Mike Sibley   Comment Posted Feb.13th, 2010, viewed 4 times

This week I'll be pushing my critiques a step further. So don't be surprised if I mention things, like shadows, that were not part of the original exercise.

I tried to keep the exercise uncomplicated for you, and if you complete as it was laid out, that's fine. But from this week on I want to place more stress on the ability to allow whatever you are drawing to live in your imagination. It's not easy to describe and often not easy to achieve, but it is essential to drawing well.

Basically, I want you to lose yourself in your drawing. By tackling just one texture or small area at a time, that will free your mind to concentrate on just that one element of your drawing. For example, while you are drawing the wood, I want you to imagine that piece of wood in your mind. As your pencil progresses through the area, imagine you can feel your pencil slipping in and out of the grain. It's not a flat surface but a subtly ridged one. When you draw the rotten ends of the boards, try to picture it in your mind so you include all you know about that feature.

Use whatever references you need to - they can be very beneficial, as you cannot be expected to remember everything about any element of your drawing - but fight the urge to copy what you see. Instead, look at your references and use them to build up a three-dimensional understanding in your mind. Now draw what you see in your imagination. The difference in the result, between that and just copying a reference, is like chalk and cheese - totally different and so much better!