For inexperienced artists the trouble with seeing lies in the conflict that exists between the actual visual reality of an object
and the way the mind tries to represent our perception of this reality on the drawing paper. This attempt always involves the propensity to draw our iconic preconception instead of the concrete reality.
Iconic preconceptions are part of a subconscious visual language that uses symbols to represent known entities. This lingo of icons evolved as a mechanism to help us endure as a species. These icons aid us, for instance, to instantly recognize food sources or dangerous predators.
When we observe an unknown object our involuntary mind instantantly tries to form a new symbol to characterize and store the item in memory. Often starting artists will more correctly draw unknown entities than familiar ones because they are not yet wedded to the new icons.
However, when they attempt to sketch the same object a second time, it is likely that a more symbolic picture will emerge because ready to use icons have already been stored in the brain.
Consider, for instance, the word “head”. Immediately an image comes to mind which is symbolic for the head. Unfortunately, this symbol is only a iconic picture of a head and is invariably a gross simplification of a real head. Nevertheless, there is a strong subconscious pull to draw the symbol instead of what we actually see.
It is this conflict that artists must learn to overcome. This is particularly a difficulty for pencil portrait artists. When sketching a portrait the artist must resolve numerous layers of symbols to realize a realistic effect.
We now will illustrate a very good exercise to learn to overcome the problem of icon sketching.
We will be sketching from an upside-down picture. This way our iconic preconception of the head is interrupted. We will be forced to draw without our symbols. The result will be a purer drawing experience free from a contaminated perception.
As you sketch the lines and hatch-in the tones you will feel quite awkward in your drawing. This is a good thing. Do not be concerned with the quality of your work. This is an exercise in seeing.
When working with line and tone this way, beginning artists often get better outcomes than from the right-side up way. Trust yourself and throughout the exercise only look at your photo in the upside-down position even though it may feel quite uncomfortable.
You will learn to see and draw value as forms and will be able to break down hard edges into short, straight lines instead of the usual icons your brain will give to the nose, the ears, etc.
Thinking of and naming perceived entities will lead you down the garden path of oval shaped eyes, two circles for nostrils, a cluster of lines for hair, cauliflower ears and something that looks like the letter M sitting on a bowl for a mouth instead of what is actually there.
Artists will never be free of schematic fixations. The symbols actually adapt and become more refined. It is only by constantly analyzing and abstracting shape that we are able to sketch realistically.
Do you want to learn the secrets of pencil portrait drawing? Download my brand new free pencil portrait drawing course here: portrait drawing tutorial.
Remi Engels is a pencil portrait artist and oil painter and expert sketching teacher. See his work at graphite pencil portraits.
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