Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain

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Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain

February 27, 2008 at 9:30 am · Filed under Art, Blogroll, Books, Education and tagged: Art, Art Education, Betty Edwards, drawing, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, Education, teaching

This past week I started walking my students through Betty Edwards‘ Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain material using the DRSB video. I was excited to try out this course since learning to draw is top of the list for nearly all of my students and had hoped Dr. Edwards’ credentials would have added some credence to the material. Sadly, this hasn’t been the case.

We’ve only just begun, however I’ve been a little disappointed in my students:

At the top of the list is the fact that the first couple of exercises (vase-faces and upside-down drawing) weren’t taken seriously. Many talked through the exercise instead of being silent and concentrating.
Their complaints that they couldn’t draw and how hard the exercises were droned on during most of my three Studio classes.
On top of that, a few spent more time trying to find ways to trace the second project than simply doing it as instructed.
Although I think they made too much of it, most complained about Dr. Edwards’ voice during the video. I tried to explain that her professorial voice is pretty common in colleges and they should get used to it. Of course, she could have hired someone but perhaps it wouldn’t have made the presentation as credible. Who knows. Either way, most of the students weren’t buying it.

Monday and Tuesday of this week, I had the students create the small viewfinder (there are two sizes). I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I was disappointed when many of my students couldn’t do the measuring using the ruler. I’m hoping tomorrow I’ll be able to get started on the exercises using the viewfinder. I’ll keep you all posted.

Has anyone used the Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain material? What was your student response to it? I’d really like to hear your thoughts. Also, does anyone have any other recommended drawing courses they have successfully used for high school students?

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13 Comments»

lynn wrote @ March 31, 2008 at 4:36 pm

Use the First edition book. I found the new edition with all the viewfinder and things to make verry confusing and hard to hold onto and draw. Be patient Anyone can learn to draw just got to get them to believe.

karen wrote @ June 22, 2008 at 5:39 am

Hi,
I’ve just bought the book and am really enjoying it. But…I can’t work out how to make the viewfinder? Can anyone explain it to me in simple terms?

karen wrote @ June 22, 2008 at 5:41 am

Hi,
I’ve just bought the book and am really enjoying it. But…I can’t work out how to make the viewfinder? Can anyone explain it to me in simple terms?

JWP wrote @ June 22, 2008 at 10:53 pm

I’m glad you are enjoying the book, Karen!

Regarding the viewfinder used for the drawing exercises, you can do one of two things:

1. Purchase a corresponding number of them from Dr. Edwards’ website

2. Look up similar products via Google. Here is a site that has one for sale that looks promising (it has a value-finder too!): http://www.artworkessentials.com

3. Make your own (see below)

HOW I MADE MY VIEWFINDERS

I used cardstock and cut it to the size listed in Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. I also cut the “window” opening as prescribed in Dr. Edwards’ book.

Once the cardstock was cut properly, I took a piece of overhead transparency (I bought a box of 200 from OfficeDepot) and marked it at the half-way point both vertically and horizontally to form crosshairs that would fit in the center of the “window” of the cardstock. You must use a permanent marker to write on the transparency so it doesn’t wipe off.

The overhead transparency will need to be cut to the same size (or slightly smaller) as the outside dimensions of the cardstock. Once cut, I center it in the “window” and then tape the cardstock and transparency together.

That’s it. My kids did much of this and here were the problems I ran into with them doing the work:

1. My students — yes, my HIGH SCHOOLERS — had a hard time measuring out the cardstock dimensions (outside and the “window”)

2. They also had a very hard time using the Xacto blades I gave them; they often cut their cardstock crooked.

3. Centering the transparency within the window also proved a challenge for many of them; I had them mark the center of the “window” vertically and horizontally as well so they could line up the transparency more easily (but ran into problem #1 again).

4. Many of the kids had a hard time using the viewfinder for marking their basic units because it lacked rigidity when held upright.

THINGS I WOULD TRY DIFFERENTLY:

1. I am going to buy one of the viewfinders from http://www.artworkessentials.com over the summer and see the quality and how easily it works.

2. I may also try mounting another piece of cardstock behind the first one so the transparency is sandwiched between the two. This will help with the flimsiness when working with the viewfinder during the exercises.

I hope this helps. If I remember more, I’ll make another post.

alethakuschan wrote @ February 2, 2009 at 6:32 pm

One important difference between the students Edwards features in her book and your high school students is motivation. I have wondered in general how Edwards’s ideas fare “in the real world.”

I like her book. And I think she provides one very useful approach to drawing, but it is not anything like the way I learned to draw myself. And some of its techniques pose the danger (perhaps) of becoming rather limiting habits.

I wonder what kinds of drawing would most appeal to your students. The subject matter holds great importance, though it isn’t treated as particularly significant in Edwards’s approach.

JWP wrote @ February 2, 2009 at 10:53 pm

Yes, I agree about motivation. I wouldn’t say that Edwards students aren’t real-world. The fact of the matter is they PAY to learn to draw during her classes. Her techniques work, they’re just difficult and require a lot of concentration and practice which my students sadly aren’t into most of the time. BUT, that is also because my school has few electives so most of my students are pushed into my classes for lack of a better placement.

I didn’t learn to draw the way she teaches either, Althea. I’ve certainly found it challenging–though rewarding–when I recreate the assignments. I’m curious which exercises are you concerned would be limiting?

Regarding what kind of drawing would most appeal to my students … I think that is easily answered with none that they can’t do in a matter of a few moments; anything non-structured. Do you have recommendations for subject matter for me?

alethakuschan wrote @ February 3, 2009 at 8:57 am

The basic premise of Edwards’s book relates to the contour, and while obviously that plays a huge role — maybe even the biggest (?) in visual cognition, there are nonetheless other ways that artists think that don’t get much attention from her. She has tried to make up for some of that by dealing more with tonality and color, but note that she still treats them as sort-of added on to line.

Some artists, however, take one of these other ways of thinking as more of their starting point: like Daumier’s use of gestural line, or Pierre Bonnard’s comment that “color is drawing.” A certain kind of image making is built up entirely from masses of dark and light which are later refined and given edges so that “line” actually comes last.

Of course, Edwards makes it clear that she’s dealing with beginners and so I suppose she looks at these other modes more in terms of technique — and I understand her approach. But even thinking about these things cognitively, the non-linear way of thinking about an image is more fundamental than she allows. It’s one of the things that people “with a natural talent” tap into, I think, from the very beginning.

Also she says nothing about subject matter, and the personal nature of an image has much to do with how we see and what we notice. And she doesn’t deal at all with non-realistic ways of seeing. Something like medieval art developed in a very different way than, say, 19th century realism and yet it’s a very high form.

Still her book is probably the best thing out there at present.

Julio wrote @ January 11, 2010 at 11:22 am

hello i bought also the dvd, but i dont know what she meant by eyegreeding or I greeding , do you know what it is? can yo help me with that

thanks

Julio

JWP wrote @ January 11, 2010 at 9:57 pm

Hi Julio!
I’m not sure what you are referring to. Can you tell me what section of the video you are referring to? What topic is this “eyegreeding” or “I greeding” shown under?

I’ll help however I can. I just need a little more info regarding the topic under which this confusing term is spoken about.

Thanks!

Julio wrote @ February 12, 2010 at 7:23 am

hello, thanks for answer, is in the Intro part she said it 2 times one in minute 1:55 and another time in 2:27 minute, thank you very much.

Julio

JWP wrote @ February 15, 2010 at 9:47 pm

Julio, I’m sorry but I remain unsure specifically what you are referring to. I checked the two time frames you mentioned. I’m stumped.

In the section you are referencing, Dr. Edwards is making the point that everyone can learn to draw just like everyone can learn to read. It could be that the dvd has different tracking than the vhs tape (which I have), but I listened to the entire Intro and couldn’t quite pick up what you were referencing.

Having listened to the Intro, I don’t believe you should get hung up on it. The critical parts are in the lessons which follow.

I’m sorry for not being able to specifically answer your question.

Darren wrote @ March 4, 2010 at 11:14 pm

Hi, I’m thinking of using the book now but one problem i have is with the materials.
For the clear plastic sheet, is it ok if i substitute that with a transparency?

JWP wrote @ March 5, 2010 at 5:20 pm

Hi Darren!
A transparency is exactly what I use. I went to OfficeDepot and purchased a box of them. While you are there, you can ask them for WET ERASE markers and Sharpie markers. You’ll use the Sharpie for the background grid on the transparency and the wet erase to do the exercises on the other side of the transparency. Let me know if you have additional questions.

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