Telephone

    Acurate observing is a main focus of the Drawing From Life Course at the Alvarez Art School.  The process of drawing begins with seeing and ends with marks made by the hands. One of the biggest struggles is to learn to believe what we see and not see what we believe. Our fixed beliefs  influence information acquired by the eyes. The information is changed to conform to what we think we "know".
     A good analogy for this phenomenon is the game of telephone. The game starts when the first player whispers a message to the next player and the process continues to the end of the line.  Along the way, the message is misinterpeted so by the end of game it has been corrupted to the point that it means something different.
     The process of seeing and translating what was seen to paper is much like the game of telephone. The eyes gather the information which is relayed through the optic nerve and neural pathways to the visual cortex where it is processed. The infomation is reinterpreted to conform to our inacurate expectations. The drawing will be a misinterpretation of the initial message.
     In other words what we see and what is there are not the same thing. However; the good news is that this can be unlearned. The brain or the mind can be taught to "listen" better so the message recorded by the hand on the page will be more accurate. You can learn to become a better and more active observer.  With practice you'll see in new ways. You'll also draw more accurately, because you'll see more accurately.   www.alvarezschool.com