Drawing on Both Sides of the Brain - DraftsmenS1E16 - Proko
video description
Date: 2022-03-14
Related videos
Comments and reviews: 10
Michael
Not a fan of -Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain- for the reasons you mentioned - - as a kid I wanted to know practical information that would help me draw from a combination of imagination and from reference. and that book seemed useless to me. I already knew how to -blue-sky- was kind of a natural at that part - I needed the practical info expanding on -Bridgman's Life Drawing- and -How to Draw Comics The Marvel Way- - - eventually I found it in Loomis' -Figure drawing For All it's Worth- and 3 Dimensional Drawing (a re-titled and expanded version of Loomis' Successful Drawing - - unfortunately, this version is still out of print, but I made photocopies of the expanded material from a library copy. -Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain- seemed like useless exercises and fluff, to me.
I always knew how and always did draw from imagination, maybe because I didn't have any drawing teacher teaching me rigid methods to draw from life or still life. but strove to do so better and better.
reply
Not a fan of -Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain- for the reasons you mentioned - - as a kid I wanted to know practical information that would help me draw from a combination of imagination and from reference. and that book seemed useless to me. I already knew how to -blue-sky- was kind of a natural at that part - I needed the practical info expanding on -Bridgman's Life Drawing- and -How to Draw Comics The Marvel Way- - - eventually I found it in Loomis' -Figure drawing For All it's Worth- and 3 Dimensional Drawing (a re-titled and expanded version of Loomis' Successful Drawing - - unfortunately, this version is still out of print, but I made photocopies of the expanded material from a library copy. -Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain- seemed like useless exercises and fluff, to me.
I always knew how and always did draw from imagination, maybe because I didn't have any drawing teacher teaching me rigid methods to draw from life or still life. but strove to do so better and better.
reply
---
I feel for Marshall here! I drew from imagination until I went to high school (and university) and I read that book and focused really heavily on reference and avoided symbols as much as possible, but I draw manga and symbols are a major part of the whole visual language so I have to relearn so much stuff about drawing from imagination.
I get that in order to draw realism, you need to get the symbols out of your head, but if you are a comic artist you need to know what symbols effectively communicate whatever you're drawing.
I felt Loomis' explanation of eye level and perspective in his Creative Illustration book was the best explanation I read about creating images from memory. Everything has an eye level, decide where it is, draw a block to represent the human, and use your memories to fill in the piece.
(why are Loomis' books so good? They're gold mines)
reply
I feel for Marshall here! I drew from imagination until I went to high school (and university) and I read that book and focused really heavily on reference and avoided symbols as much as possible, but I draw manga and symbols are a major part of the whole visual language so I have to relearn so much stuff about drawing from imagination.
I get that in order to draw realism, you need to get the symbols out of your head, but if you are a comic artist you need to know what symbols effectively communicate whatever you're drawing.
I felt Loomis' explanation of eye level and perspective in his Creative Illustration book was the best explanation I read about creating images from memory. Everything has an eye level, decide where it is, draw a block to represent the human, and use your memories to fill in the piece.
(why are Loomis' books so good? They're gold mines)
reply
Kyst
I have my students do this exercise: Take a big glass and fill it with water and then pour it out again (in the sink. Do this a few times. Then Picture a glass of water in your mind, 2/3 full. Turn that image around in your mind and look at all sides, look down in, look at the bottom. Then mentally pour half the water out in a good size stream and freeze it in place. Notice how it hits the table. Notice the texture of the stream, the shape of water at the lip, the inside of the glass. Now take the entire glass and water and turn it around in 360 degrees. If you can do this, you can draw from imagination. This may take you multiple tries to get it down. Just try it once or twice a day and then rest so that your mind can incorporate the info.
reply
I have my students do this exercise: Take a big glass and fill it with water and then pour it out again (in the sink. Do this a few times. Then Picture a glass of water in your mind, 2/3 full. Turn that image around in your mind and look at all sides, look down in, look at the bottom. Then mentally pour half the water out in a good size stream and freeze it in place. Notice how it hits the table. Notice the texture of the stream, the shape of water at the lip, the inside of the glass. Now take the entire glass and water and turn it around in 360 degrees. If you can do this, you can draw from imagination. This may take you multiple tries to get it down. Just try it once or twice a day and then rest so that your mind can incorporate the info.
reply
AND
Ultimately, whatever resource someone can use to help them become better at sketching, drawing, animating, painting, sculpting, etc etc etc, is a good resource. Drawing on the right side of the brain has some parts that helped me and some that didn-t, but I would never shit on a book and call it trash unless it made zero attempt to teach. Drawing on the Right side of the Brain does make an attempt to teach and has helped millions of people further their enjoyment of art, so something in the book is reaching people and no one should tell people it-s garbage just because they couldn-t find value- criticize it for its shortcomings, but not out of pettiness,
reply
Ultimately, whatever resource someone can use to help them become better at sketching, drawing, animating, painting, sculpting, etc etc etc, is a good resource. Drawing on the right side of the brain has some parts that helped me and some that didn-t, but I would never shit on a book and call it trash unless it made zero attempt to teach. Drawing on the Right side of the Brain does make an attempt to teach and has helped millions of people further their enjoyment of art, so something in the book is reaching people and no one should tell people it-s garbage just because they couldn-t find value- criticize it for its shortcomings, but not out of pettiness,
reply
Scott
I think the criticism of -Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain- -labotomizing drawing- is fair but it seems that criticizing the book because it didn't give you what you wanted/needed at a particular time is really unfair. That's not a statement about the book but of Marshall's expectations. Learning to draw and learning to draw from imagination are two completely different things, and the former must be mastered before the latter can really be attempted. Great insight either way.
My experience as a young kid was that I didn't have access to formal lessons until my teens so that book, in particular, helped me to learn some basics on my own.
reply
I think the criticism of -Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain- -labotomizing drawing- is fair but it seems that criticizing the book because it didn't give you what you wanted/needed at a particular time is really unfair. That's not a statement about the book but of Marshall's expectations. Learning to draw and learning to draw from imagination are two completely different things, and the former must be mastered before the latter can really be attempted. Great insight either way.
My experience as a young kid was that I didn't have access to formal lessons until my teens so that book, in particular, helped me to learn some basics on my own.
reply
Angel
What you're missing, Mr. Marshall?
Well, the book (and it's sequel: using color) was made for people like me: logic driven, systematic, sometimes rigid, that we tend to return to our symbols when drawing because our brain prefers to not use so much energy thinking. So I say those books are for 2 kinds of people:
1) People trapped in the -art is a number of steps and symbols- mentality.
2) People that know all the concepts (verbalizing is -left side- if you'd like to call it that) but are struggling to apply them (-right side- ability)
reply
What you're missing, Mr. Marshall?
Well, the book (and it's sequel: using color) was made for people like me: logic driven, systematic, sometimes rigid, that we tend to return to our symbols when drawing because our brain prefers to not use so much energy thinking. So I say those books are for 2 kinds of people:
1) People trapped in the -art is a number of steps and symbols- mentality.
2) People that know all the concepts (verbalizing is -left side- if you'd like to call it that) but are struggling to apply them (-right side- ability)
reply
AkashB
The problem with Art of Learning book was - the author learned it as a kid. Kids can apply their knowledge far easier than older people. So while his book did contain a few helpful tips and all - it did not have much else beyond common knowledge, it did not have much techniques - it is the implementation part which is hard. Like, we all know what is good and what is not - and most of the time we take the route easiest for us - fully knowing that it wasn't the right decision. As not a young person anymore - I did not find the book much helpful: /
reply
The problem with Art of Learning book was - the author learned it as a kid. Kids can apply their knowledge far easier than older people. So while his book did contain a few helpful tips and all - it did not have much else beyond common knowledge, it did not have much techniques - it is the implementation part which is hard. Like, we all know what is good and what is not - and most of the time we take the route easiest for us - fully knowing that it wasn't the right decision. As not a young person anymore - I did not find the book much helpful: /
reply
Sleeping
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. with all the context about 'the girl with kaleidoscope eyes taking you away' and such. him claiming it wasn't about LSD was likely a political move to remove the transfer of the drug stigma at the time from being too heavily placed on him/the-band. He's an outright liar in the claim that it isn't about LSD, but whatever. short-term gain for long-term loss, because now instead of bad drug related stigma: many people for multiple generations (perhaps many more) will consider him a bit of a liar.
reply
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. with all the context about 'the girl with kaleidoscope eyes taking you away' and such. him claiming it wasn't about LSD was likely a political move to remove the transfer of the drug stigma at the time from being too heavily placed on him/the-band. He's an outright liar in the claim that it isn't about LSD, but whatever. short-term gain for long-term loss, because now instead of bad drug related stigma: many people for multiple generations (perhaps many more) will consider him a bit of a liar.
reply
Filipe
I think this shouldn't be regarded as a drawing book, but rather add a way to demystify drawing as an innate ability you either have or don't. It's saying -anyone can draw, let me prove it to you-. As people who study and practice drawing, we tend to be out of touch with this common belief that drawing its not possible for everyone. That's why I think this book is so popular with laypeople.
reply
I think this shouldn't be regarded as a drawing book, but rather add a way to demystify drawing as an innate ability you either have or don't. It's saying -anyone can draw, let me prove it to you-. As people who study and practice drawing, we tend to be out of touch with this common belief that drawing its not possible for everyone. That's why I think this book is so popular with laypeople.
reply
Scott
I always thought the point of having you draw from imagination in the beginning of Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain is to demonstrate that things don't look the way you -think- they look. That was my take away. The first lesson I ever learned as an artist, and has stuck with me, is -Draw what you see, not what you think you see-.
reply
I always thought the point of having you draw from imagination in the beginning of Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain is to demonstrate that things don't look the way you -think- they look. That was my take away. The first lesson I ever learned as an artist, and has stuck with me, is -Draw what you see, not what you think you see-.
reply
Add a review, comment
Other channel videos
