Learning to see

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

■ Practise pure contour, modified contour, restated, gesture and controlled drawing

■ Build a daily practice with a small sketchbook

There are many aspects to good drawing, but first on my list would be observation. Learning to draw is more about learning to see; not just looking, but really seeing.

According to Dr Betty Edwards, Bert Dodson and Kimon Nicolaides among countless others, learning to draw is learning to see and developing our perceptual, rather than our drawing skills. This is especially true in the early stages of development, before our observational skills take a firm hold and become a habit. The perception of edges, spaces, relationships, and values all combine to make up what Edwards calls the ‘global’ experience