Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain
revjack
Edwards wrote a book called "Drawing on the Right Side of
the Brain" that took then-recent discoveries on brain
function and applied them to drawing. I bought the 3rd
edition a few weeks ago and yesterday I finally sat down and
started the excercises in it.
It's generally accepted that the two hemispheres of our
brains contrrol markedly different aspects of ourselves. The
left hemisphere is the linear, analytic half, and controls
such things as language and speech, and deals with things in
terms of discrete symbols (+ means "plus", etc) Left is
linear, rational, logical. Numbers are over there.
The right hemisphere is very different, and handles things
in a more analog fashion. It is nonverbal, intuitive,
nonrational, nontemporal. (When you are doing something and
liking it and you lose track of time, you are probably using
your right brain). It's "wholistic". It's the side that
likes pretty flowers.
Left-brain drawings look like children's drawings, full of
symbols (circle for head, two dots for eyes, square with
triangle on top means "house", etc). Right-brain drawings,
however, are the ones that actually look like the thing you
are trying to draw. Real artists already know this (even if
they don't know they know it). Schlubs like me have to work
at it.
Since the right brain can't talk, the left brain tends to
jump in and make most of the decisions, be they mental, like
thinking, or physical, like where to move the pencil next.
If you've ever said, "WHY can't I draw what I SEE?", it's
probably because Leftie keeps butting in and trying to run
the show.
This book offers excercises that show you how to access your
right brain when drawing, and equally important, how to shut
down or ignore the noise from the left brain. The excercises
are simple yet profound in their result. At least, that has
been my experience so far.
It's not a book on how to draw. It's a book on how to think.
The first task she gives is to draw a few things before
being given any instruction. One of them was "Draw your
hand". The idea here is to see what your left brain makes,
so you can compare it later on. Naturally my left-brain hand
drawing looks embarrassing to me, because, "I Can't Draw".
Then after a couple of excercises that show you how Leftie
keeps trying to control things, you draw your hand again,
only this time using the right brain, as you just learned
how to do, ignoring the left brain. My second hand drawing
looks completely different from the first. You decide if
it's better:
http://www.revjack.net/usenet/afkr/gallery/983715817.html
I'm about a third of the way through the book.
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___________________
rev...@revjack.net
Carrie
I took a course based on that book and also own a copy.
It is a great learning tool. I should dig it out and refresh
myself on some of the ideas. I'll go look at your drawing now.
People say they can't draw. But anyone can draw. It just takes
the correct way of looking and mind (right brain) type of processing.
revjack
: I took a course based on that book and also own a copy.
Yay!
: It is a great learning tool. I should dig it out and refresh
: myself on some of the ideas. I'll go look at your drawing now.
: People say they can't draw. But anyone can draw. It just takes
: the correct way of looking and mind (right brain) type of processing.
So far, so good.
Today: NEGATIVE SPACE
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rev...@revjack.net
revjack
: Carrie <care...@earthlink.net> wrote:
: : I took a course based on that book and also own a copy.
: Yay!
Also meant to say: If you have any views on this book and/or
technique, I'd love to hear them.
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rev...@revjack.net
Mskitty965
>
>It's generally accepted that the two hemispheres of our
>brains contrrol markedly different aspects of ourselves. The
>left hemisphere is the linear, analytic half, and controls
>such things as language and speech, and deals with things in
>terms of discrete symbols (+ means
>"plus", etc) Left is
>linear, rational, logical. Numbers are over there.
>
>The right hemisphere is very different, and handles things
>in a more analog fashion. It is nonverbal, intuitive,
>nonrational, nontemporal. (When you are doing something and
>liking it and you lose track of time, you are probably using
>your right brain). It's "wholistic". It's the side that
>likes pretty flowers.
You share interesting stuff here, man. I like the difference between the two
pictures. There is a definite depth to the right side pic that the left side
pic does not have.
>^, ,^<
revjack
: That's very cool. When I get some time, I'd like to try that.
Prolly find it at the library, no problem. To do the
excercises like she wants, you will need to buy some
supplies. I bought everything she said, cost about $10 at
the craft store.
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rev...@revjack.net
Carrie
The drawings of your hands are interesting. The right one obviously
is "better", in the sense of being more true to life and fleshed out.
But the left one I like also, because it has (just to me, I realize)
less of a likeness but more of an emotional impact. Both of which are
good. It depends on what you are attempting to do.
The book is regularly used in college courses as a guide. It's a
keeper. When I am doing artwork, I can almost feel the mindshift go
into gear. The hard part is shifting back into my left side. I go
around in a right brain daze a lot.
Carrie (who cannot figure out the sig thingie on Agent)
revjack
: The drawings of your hands are interesting. The right one obviously
: is "better", in the sense of being more true to life and fleshed out.
: But the left one I like also, because it has (just to me, I realize)
: less of a likeness but more of an emotional impact. Both of which are
: good. It depends on what you are attempting to do.
This is valuable input, thank you!
: The book is regularly used in college courses as a guide. It's a
: keeper. When I am doing artwork, I can almost feel the mindshift go
: into gear. The hard part is shifting back into my left side. I go
: around in a right brain daze a lot.
Haven't had that happen yet, but I have already wondered
what it would be like, to get stuck like that. Some people
are like that all the time.
: Carrie (who cannot figure out the sig thingie on Agent)
Try Options | Preferences
see the "Signatures" tab
rightbrain says, "couldn't hurt"
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___________________
rev...@revjack.net
Carrie
>On 4 Mar 2001 22:15:11 GMT, care...@earthlink.net (Carrie) wrote:
>
>>The drawings of your hands are interesting. The right one obviously
>>is "better", in the sense of being more true to life and fleshed out.
>>But the left one I like also, because it has (just to me, I realize)
>>less of a likeness but more of an emotional impact. Both of which are
>>good. It depends on what you are attempting to do.
>>
>>The book is regularly used in college courses as a guide. It's a
>>keeper. When I am doing artwork, I can almost feel the mindshift go
>>into gear. The hard part is shifting back into my left side. I go
>>around in a right brain daze a lot.
>
>For me, the hard part is shifting back and forth between them. When I
>write (not counting Usenet, work, correspondence, etc.--I mean
>so-called creative writing), I find it really hard to shift into the
>writing state and really hard to shift back into practical,
>able-to-work mode. It sounds sensible to set aside the first couple
>hours in the day (say) for writing, but it doesn't seem to work. I
>guess I need to work at it more, like exercising, and maybe it will
>become easier.
>
>BW
>
The leader of the read and critique group I was in was adamant about
setting aside a certain time everyday to write. He said that your
mind will become accustomed to it and the more you do it, the more it
will seem natural. I confess I am terrible about scheduling my
writing or my artwork. I keep trying, but life intervenes.
When I go into the right-brain state I'm almost unable to talk, so
obviously I'm not in it when I'm online. :-)
Let's see if the sig goes through correctly this time.
Carrie
revjack
:It sounds sensible to set aside the first couple
:hours in the day (say) for writing, but it doesn't
:seem to work.
It doesn't. Maybe because the creative hemisphere cannot
comprehend time.
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rev...@revjack.net
Trystilarn
>It's generally accepted that the two hemispheres of our
>brains contrrol markedly different aspects of ourselves. The
>left hemisphere is the linear, analytic half, and controls
>such things as language and speech, and deals with things in
>terms of discrete symbols (+ means "plus", etc) Left is
>linear, rational, logical. Numbers are over there.
>
>The right hemisphere is very different, and handles things
>in a more analog fashion. It is nonverbal, intuitive,
>nonrational, nontemporal. (When you are doing something and
>liking it and you lose track of time, you are probably using
>your right brain). It's "wholistic". It's the side that
>likes pretty flowers.
Well, I hate to be the one to break the news, but this theory
is not much used any more. There's been a lot more recent
work that shows no "split" in this neat little compartmentalized
way. Of course, by now, we've got the concept into "pop"
science and "self-help" books and part of the common language
and lord knows what else so it's going to be a while till it roots out
and the new science filters down. :)
I remember reading something, in Science or Nature I
think, when they disproved a lot of the left-brain/right-brain
stuff. The only thing I could find online was this link:
http://www.newscientist.com/ns/19990703/leftbrainr.html
Here's the concluding paragraph:
Such brain-aching complexities mean that this
new line in hemispheric research is still in its
early days. But at least there seems no prospect
of a return to the old left-right caricatures that
inspired so many self-help books exhorting
people to liberate their right brains and avoid too
much sterile left-brain thinking. As Fink says,
whatever the story about lateralisation, simple
dichotomies are out. It is how the two sides of
the brain complement and combine that counts.
I think I've read more recent stuff, but I couldn't find it.
[snip]
>
>This book offers excercises that show you how to access your
>right brain when drawing, and equally important, how to shut
>down or ignore the noise from the left brain. The excercises
>are simple yet profound in their result. At least, that has
>been my experience so far.
>
>It's not a book on how to draw. It's a book on how to think.
I could have sworn I had this book, but I hunted for it and
couldn't find it anywhere. It may have been one of the
bajillion I had trashed by hurricane Andrew..which tells
you how long it's been since I've even glanced at it...from
the outside even. haha But I do remember I liked it :)
Here's a couple more I have and like :
The Natural Way To Draw by Niccolaides
The Zen of Seeing and Zen Seeing, Zen Drawing
by Franck
>http://www.revjack.net/usenet/afkr/gallery/983715817.html
I like it! Drawing is way fun :)