I was given "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" as a gift from my mother's then-boyfriend who happened to be a graphic designer. I was nearly 8 years old at the time and he apparently saw some artistic potential in me. I enjoyed looking at the pictures in the book for many years, but never did the assignments.
Sometime just before I had my fourth child, I actually read the book from cover to cover. I decided to try the exercises. I got as far as the pure contour drawings before I fizzled. I had my baby and stopped drawing for a couple of years.
Two years later, I decided to give it a go once more -- this time only made it through the pre-instruction drawings before getting distracted with life... and I stopped drawing again.
And now, I'll actually finish the program, thanks to you lovely ladies! But I found it interesting how incredibly my skills progressed between each set of pre-instruction drawings -- even though I stopped drawing altogether for years at a time.
I think the comparisons you will see (especially in the self-portraits and the chair drawings), prove that drawing better is really about learning to perceive better. If it were only the motor skills involved, my drawing would not have dramatically improved, having put down the pencil for years at a time (this last time -- 5 years).
I improved without drawing regularly because the book taught me to see differently.
I cannot wait to see what I'll be able to do with regular practice and actually completely all of the assignments!
I'm so glad that I saved those earlier drawings!
