“Pay attention to what you see, not to what you know about what you see.” – Marty Coleman
What we know about something can often get in the way of seeing it. We see a figure in a drawing class and we know many things.
We know: nude, naked, skin, body, human, woman. All those have definitions that come with you when you see that person standing there. They are the filter through which you see her.
But they are also in the way of you seeing her. Do you see her body language, embarrassment, humor, age, color, angle, happiness, history, the space around her?
This doesn’t just apply to artmaking of course. How do you see your child? Your co-worker? Your backyard? Your city? Do you let the
definitions that come easy and you know decide what you see? How do you go about seeing with fresh eyes?
By forgetting the name of the thing one sees.
Drawing, quote and commentary © 2022 Marty Coleman | napkindad.com