How To Draw Literally Anything

Summary

This video explores the psychological aspects of art improvement, focusing on how our brains attach symbols to objects and how this affects our drawing. It delves into the functions of the left and right brain hemispheres and their roles in art, emphasizing the need to engage the right brain for creative tasks. The video introduces exercises like drawing upside down and pure contour drawing to rewire the brain for better art skills, promising that understanding and applying these concepts will change viewers' brains and enhance their artistic abilities.

Takeaways

• 🎨 Understanding the psychological aspect of art can significantly improve one's drawing skills.
• 🧠 The brain attaches symbols to objects, which can influence how we draw them based on preconceived notions rather than observation.
• 🤯 The left and right brain hemispheres have distinct roles, with the left being more analytical and the right more creative.
• 👶 As children, our drawing symbols evolve as our brains develop and observe the world around us.
• 🔄 The left brain is dominant in language and logic, while the right brain is more involved in creativity and emotions.
• 👨‍⚕️ A case study of a person with split brain hemispheres illustrates the distinct functions of each side of the brain.
• 🤔 The struggle with drawing often stems from the left brain's interference in tasks better suited for the right brain.
• 🔄 To improve art skills, one must learn to utilize the right brain more effectively, especially when venturing into unfamiliar artistic territory.
• 🖌️ Exercises like drawing flipped images or contour drawing can help train the brain to focus on details rather than relying on preconceived symbols.
• 📚 Combining this understanding with consistent practice can lead to significant improvements in artistic ability.

Q & A

What is the main concept discussed in the video that can improve one's drawing skills?

The main concept discussed in the video is the psychological aspect of drawing and how understanding the difference between the left and right brain hemispheres can help improve drawing skills. The video suggests that by rewiring the brain to focus more on the right brain's intuitive and creative functions, one can become a better artist.

How does the video explain the development of symbols in our brain related to drawing?

The video explains that as children grow up, their brains observe the surroundings and attach symbols to things, which evolve over time. These symbols are the brain's way of representing objects, and as one continues to draw, these symbols evolve and can become more complex.

What is the difference between the left and right brain according to the video?

The video describes the left brain as more dominant, analytical, and logical, responsible for tasks like math, reading, writing, and language. The right brain is described as less dominant but more intuitive, creative, and emotional, which is more suited for artistic tasks.

Why is the story of the man with a split brain significant in the video?

The story of the man with a split brain is significant because it illustrates the distinct functions of the left and right hemispheres. The man's inability to consciously recognize a word flashed to his right brain, yet being able to draw it, demonstrates the right brain's role in processing visual and spatial information without the language processing capabilities of the left brain.

What is the role of the left brain when drawing from reference, according to the video?

The video suggests that the left brain tends to interfere when drawing from reference by relying on preconceived symbols and ideas of what objects should look like, rather than focusing on the actual details of the reference. This can lead to drawings that are influenced more by memory than by observation.

How can one rewire their brain to improve their drawing skills as suggested in the video?

The video suggests rewiring the brain by using exercises that engage the right brain more deliberately. Two such exercises are drawing a reference image upside down, which forces the brain to treat the image as unknown territory, and pure contour drawing, where one draws without looking at the paper, focusing solely on the reference.

What is the significance of drawing a reference image upside down as mentioned in the video?

Drawing a reference image upside down is significant because it forces the brain to treat the image as unfamiliar, thereby reducing the left brain's interference and allowing the right brain to focus on the shapes, lines, and angles without preconceived notions of what the object should look like.

What is pure contour drawing and how does it help in rewiring the brain for drawing?

Pure contour drawing is an exercise where one draws a highly detailed reference without looking at the canvas, focusing only on the reference. This forces the brain to concentrate on the details and contours of the image, bypassing the left brain's tendency to attach preconceived symbols to objects and encouraging the right brain's intuitive and creative functions.

How does the video relate the brain's hemispheres to the struggle artists face with certain drawing techniques like foreshortening?

The video relates the struggle with drawing techniques like foreshortening to the left brain's interference. When trying to draw something unfamiliar, the left brain relies on preconceived symbols, leading to inaccuracies. The video suggests that by engaging the right brain more, artists can focus on the actual details and relationships in the reference, improving their ability to draw complex techniques.

What is the final promise the video makes to viewers regarding their brain and drawing skills?

The video promises that by understanding the concepts discussed and practicing the suggested exercises, viewers will be able to draw literally anything and their brain will have changed in a way that enhances their artistic abilities. It emphasizes that this knowledge should be coupled with consistent and effective practice to achieve improvement in art.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Unlocking Artistic Potential: Left vs Right Brain

The video introduces a psychological concept that promises to enhance artistic skills dramatically. It discusses the impact of understanding how the brain, particularly the left and right hemispheres, processes visual information and symbols. The left brain is associated with analytical and logical tasks, while the right brain is linked to creativity and intuition. The video suggests that rewiring the brain to improve art skills involves focusing on the psychological aspect and leveraging the right brain's capabilities.

05:05

🧠 The Dichotomy of Brain Functions in Art

This section delves into the differences between the left and right brain, emphasizing their distinct roles in language, logic, and creativity. It uses the example of a person with split brain hemispheres to illustrate the unique functions of each side. The left brain is responsible for language recognition, while the right brain, despite not initially recognizing language, can process and replicate visual information when prompted. The video argues that understanding these differences is crucial for improving drawing skills, as it helps artists to recognize and overcome the limitations imposed by their brain's dominant hemisphere.

10:05

🔄 Rewiring the Brain for Artistic Mastery

The video outlines actionable steps to rewire the brain for better artistic expression. It suggests that the brain can be trained to rely more on the right hemisphere by engaging in exercises that challenge the left brain's dominance. Two specific exercises are recommended: drawing a reference image upside down, which forces the brain to focus on shapes and lines rather than preconceived symbols, and pure contour drawing, which involves drawing while only looking at the reference, thus focusing purely on visual details. These exercises aim to strengthen the right brain's role in the drawing process, leading to improved artistic ability.

15:06

🚀 Combining Brain Rewiring with Practice for Artistic Growth

The final part of the video emphasizes that while understanding and rewiring the brain is essential, it must be accompanied by consistent and effective practice. It clarifies that the psychological insights provided are not a shortcut but a tool to enhance the learning process. The video concludes by asserting that learning new skills and facts changes the brain, and by applying the concepts discussed, viewers can expect to see a transformation in their artistic abilities over time.

Keywords

💡Psychological aspect

The psychological aspect refers to the mental processes and attitudes that influence an individual's behavior and performance. In the context of the video, it emphasizes the importance of understanding one's mental approach to art improvement, suggesting that rewiring the brain's thought patterns can enhance artistic skills. The video posits that by altering one's psychological perspective, one can improve their art significantly.

💡Rewire your brain

To 'rewire your brain' means to change the neural pathways and thought processes to adapt to new skills or ways of thinking. The video suggests that by understanding and applying specific psychological concepts, one can rewire their brain to improve their artistic abilities. It implies a shift from traditional learning methods to a more intuitive and creative approach.

💡Symbols

In the video, 'symbols' refer to the mental representations or images that the brain associates with objects or concepts. As children, we develop simplified symbols for things we draw, like stick figures for people. The video explains that as we grow, these symbols evolve, but they can also limit our ability to draw more complex or realistic images, as our brains default to these familiar symbols.

💡Left brain and right brain

The video discusses the dichotomy between the left and right hemispheres of the brain, attributing different functions to each. The left brain is described as analytical, logical, and language-oriented, while the right brain is characterized as intuitive, creative, and emotional. Understanding this distinction is key to the video's message, as it suggests that engaging the right brain is crucial for artistic improvement.

💡Dominant hemisphere

The 'dominant hemisphere' typically refers to the left side of the brain, which is associated with language, logic, and analytical thinking. The video uses the concept of the dominant hemisphere to explain why certain artistic tasks might be challenging, as it suggests that the left brain's analytical nature can interfere with the creative process.

💡Non-dominant hemisphere

The 'non-dominant hemisphere' is usually the right side of the brain, which is linked to emotional understanding, spatial awareness, and creativity. The video argues that engaging this part of the brain is essential for artistic growth, as it allows artists to explore and master new artistic territories.

💡Preconceived symbols

Preconceived symbols are the established mental images or representations that we have for objects or concepts. The video discusses how these symbols can hinder artistic development, as they lead artists to draw from memory rather than observing and accurately depicting what is in front of them. Overcoming these preconceived symbols is presented as a key step in improving art skills.

💡Foreshortening

Foreshortening is a perspective technique used in drawing and painting to represent an object or a part of an object that is angled towards the viewer, making it appear shorter than it actually is. The video uses the struggle with foreshortening as an example of how preconceived symbols can interfere with learning new artistic techniques.

💡Reference image

A 'reference image' is a visual aid used by artists to study and replicate forms, lighting, and other visual elements. The video suggests using flipped or upside-down reference images to trick the brain into focusing on the lines and shapes rather than relying on preconceived symbols, thereby improving drawing skills.

💡Pure Contour drawing

Pure Contour drawing is an exercise mentioned in the video where artists draw while only looking at the reference and not at their canvas. This technique is intended to focus the mind solely on the visual details of the reference, bypassing the left brain's tendency to symbolize and allowing the right brain to take over, enhancing the artist's observational skills.

Highlights

Discover a method to draw anything to perfection by rewiring your brain.

Learn about the psychological aspect of art improvement and how it can enhance your artistic abilities.

Understand the concept of how our brains attach symbols to things as we grow up.

Explore the difference between the analytical left brain and the creative right brain.

Realize how the left and right brain hemispheres work together and their roles in art.

Hear the story of a man with a split brain to illustrate brain hemisphere differences.

Learn why we struggle with drawing and how it relates to our brain's preconceived symbols.

Find out why the left brain interferes with drawing tasks best suited for the right brain.

Understand the importance of using reference images to improve drawing skills.

Discover how flipping reference images upside down can help engage the right brain.

Learn about Pure Contour drawing as a technique to focus on details and ignore preconceived notions.

Get actionable steps to rewire your brain for better art drawing.

Explore the idea that learning new skills changes your brain's structure and function.

Be encouraged that consistent practice, combined with understanding brain function, leads to improved art skills.

Find inspiration in the idea that your brain has already changed by learning from this video.

Transcripts

what if I told you there is a way for

you to be able to draw anything

literally anything to Perfection which I

know sounds crazy but by the end of this

video you'll realize I'm kind of not

even exaggerating

bro couple months ago I came across a

concept a pretty Niche concept which was

so fascinating that simply knowing it

existed that simply understanding it

made me feel like I became like 10 times

the artist and unlike a lot of art

Improvement videos out there we're going

to focus on the more psychological

aspect of things and how to literally

rewire your brain in order to improve

your art and I can guarantee you that by

the end of this video your brain will

never be the same so there's this

psychological concept which once we

understand is going to completely change

the way we view you know improving an

art in general and it all starts from

when you're a kid so you know a few

years ago you're a kid you know you're

like running around being stupid like

eating mud and stuff like that and as

you're growing up as the years go by

your brain is observing what's around it

right and in the process it begins to

attack attach certain symbols to certain

things right when you were a kid you

probably had a certain way of drawing

things for example you know you probably

had a certain way of drawing Birds a

certain rate of drawing people you know

that kind of stuff right see these were

the symbols that our brain had attached

to these things so like the stick

figures we all Drew as kids right that

was the symbol that our brain had

attached to what the human body is

supposed to look like and as you grow

and you keep on drawing the symbols your

brain has for everything that you draw

all these symbols they begin to evolve

they begin to become more Lex maybe even

have multiple symbols for a singular

thing you know what I mean anyway this

whole symbol attaching process thing

that our brain does AR you to keep this

in mind for later in the video because

it begins to explain why we struggle

with drawing sometimes but right now I

want to go into probably the most

crucial concept of this entire video

that's going to set us on our path to

being able to draw literally

anything so there's two parts to your

brain right the left side and the right

side and you've probably seen all those

online person personality quizzes of

whether you're a right brain or left

brain personality but bro those are all

horrendous those are bogus bro please

don't believe them however what is an

actual scientific fact is that there are

two sides to your brain and each side of

your brain has different tasks that it

performs and the two sides kind of work

together as well in order to perform

different things right left side of your

brain is like more dominant and it's

typically the more like analytical

logical and it does stuff like you know

math Reading Writing recognizing

language speech you know that that kind

of stuff right whereas the right side of

your brain it's less dominant but it's

more kind of intuitive creative you

could even say emotional you could even

say artistic right that kind of thing

and you see your left side of your brain

controls the right side of your body so

it's kind of like Crissy crossy in a

sense you know what I mean one thing

that we find in the dominant hemisphere

which is typically the left hemisphere

is language that along with language

things like logic and math skills are

also both mainly controlled by the

dominant hemisphere the non-dominant

hemisphere typically the right white

hemisphere has a less prominent role in

language but it is responsible for many

other tasks for example the non-dominant

hemisphere plays an important role in

understanding the emotional tone of

language and it allows us to recognize

whether the people that we're speaking

to are happy or depressed or anxious

just by the way that they sound you see

how like they're doing different things

but they're also working together and

painting like an overall picture you

know what I mean see that's typically

how it works but then there's this guy

and this guy this guy is different and

understanding his story just perfectly

illustrates the difference between the

left and the right brain so this guy he

had his brain split in half by a surgeon

like right down the middle just ch split

his brain in half it's like an operation

they do in order to like control people

who have really bad like epileptic

seizures and it's an operation it's

supposed to work something like that

right so since his brain is literally

split in half his left and his right

brain can't communicate to each other

like ours can so his brain works in a

very or like his two brains in a sense

work in a very interesting way so he he

gets together with these scientists and

all and they do a couple experiments I

guess you could say so they flash a word

on the screen to different sides of his

brain cuz like we said you know left

brain controls the right eye so if you

flash it to the right eye goes to the

left brain Flash the word to his left

eye goes to the right brain you know

it's Crissy crossy you know what I mean

so they Flash the word phone to his left

brain and then they ask him what he saw

what word did you see and he says I saw

the word phone which makes sense right

cuzz that's he flash it to his left

brain and that's what the left brain

does right the left brain reads it

recognizes language right so that makes

sense but then they Flash the word to

his right brain but when a word is

flashed to his right

brain didn't see that

okay so I'm going to ask you but now

watch what happens you draw that with

your left

hand

you get me lost why you try drawing

another picture of over here that will

help

you oh

phone it's almost as though somebody has

given him a secret

communication bro how could crazy is

that this guy he L they flashed the word

to his right brain he didn't even

realize there was a word but then if

they ask him to draw it he is going to

draw it and it's only after he's drawn

it that he realizes what word was there

he's like oh oh this looks like a phone

so is the word phone and the Word was F

bro that's just so crazy oh my God so

this story just it perfectly

encapsulates like the difference in

function between the left and the right

brain you know what I mean but this is

not a brain psychology class right this

is an art video and we're trying to

learn how to draw literally anything

right and I promised you that by the end

of this video your brain will literally

have changed right so why does

understanding the difference between the

brain hemispheres why is it important

why does it matter why do we need to

understand this right just think about

it once we understand the root of a

problem in this case our drawing right

so once we understand the root of the

problem it's only after that that we can

actually begin to find proper Solutions

right that makes sense right so in order

for us to understand why we're

struggling at Art there's something very

important that we need to understand

about the two sides to our brain the

fundamental difference between the left

and right is relatively explored and

mastered versus relatively unexplored

and not mastered you need a system that

tells you what to do when you don't know

what to do the left brain operates in

known territory and the right brain

operates in unknown territory okay so

when you're drawing something from

reference you're practicing something

you've not drawn before right you're

practicing something you've not mastered

quite yet so you're venturing into

unknown territory right so you would

imagine like you'd think that this would

be a task best suited for the right

brain right however this is where a sort

of kind of mixup occurs in a sense and

this is this mix this is exactly where

the problem lies and I'll give you the

perfect example right like why do you

think every artist like at some point

struggles with forh shortening like

really hard like why like why do you

think this is the case why do you think

we all suck at for shortening for a

period of time just think about it when

you're trying to learn how to draw for

shortening you already are accustomed to

drawing arms in a certain way maybe

accustomed to drawing arms just straight

down right so when you're going to try

and practice the forh arm you go there

and you're thinking to yourself okay

this part of the arm the bicep right it

usually comes down like this and okay

let's make it shorter cuz it's it's for

Shing right so and then the forearm

usually comes down a bit like this and

oh my goodness me that doesn't look like

a for shortened arm oh my God you know

what I mean we want to be adhering more

to the reference as opposed to adhering

to the preconceived kind of symbols that

we already have for what this thing is

supposed to look like what we end up

doing is we see something and we say

yeah I've seen those things before I

know what they are and then we go to

draw and what we're really drawing is

what we think we've seen not what we

actually see have seen and often the

difference between what we've

drawn and our reference is not our lack

of drawing skills it's because I've

never been trying to draw what was in

the reference I was always trying to

draw something in my head and I didn't

realize that what was in my head was

actually a bit different from what was

in the drawing you know what I mean so

we kind of just want to find a way to

ignore our left brain because when we're

drawing we're venturing into unknown

territory aren't we and we've already

established that that's the domain of

the right brain but why does this even

happen like why does our left brain

interfere with the task that will be

best suited for the right like bro our

brain is supposed to be on our side

right so like why is it doing this and

is this something that we can even fix

well before we get into all of that do

you understand the problem here right

see the reason a lot of the times we use

reference and it turns out bad is

because our brain already has this

preconceived symbols right this

preconceived idea of what this thing is

supposed to look like and then when

you're trying to draw the reference

you're caught between trying to draw the

reference and trying to draw and

subconsciously trying to draw the

preconceived symbol of what this thing

is supposed to look like and the drawing

just ends up turning

out so this is something that we want to

get rid of essentially right we want to

use our right side of our brain when

we're learning how to draw but since our

left brain is just it's just more

dominant and we spent all these years in

school like basically cultivating our

left brain with like all these tests and

all these like quizzes and like

everything we've done like up until this

point throughout our childhood has just

been left brain stuff right so we kind

of want to learn to bring out our right

brain more deliberately which is like

okay cool but how do you even go about

rewiring your brain in this way as you

use a brain region it becomes more and

more excitable and easy to use again

with learning we see that whole networks

of brain activity are shifting and

changing the more we use a brain region

the easier it is to use again so in

order to bring out our right side of our

brain we're going to have to do a task

that our left brain is just completely

and utterly incapable of interfering

with right a task where the left brain

has zero business interfering with

something that is truly well and truly

and undeniably unknown territory I mean

okay yeah that sounds good and all but

what are the actual actionable steps

well before we get into all that I just

say simply like knowing this even exists

simply understanding that this is even a

thing is kind of like Step Zero so like

congratulations bro we already like

partway there you know what I mean and

now for the steps required in in order

to recalibrate your brain well it's

pretty straightforward honestly you

don't need to do any sort of weird

meditation summoning the God's breathing

technique or whatever right because like

we've already established the more we

use a brain region the easier it is to

use again simply enough we just need to

use our right brain more often which is

cool but like how exactly do we do this

well there's two exercises in particular

that I'm going to tell you about that

will Aid in rewiring your brain and on

top of the two I'm going to tell you

there's more that you can do that will

have the same effect effect so the first

thing you're going to do is you're going

to grabb a reference image right and

then you're going to flip it upside down

and that's what you're going to draw

you're going to draw the reference

upside down which is an exercise you've

probably heard a few people talk about

and I know it sounds a bit strange but I

want you to think about it in terms of

what we've just talked about today right

since everything is upside down like it

is going to be like just well and truly

unknown territory you're not going to

know what the hell it is you're looking

at and because of this your left brain

is kind of going to take a back seat and

allow your right brain to Dom dominate

the session and you'll find that because

of this instead of thinking to yourself

oh this is a shoe this is an arm this is

a mouth you'll find that you're more

focused on things like okay this line is

straight and then it like curves and it

meets this line at an angle and then

this shape is a little bit bigger than

this shape and then it wraps around it

looks something like you'll find that

you're more focused on things like the

lines and the angles of the lines and

the relationships of the lines and the

relationships of the shapes you'll be

you'll find that you're more focused on

that stuff instead of oh this is a mouth

let me drop mouth this is a hand let me

draw a hand and it's just going to be

pure right brain stuff and I just just

try it out once and you'll see just how

different your brain works when you're

drawing upside down as opposed to

drawing like regularly right if you want

to make things like a little bit more

interesting what you can do is like you

can grab your reference and you can draw

it right side up and then draw it upside

down and then just just compare them and

just see what's up and if you struggled

with something like foreshortening or

perspective and you take a reference

that has forh shortening or perspective

I can guarantee you that your upside

down drawing is going to be better than

your right side of drawing like 100%

guarantee upside down drawing is like a

10 out of 10 exercise I highly recommend

it to you but that's not the only thing

you can do right you can couple this

with Pure Contour drawing right so Pure

Contour drawing involves taking a

reference that's very like highly

detailed so something like a crumpled up

piece of paper or like a wrinkled hand

or like a really high definition picture

of an eye and what you're going to do is

you're going to take this reference and

you're going to look at it and then

you're going to draw it obviously but

the thing is you're not going to look at

your canvas as you draw you just you

were solely going to look at the

reference the goal here is not to learn

how to draw without looking at the paper

right because when you look at the image

that you've drawn it's going to be a

gibber mess obviously right but the

point is that you're 100% focused on

what you're seeing as opposed to what

you're drawing right so your pen Strokes

are supposed to like follow your eye

movements and your left just think about

it your left brain has absolutely zero

room to come in and begin attaching

symbols to things you know what I mean

because you're just going to be making

pure depictions of the deepest details

that you see within your reference and

just just just try I I can talk about it

all I want but the best thing for you to

do is just try it out right like get

yourself set up it's set like a 5 minute

timer and just try this thing out I

guarantee it's a pretty sick exercise

you know what I mean all these by the

way they come from this book right this

book which is basically the inspiration

for this video so so if you're

interested in more like exercises like

this and you're interested in this whole

left brain right brain concept you can

like look at this book take a look at it

I I recommend it pretty sick book

although you can probably find the

exercises online for free if that's

evenly is that even legal to

say I hope so anyway at the start of

this video I promised you two things I

promised you that you will be able to

draw literally anything your brain will

genuinely have changed right so how does

what we've learned today lead you to be

able to draw literally anything well you

see once you like kind of unlock your

right brain right and then you couple

this with actual practice like working

on the technical side of things right

this is not supposed to be a shortcut

thing obviously I'd be lying if I said

oh this one secret hack but but this is

something that you need like this

knowledge is supposed to be something

that you couple with actual like

practice consistent practice effective

practice and over the course of time

whether you reach a point where no

matter what reference I put in front of

you you're going to be able to draw it

accurately right because you've taken

care of the technical side of things but

you've also taken care of like the

psychological side of things so so

you're going to be able to improve in AR

and I want to say rapidly or something

like that and I'm obviously like not at

that point quite yet but I'm going to

get there eventually so let's get there

together bro you know what I

mean I also promised you that by the end

of this video your brain will never be

the same didn't I and perhaps the most

exciting the most interesting and

transformative these discoveries is that

every time you learn a new fact or skill

you change your brain and the assuming

research has shown us that all of our

behaviors change our brain so if you're

seeing this congratulations your brain

is different to what it was 15 minutes

ago or however long this video is