Engage Your Creative Side: Learn To Draw
Originally published on: 12/9/2005 5:40:33 AM
Given the brain benefits all the cool neurologists say we get from actively using all of the parts of our brain, a little bit of right-brain creativity in the form of drawing and doodling would probably do all of us a lot of good. However, most adults are intimidated by "drawing" as serious art or needing talent. However, this kind of drawing is a great lifehack as far as I'm concerned. You won't win any awards for photorealistic renderings in charcoal, but for a few bucks on paper and pencil and 15 minutes a day, you can learn to draw little cartoons easily.
The center of my little flashback was the drawing method from Mark Kistler. I was introduced to his style of 3-D drawing in 1984 or so (I'm part of the batch of kids he mentions on his site from 20-25 years ago). It was in Mr. Saint's 4th grade class. You'll actually probably read about that year in other places. That year was a pivotal year for a LOT of things for me (my first computer, my first software programming, model rocketry, my first "teacher as peer" education experience . . .). Anyway, Mr. Saint had the videos of Mark Kistler's "The Secret City" PBS series. We all learned to draw foreshortened circles and cubes, overlap and shade and just plain get excited about drawing and using our imaginations.
I hadn't thought about that stuff for who knows how long. But, one mention of drawing a quick frog and 20 year old memories are 20 minute fresh. The great thing is that you don't have to sit in Mr. Saint's 4th grade class to learn this way of drawing. You can see some of it on the web, get books relatively cheaply and otherwise indulge your inner creative child with his materials.
All of his stuff is aimed at elementary school kids. However, despite the targetting, it's some of the best overall instruction on any topic. It starts you with the basics and builds it up into really good stuff.
You can start with a few quick lessons on one of his websites at his School of Imagination. The best of his printed material is in a pair of books. One is over 300 individual drawing lessons and the other is the workbook with space to actually do the practicing in. Watch the page count on some of the other titles as many are 20-30 page thin titles. They're still good, but not as much bang for the buck. The main one: Drawing in 3-D has a good blend of really simple drawings and some that are much more complex than the lessons in his older books. He also makes much more use of vanishing points and other "left brain" principles in this one, while still retaining the right brain approach. As I flipped through this book (the last one to arrive), I was struck by how much he and his methods had improved over the 10 years between his previous big book and this one.
The 2 Best Kistler Books
Also recommended everywhere I looked (though not yet purchased). These were all actually recommended by Kistler (the author of the 2 above):
Comments
commented on 12/9/2005 You know, I originally went to school for illustration, and there's a lot to be said of the theraputic practice of putting pencil to paper. I really should draw more often, but I don't think I've picked up a pencil since college.
commented on 12/9/2005 That's very cool! I may run to the bookstore today and see if they carry these books. Drawing in 3D has always given me a headache, especially organic forms. I'd like to unlock 'em. I do have "drawing on the right side of the brain" which everyone raves about for some reason...I don't think I made it past the first few pages before I started to nod off.
commented on 12/9/2005 Yeah. the "right brain" book along with lots of others just tend to take themselves WAY too serious. I think that's why these books that are ostensibly aimed at kids resonate with us as adults. To me, one of the freedoms that blogging has given people is that by calling it something other than "writing" or "writing essays", etc. they're free to just express themselves and not worry about whether it's "right" or not. Heck, just look at the difference in reaction if you tell someone you write a "column" in a magazine vs a blog. Doesn't matter that lots of columns have fewer readers than even this site (21,000 in November), they'd treat the column as having a "right" way of being done.
commented on 12/9/2005 Ugh I had to read that awful book my second year of school, and it was assigned by a teacher who also took himself far too seriously.
commented on 12/11/2005 Hi,
I took the liberty of clipmarking your headline with a snapshot of Mark Kistler's online art school.
You can see it here: http://www.clipmarks.com/clipmark/A350B984-D52A-4622-B25D-F2D139A2E506/
Hope you like it.
commented on 12/13/2005 I actually really enjoyed "right side", because it helped me separate logic from art (like the example of drawing something upside down).
It definitely helped me a lot, but I was starting from scratch, so It's fair to say I have a LONG way to go :)
commented on 4/21/2006 I appreciate the positive comments about my books. Drawing in 3-D is also my favorite of the 9 titles. My style in this book is much more refined and detailed, geared for the 10 and up age group. Imatination station was much more simply illustrated and geared for the K-3 grades. Thanks again for the interest, keep drawing everyday, it's good for your brain, your heart,and your smile.
commented on 5/18/2006 [...] You can read the post that sparked this conversation on Wynia.org. Listen Now: [...]