"The science of design, or of line-drawing, if you like to use this term, is the source and very essence of painting, sculpture, architecture... Sometimes... it seems to me that... all the works of the human brain and hand are either design itself or a branch of that art." Michelangelo Buonarotti
Michelangelo Buonarroti Study for the Libyan Sibyl, 1511 Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC
Five hundred years ago, one of the greatest artists that world has ever known, made the above statement. But that was a long time ago --fast forward to the 21st century and we find ourselves living at warp speed and frantic with our never ending to do lists. So who has the time to even think about such things as Michelangelo’s “science of design”? But if this artistic genius is correct (and research has begun to prove it so), maybe we should pay attention to what he has to say. Through the study of “design”, we can learn to draw, and more importantly, we can stimulate our creativity, and even enhance our sense of well-being.
With this in mind, I’d like to share with you today some simple exercises that encourage the development of drawing, or design, as Michelangelo calls it. In my last post, I discussed the importance of proportions in relation to why we perceive some things cute and some ugly. Proportions are one of the four pillars of “design”, the other three being eye-hand coordination (discussed in this previous post), observation of angles and perception of values. By cultivating the skill of studying proportions, we can quickly make a leap into the world of drawing.
Eat your fruit and veggies—but draw them first!!
Exercise 1—The Apple.
In these exercises, you need only some inexpensive copy paper and a pencil. An apple is a great way to start, due to its simple form and somewhat symmetrical shape. Begin to notice how the width of the apple in the photo below compares to the height. You can see that this particular apple is about as wide as it is high. In the second photo, the black line indicates the width of the apple, and when the line is rotated, you can see more easily that the height is about the same. Begin to draw a simple line to represent your apple. In this case, you would draw a circular shape, since it’s width and height are about the same. Do not worry about the apple’s details, we are only studying its proportions. Draw lightly at first—you can go over your drawing with heavier pressure on the pencil to make darker lines to correct the shape if you are not happy with it.
Exercise 2—The Pear
Here we begin to study a simple shape that has different proportions. By taking a few minutes to observe the pear, we begin to notice that the pear is taller than it is wide. You can see this more clearly in the second photo by the black lines that represent the width. Study this carefully. Begin to draw a simple pear shape, again ignoring the details. Once you have done this, compare your drawn pear to the photo—do the proportions look correct? See if you can feel this. You will sense if your drawn pear is a little too high or short compared to the photo. This is not as easy as it seems! If you aren’t happy with your proportions, take a new piece of paper and try again, and again if necessary. It doesn’t matter how “right” you are, what matters that is you are “waking” up your eyes to the world of proportions and learning to observe more carefully.
Exercise 3—The Carrot and the Tomato
In this exercise, we have two vegetables that are very different in proportion. The carrot is very long and skinny, and the tomato is small and roundish. Observe for a few minutes the shapes. In the lower photo, you can see with the guidelines, that the carrot is approximately four times the width of the tomato. In this case, you can draw a long thin oval to represent the carrot, and a “fatter” small oval to represent the tomato. Again, if it doesn’t feel right when you compare your drawing to the photo, take another piece of paper and try again.
If you make a practice of drawing the simple shapes that you have in your home every day, you will soon find yourself starting to notice proportions when you go about your daily lives. For example, you may see a pretty bird, and notice its shape in a way you would not have before. When this happens, congratulate yourself, because your eyes are opening up to see the world in the same way that Michelangelo did!
If you decide to get ambitious and play with some of these basic exercises, we would love if you would share your experiences with us in the comments below.
For fun:
If you want more inspiration from Michelangelo, here’s a great website:
http://www.michelangelo-gallery.com