This art exercise on “memory drawing” comes from the newest book by Juliette Aristides, “The Inner Life of the Artist: Conversations from the Atelier.” In addition to mini lessons such as this, it includes pages of inspiration written in beautiful prose, along with examples of exquisite paintings and drawings by master artists over the centuries, including contemporaries.
An Art Exercise: Memory Drawing
by Juliette Aristides
You only need a pencil and paper to dip into the historical practice of learning from master artists. Try it yourself by sketching this shell (shown below) by Charles Weed.
Start with a simple triangular outline working from larger shapes to smaller ones before putting in tone. You can spend a few minutes or come back time and again to add improvements. Any amount of practice will expand your appreciation of the art and add to your skills.
To get detailed drawing instruction, see my book “Beginning Drawing Atelier” (click here).
Now, surprise yourself by drawing from memory. The 19th-century teacher Horace Lecoq de Boisbaudran trained artists diverse as Rodin and Alphonse Legros. He sent them to the Louvre and then had them recreate the artwork from memory in their studio.
Here, artist Deborah Paris has adapted this practice for us:
- Let your eyes flow over the shell for a few minutes, noticing what catches your attention. Close your eyes and imagine the image in your mind’s eye.
- Now, [hide the image of the shell] and begin your drawing. Don’t worry about mistakes. Stop when you feel your memory is exhausted.
- Rest for a few minutes. Look at the shell again for qualities like width to height, which way the shadow falls, and notice any strong angles. Cover the reference and continue to make corrections to your work.
- Later in the day, try the exercise again. Is it easier the second time and do you remember more?
Read more in Juliette’s gorgeous book “The Inner Life of the Artist: Conversations from the Atelier.”
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