Learning to see
As a designer, I'm sometimes asked to create graphics to complement and enhance a message. Right now at work, I'm in the middle of creating a comic. I'm learning to see, which helps me realize a few things: all objects are made up of basic shapes; our view of the world is not flat; and the byproduct of practice is positivity.
At work, I’m in the middle of creating a comic. This is the first one I've worked on, and it's pretty fun. With the script and visual metaphors complete, framing and composition have become the focus. Similar to recording a video or snapping a photo, you want to position the elements in a way that provides context, while also finding an interesting way to show the viewer what's happening to keep their attention and move the story forward.
Drawing the panels for the comic is helping me realize a few things: all objects are made up of basic shapes; our view of the world is not flat; and the byproduct of practice is positivity.
All objects are made up of basic shapes.
And for today's purpose, 2D shapes: circles, squares, and triangles. Think about it, a cloud is a collection of circles, a sailboat is a triangle and a semicircle, and a tree is a rectangle and a bunch of circles. When someone asks you to draw something, your first instinct may be, "I can't draw." I challenge you to see it as one or more of these shapes. When I start at this most basic level and see it as a building block to the more complex, anything seems doable.
Our view of the world is not flat.
I used to think it wasn’t necessary to learn to draw. There's more than one way to communicate a message, and if drawing isn't my thing, ok so be it. I can write, animate, organize, sing…well, sing in the shower, at least. Then I started to draw. I know I have a long way to go; I'm certainly not the next Van Gogh. And I'm ok with that. Drawing is helping me see differently. Not only do I see everything as shapes, I am also more conscious of the positioning of characters. Do I want the viewer to see them straight on, from the side, or from the back? What's happening in the scene; do I want the viewer to be aware of it all right away? The answers to these questions are directly correlated to how the characters are drawn.
So let's get to it. You've answered these questions, but how do you get started? One of the easiest ways to learn to draw is to find one or more reference photos. Let's say you want to draw a cat. Search for images of cats online, find one you like, and just start drawing it. What do you see? What features do you notice? Is the camera pointed straight at it, or from the side? Is there anything else in the photo, maybe a window or couch, or even a hardwood floor? All those photos are made up of those same shapes: circle, square, triangle. Draw what you see. Don't worry about it being exact. It's a cat, through your eyes.
The byproduct of practice is positivity.
I'm a firm believer in the power of positivity, and that's another topic for another day. When you practice at something, anything — in this case drawing — you are instantly better than where you started. The more you practice, the better you become. Get over your feelings of self-doubt, low confidence, and not being Van Gogh. You're just starting out; your drawings are likely not going to be great. Mine certainly weren't. They still aren't. But they're better than when I started. The more you practice, the better you become. When you get better, you feel better. Your self-doubt lessens, confidence grows, and you're thinking more positive thoughts. Keep practicing; you can do it.
Oh, and Happy Halloween!
As I was preparing to make my jack-o-lanterns, I practiced drawing the owl over and over until I truly understood which elements were going to be cut out and which needed to stay. I must have drawn that owl seven or eight times. I wanted to make sure it really sunk in before even laying a hand on the pumpkin. The owl turned out great (as did the fishy and the cat), and it's all because I've been learning to see.
