. For example, onceyou have drawnthe headof an imaginarycrearure, rhe nexrparr-the body-is generated asan imaginedextension of the head.You then draw on the paperthe imageyou seein your mind. The wholeprocess of imaginary drawingis strengthened and enrichedby havinga largerepertoireof remembered images just as,for a creative from previousdrawings, writer, havinga largerepertoireof remembered writings helpswith imaginative writing.
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EXERCISE J9
AN IMAGINATIVE
DRAWING BASED oN LEoNARDo
DA vINcI,s
ADVICE
147
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EXERCISE 39
AN TMAGTNATTVE DRAWTNG BASED ON LEONARDO DA VrNCr'S ADVTCE
PartY The Perception of the Gestalt
EXERCTSE 40
A Four-by-Four Drawing
Materials: and sharpener, #z and#4npencils, eraser A smallpieceof white paper, z" x 2",with a square /r" x/t" about format cut out. An objectof your choice(for example,a dried leaf,a pieceof jewelry, a pieceof popcorn,a shell,bark from a tree,a flower,a rock, a piece wood) of weathered Time needed: Aboutr hour Parposeof the exerctse: for that subiects is to demonstrate The purposeof this final exercise evenin the and canbe found everywhere, drawingsareinnumerable you will be drawingfrom an In this exercise, places. mostunexpected or from the naturalworld. object,either human-made ordinary,everyday x/r" , of this obiectto a 4" x 4" formatto You will enlargea tiny area,Yr" asthe original obiectbut producea drawingthat may be unrecognizable This drawingwill require image. that will presenta nev/,almostabstract from Pure contour drawingthrough all of the skillsyou havegained, andthe perceptionof the gestalt' light/shadowto crosshatching Instructions: r. T\rrn to pageI45in the workbook,with the printed 4" x 4" format. Usethe paPefwith the smallcutout z. Examinethe objectyou havechosen. a to choose squafeasa smallversionof the PicturePlane/Viewfinder that you like. composition you can 3. Carefullytapethe paperformatto the obiectandplaceit where closelyview it. on the objectand on the 4" x 4" format (or lightly 4. Imaginecrosshairs within the format if you wish)' draw in the crosshairs your pencil andbeginto draw iust whatyou seein the object, 5. Sharpen openingto the from the Yr"xYr" square enlargingyour observations +" x +" format. Be sure andlights/shadows. relationships, spaces, 6. Draw the main edges, of your drawing. areas in the shadowed to incorporatecrosshatching of the drawing work within the drawingitself to bring 7. At the laststage to be addedto all partsto a point of finish,when you feel nothing needs Try to usea rangeof values, sPaces. Make sureyou emphasize the image. from very light to very dark. g. Decideon a title. Titles andsignatures becomepart of a drawing. Carefullywrite or print the title belowthe lower left-handcornerand signthe drawingbelowthe right-handcorner.
EXERCTSE40
A FOUR-BY-FOUR DRAWING
r+3
Post- exerci se remarks: or You haveiust completed an abstractdrawing.You haveabstracted, qualitiesfrom an obiectof the naturalworld' This is drawnout, essential art.These4" x +" drawingsarevery beautiful the definitionof "abstract" Evenin drawinga smallpart of andstandon their own asreal drawings. the perceptionof the you may haveexperienced a very ordinary obfect, gestaltduring the time you were drawing or after the drawing was to draw in unlikely I hopethis inspiresyou to look for subiects finished. aswell aslikely places.
4+
EXERCISE 40
A FOUR-BY-FOUR DRAWING
EXERCISE40
A F O U R _ B Y _ F O U RD R A W I N G
r4t
Some Suggestions for Further Study
In time, you will discard your Picture Plane/Viewfinder. Using your hand and pencil to form a viewfinder, you will imagine the crosshairs, choose a Basic Unit, estimate its size relatiae to tbeformat, mark it on your paper, and. . . iust start drawing.
To keepimprovingyour drawingskills,the importantthing is to continCarrying a Ten minutesa day is sufficient' ue to draw on a regularbasis. with blank is very helpful:I recommenda smallsketchbook sketchbook to You may choose or a pocket. that will fit in a purse,a briefcase, pages carry also usea pen,but if you preferworking with a pencil,you should a small,hand-heldpencil sharpener. will inspireyou with new ideas, Time permitting a drawingclass to seethe drawingsof other people. matter,and a chance new subject a with drawing,I recommend If this workbookis your first experience focuson in beginningdrawing.Most beginningdrawingclasses class not on the very basicstrategies matter and a varietyof mediums, subject of perceptionthat you learnedin this workbook.Therefore,a beginning will probablynot be a repeatof theselessons. drawingclass hold uninstructedlife-drawing andschools Somecommunities modelsto classes, with no instructorbut with a variety of professional andthe mostrewarding practice, draw from. This is the bestpossible to draw. fascinating the humanfigureis endlessly because to your list of mediums. color in adding You may becomeinterested of familiarity,sincethey aresimply Coloredpencilshavethe advantage anotherform of pencil andso arenot an entirely new mediumfor you. You may wish to try working with pastelpencils,a lovely mediumandan pencilsare stepbetweendrawingandpainting.Pastel intermediate than pastelchalksfor a beginnerin drawing more accessible somewhat andthey arelessdusty,aswell. in museums is to go to seedrawings My final recommendation how othershave from seeing You will learn a greatdeal andgalleries. handledparticularproblemsin drawing.In addition,find booksin the andtry of greatdrawings, that showreproductions library or bookstores In timespast,that is how to find time to copysomeof thoseartworks. We areforartistslearnedto draw:by copyingthe worksof greataftists. so readily available. tunatein our own time to havereproductions learningto draw,but that is one of the reasons No one everfinishes your interestthroughouta lifetime. why drawingcansustain
46
SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY
Portfolio andVideo Ordering
The Drawing on the Right Sideof the Brain Portfolio is a completedrawing course. It includes:
To order the complete Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain portfolio or iust the Video, complete this order form and mail or fax it to us at: Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain rrySz6th Sueeq Box y3o SantaMonica,CAgo4o3 Fax: 562595-7572 Internet Or order via the Internet at www.drawright.com Telepbone: 888oaaw-ror (888372-9ror) Salestax will apply for California. Pleaseallow two to four weeksfor delivery. Shipping chargeswill be added-visit our websiteor call for a quote. DeliaerTmoltod: ws
A two-hour videocassette Drawingboard Largedrawing paper Smalldrawing paper Smalltemplate Large template ExtraJarge template
FIRST NAME
LAST NAME
Redgel
ADDRESS
SmallPicture Plane/Viewfi nder

PHONE
Picture Plane/Viewfi nder finder ion 6nder marker ite stick 4r pencil z pencil 4r pencil 6r Pa2mmtmetbod:
E-MAIL
ADDRESS
o check or money order payable to Drawingon tbeRigltt Sideof tbeBrain,Inc. O Mastercard O Visa O American Express O Discover
CREDIT CARD NUMBER
EXPIRATION DATE.]
A U T H o R T z Es D rcxerufr
Itemt ordered: @nury
ltem
Pice t99.99 ,zg.gg

SUB-TOTAL
Toal.
The Portfolio (includes rbeztideQ sharpener eraser TheVideo
selrs tex (ce) sumnvc (urs)

HANDLING TOTAL
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Io l14l02

New Drawing On The Right Side of The Brain (Workbook) (Team Nanban) (TPB)

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ART/CREATT\rrfY

TbeIr'iew Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain Workbook

TbeIr'iew Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain Workbook

Foreword List of Supplies Glossary of Terms The Exercises

Exerciser4 Exercise15 Exercise16 Exerciser7 Exerciser8 Exercise19

Part lll The Perception of Relationships

Part lV The Perception of Lights and Shadows

Exercise 3o Exercise 3r Exercise 3z Exercise 33 Exercise 34

PartV The Perception of the Gestalt

Exercise 35 Exercise 36 Exercise 37 Exercise 38 Exercise 39 Exercise 4o

rz7 r30 r33 \6 r+o

Some Suggestions for Further Study

Portfolio and Yideo Ordering

Charcoal 6 sticksof natural charcoal

Conte crayons r black

Erasable felt-tip marker

lnk r smallbottle of blackIndia ink

r small bottle of brown writing ink

Right brain hemisphere.

nceded: 3ominutes,more if needed

+. Draw your self-portrait to the bestof your abiliry.

Pre- InstructionD rarruiry of YourHand

t. Sign and date your drawing.

Pre-Instruction Drawing #z: MvHand

DRAWING OF YOUR HAND

Part I The Perception of Edges

Pre-Instruction Drawing of the Cornerof aRoom

DRAWTNG OF THE CORNER OF A ROOM

Pre-Instruction Drawing #3: A Room Corner

PRE-INSTRUCTTON DRAWING OF THE CORNER OF A ROOM

pRE-rNsrRUcrroN DRAWING oF THE coRNER oF A RooM

Part I The Perception ''of Edges

Warm-up andFree Drawing

fuIanials: &k-tip marker or #4ydrawing trnncil Peneil sharpener Eiteneeded dboutrominutes

Van Gogh marks.

Ben Shahn marks.

AND FREE DRAWING

Heather Allen by the author.

Grace Kennedv bv the author.

Grace Kennedy by Brian Bomeisler.

Part I The Perception of Edges

The "Vas elF'aces" Drawirg

Part I The Perception of Edges

t. Time permitting it is extremelyhelpful to do a secondand evena thild

it aftarendf' andc*eEiae.Therefore, name

over;Sincewe,car*tgirn the w4 the visual mode to'talire

gain'r our maintaskin learnifugm drawis to learnhow'"to '

Part I The Perception of Edges

Pure Contour Drawing

) Tape the workbook to a tabletop.

)' Setyour kitchen timer for 5 minutes.

'.\ /': {,*,

PURE CONTOUR DRAWTNG

Pure contour drawing.

PURE CONTOUR DRAWING

Part I The Perception of Edges

DrawittgYour Hand on the PlasdcPicturePlane

youR HAND oN THE pLAsrIc prcruRE pLANE