Above, is the example shown in Playing with Sketches. The book used lettering rather than just normal drawing, however, since I am looking to improve my drawing skills, I chose to blindly draw.
Drawing from memory, while being very difficult, helps you gain a better understanding of the object you are drawing. "When looking at shapes we readily know, such as letter forms or faces in a slightly rearranged formations, we can observe new relationships in the imagery" (Sherman 116). Overall, I would recommend this exercise to anyone who like to gain a better understanding of a certain object like a face. Personally, while doing this exercise I close my eyes and do not lift my pen/pencil.
Do you think drawing an object blindly can help you draw that object overall better?
Bicknell, Sarah. Sherman, Whitney. Playing with Sketches. Beverly, Rockport Publishers, 2014.
Your "blind" drawings are better than ones I could do with my eyes open and to answer your question: yes. I would think that it commits the action(s) to muscle memory.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I agree that muscle memory is needed to draw this way, since you can use your primary sense to draw (which would be your eyes).
DeleteI am doing sketching as my topic and I think this is a very unique take on sketching. Sketching something blindly may help you visualize in your head how you would want an object to appear and have an understanding of the object which can help your outcome. But I would use it more as a foundation for my sketch, to understand it, and build from that.
ReplyDeleteCool idea! I think using a blind sketch to make a more defined drawing would be a cool way to make art!
DeleteI am in a draw paint and design class here at Kentridge and it is very difficult for me, especially when we do "blind drawings". But i still do love to draw and sketch. A question i have is that is drawing blindly a common exercise you do to practice drawing certain sketches?
ReplyDeleteHi Kyler! I took Draw Paint and Design last year, which other than the book is one of the sources of why I did this exercise. To answer your question, I do not commonly do this exercise when making common art. However, I do commonly do this when I am bored.
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