When I bring in photographs of figures or faces to draw, my students more often than not choose to draw upside-down. This may seem counter-intuitive. I must have been persuasive, about three years ago, when I presented Betty Edwards’ theory and research on the subject: when you draw something upside down, you are able to disconnect your expectations and verbal labeling, allowing your brain to go into visual. And then–ta-tah!–you actually see.
Yes, the drawing you see here was made as you see it, upside-down, from a photo that the artist/student was looking at, also upside-down.
This is Ptolemy with is model of rotating heavenly spheres. He is one of the many historical and mythical figures that the sculptor Jörg Syrlin the Elder (1425 – 1491) carved out of oak for the choir stalls in the Ulm Minster, around 1470.
Here’s the sculptor, portraying himself at the end of a row of his figures, surveys his work. These sculptures, btw, are perfectly preserved. 1470! Very moving.
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulmer_M%C3%BCnster
Building on the Ulm Minster in Southern Germany was begun in 1399 and completed in 1890.
Drawing by Jeanne Mueller, graphite on paper, ~14″ x 11″
https://artamaze.wordpress.com/2012/04/13/drawing-on-the-right-side-of-the-brain-by-betty-edwards/
All contents copyright (C) 2010 Katherine Hilden. All rights reserved.
artamaze by Katherine Hilden 