Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain Exercises
Drawing is more than just making pictures on paper. When we draw, a special part of our brain works hard. This part is on the right side and is known for helping with creativity and seeing the big picture. Understanding how this part of the brain works with drawing can help us get better at art. In this article, “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain Exercises,” we’ll look at some exercises that make this part of the brain engage even more. By doing this, we can become better artists and learn more about how our brain works.
This article is for everyone – whether you’ve been drawing for years or are just starting. You will learn more about our brain and how to use the right side of the brain when you draw.
Left Side vs Right Side of the Brain
The concept of left-brain versus right-brain has been a popular topic in psychology and popular culture for years. The theory posits that people have a dominant side of the brain that influences their cognitive skills and personality. Here’s a basic overview:
Left Brain:
- Logical Thinking: The left hemisphere is often associated with logical processes, analytical tasks, and objective thinking.
- Language: Speech and language centers (like Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area) are usually located in the left hemisphere for right-handed people.
- Mathematics: Mathematical computations and problem solving are typically ascribed to this hemisphere.
- Sequencing: The left brain is also thought to be adept at tasks that involve sequencing or order.
- Facts: It’s concerned with the “details,” focusing on the trees rather than the forest.
Right Brain:
- Creativity: The right hemisphere is associated with creativity, intuition, and artistic abilities.
- Spatial Abilities: Skills like reading maps, recognizing faces, and understanding the spatial orientation are often linked to the right brain.
- Emotion: Emotional processing and understanding are predominantly ascribed to this hemisphere.
- Holistic Thought: Instead of focusing on details, the right brain is believed to look at the bigger picture.
- Imagination: This hemisphere is often credited with daydreaming and imaginative thinking.
Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain
“Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain” is a concept and book title by Betty Edwards, which has become influential in both art education and popular culture. The central premise is that tapping into the right hemisphere of the brain can drastically improve one’s drawing abilities. Here’s a deeper look:
The Theory:
Betty Edwards proposed that the left side of the brain is adept at verbal, analytical, and logical tasks, while the right side excels in visual, spatial, and relational tasks. Drawing, according to her, is primarily a right-brained activity. Many people struggle with drawing because they’re trying to process visual information with their left brain, which interprets the world through symbols and words.
Key Techniques from the Approach:
- Seeing as an Artist: Rather than labeling what you see (e.g., “that’s an eye”), focus on the shapes, lines, and relationships between objects.
- Negative Space Drawing: Instead of drawing the object itself, draw the space around it. This can help shift your perspective.
- Upside Down Drawing: By turning an image upside down, it becomes unfamiliar and harder to label, forcing you to see the lines and shapes as they are.
- Contour Drawing: This involves slowly drawing the outline of an object without looking at the paper, encouraging a deeper connection between observation and hand movement.
- Vase/Face Exercise: This exercise plays with positive and negative spaces and the brain’s ability to shift between different perceptions.
Why it’s Important:
Edwards’ techniques help to silence the symbolic, interpretive left side of the brain and allow the right side to take over, focusing on what’s actually in front of you rather than what you think you know. This shift is essential for drawing accurately and realistically.
Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain Exercises
Betty Edwards’ “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain” offers various exercises intended to help individuals tap into their right-brain capabilities, particularly as they pertain to drawing and artistic perception. These exercises have been hailed by many as transformative in learning to “see” like an artist. Here’s an overview of some of the primary exercises from the book:
Pure Contour Drawing
Objective: Pure contour drawing is about fostering a deep connection between the artist and the subject they are observing. The primary goal is to enhance one’s observational skills, diverting the focus from the drawing itself to the act of truly seeing. It’s a foundational exercise that trains the brain to dismiss preconceived notions of the object and instead perceive it as it genuinely appears.
Process: Choose a subject, preferably something organic like your hand or a plant, with intricate details. Place your pen or pencil on the paper and start to draw the outline of the object without ever looking down at your paper. Your eyes should move at the same pace as your drawing hand. Avoid lifting the pen or pencil, and continue for a set amount of time, perhaps 10-15 minutes. This process teaches you to trust your hand-eye coordination and concentrate intently on your subject.
Modified Contour Drawing
Objective: Building on the principles of pure contour drawing, the modified contour drawing aims to refine hand-eye coordination further and make the artist comfortable with occasionally checking their progress.
Process: Like with pure contour drawing, select a subject and begin to draw. However, with this method, you’re allowed to glance occasionally at your paper, making adjustments as necessary. This method bridges the gap between pure observational drawing and the more familiar act of regular sketching.
Grid Drawing
Objective: The grid drawing technique serves as a tool to break down complex subjects into manageable sections, aiding in capturing accurate proportions and details. By focusing on one square at a time, artists can better reproduce each segment without getting overwhelmed by the entire image.
Process: Start by overlaying a grid on the reference photo. Using a ruler, draw an identical grid on your drawing paper. Instead of drawing the entire image at once, focus on one grid square at a time, replicating only what you see in that particular section. Continue square by square until the whole image is transferred.
Drawing Negative Spaces
Objective: This exercise encourages artists to focus on the space around an object, rather than the object itself. By concentrating on these negative spaces, artists develop a unique perspective that can improve accuracy in drawing.
Process: Choose an object with clear gaps or spaces, like a chair or a bicycle. Instead of drawing the object, draw the shapes of the spaces around and within it. This shift in focus can lead to a more accurate representation, as you’re less likely to draw symbolic representations of familiar objects.
Upside-Down Drawing
Objective: The aim of this exercise is to confuse the left-brain’s habitual labeling and symbolizing system. By viewing an image upside down, the brain perceives it as a series of shapes, lines, and relationships, rather than identifiable objects.
Process: Choose a reference image, preferably a detailed one, and turn it upside down. Now, draw the image as you see it, without turning it right side up or trying to discern what the shapes represent. This method forces you to rely on what you genuinely observe, not what you think you know about the subject.
Vase/Face Exercise
Objective: This exercise challenges artists to understand positive and negative spaces and how they can switch between two perceptions.
Process: Draw a symmetrical vase in the center of your paper. On either side of the vase, the contours will also suggest profiles of two faces looking at each other. The space occupied by the vase is the positive space, and the profiles are the negative space. This exercise highlights how perception can shift between seeing the vase and the faces, emphasizing the relationship between positive and negative spaces.
Critiques & Considerations on Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain
While many have found Edwards’ methods transformative, some critics argue that the left brain/right brain dichotomy is too simplistic. Modern neuroscience has shown that both hemispheres of the brain are involved in nearly all cognitive tasks, including drawing. However, the techniques in “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain” have undeniable value, even if the exact neuroscience behind them might be more complex than originally thought.
In conclusion, the book and its methods have had a lasting impact on art education. The techniques are useful for beginners and experienced artists alike, not necessarily because they activate the “right side” of the brain, but because they teach people to see in a new and more observant way.
