You are in two minds when you learn to draw.  Learning to draw activates your whole brain,  both the left hemisphere and the right.  In our day to day lives we tend to activate the wonderful faculties of our left hemisphere; thinking, achieving results, planning ahead and staying on track. When we draw, we utilise these faculties and in addition, activate the powers of our right hemisphere, which is perceptual and sees what is authentic moment by moment. Everyone is in two minds in regard to learning to draw!

I teach beginner adults how to draw by showing them how to activate their right hemisphere. It’s a relatively simple process; you take some deep breaths, relax and slow down. Slowing down enables you to focus with the eye of the right hemisphere, which is different from the eye of the left.

Both hemispheres process mental and visual data in specific ways. The left scans visual information in a two dimensional way and comes up with a name and an evaluation so it can predict the next step. The right sees the visual world in three dimensions moment by moment. It sees shapes, colours, tones, contours and relationships between things. Because this visual information is archived in your right hemisphere or unconscious mind, you may not know you know about it.

Learning to draw simply makes all the unconscious information you have about the visual world, conscious. An apple is scrumptious to eat (unless there’s a worm inside!) and it’s also a bunch of shapes, tones and colours in relationship with one another. Making the unknown information you have known, is a left hemispheric process; seeing it is right hemispheric. Your two minds connect and information flows between them, optimising the outcome. Being in two minds about learning to draw, is the first step in the process.