I can't see

[BlueSky]

As I move forward in my recent endeavor to get back into portrait drawing, I am reminded how true it is that I do not ever truly see what is right before my eyes, for what it is beyond what I think it is or for what I want to see in it. It’s mostly all subconscious so I can’t just say “look without thinking”.



As an example, I’m drawing a realistic portrait and I refer back and forth to the photograph as I proceed and I think to myself that it looks just like it. Then I put the two side by side and I see differences. Then I take a photograph of them side by side and I see different differences. Then I let it sit for a week and see even more differences pop up as well as other things that I could have done better but didn’t notice a week ago.



So even comparing doesn’t allow me to see past what I am comparing.



When I look at a tree, I see that it is rough compared to smooth and I see that it is tall compared to short and that it is beautiful based on my ideas of beautiful.

I would love to go beyond this way of seeing even if for a moment. I can’t imagine what it is like or that it is even possible.

I would appreciate any thoughts or insights………..thanks

[Rawnrr]

What we actually see in the world is very limited. Much of our scope of vision is simply filled in by our brain, rather than being directly perceived. Our brain would not be able to process all the visual information if we were actually aware of every bit of visual data of the world around us.
So as an artist, the best approach is to capture the "nature" of the subject, not the details of it...that is also where the "life" of the art resides

[Touched]

Great topic!

One of the central parts of my spiritual awakening was seeing 'through' my own perspective. I realized that what I had always assumed was 'reality' was in fact not reality. It was just a perspective, and a perspective which itself had many layers, which might look something like this; Physical perspective>Earth perspective>Mammal perspective>Human perspective>MyCity Perspective>MyFamily perspective>Mycareer perspective>My perspective. The 'My Perspective' part could be broken down also, such as; PhysicalHealth>Mental>Memory>Emotional>Relationships>CurrrentGoal>etc etc etc.

All of these things had bearing on my perspective. Changing any one of them could give me a very different view of things. What I had unthinkingly taken to be self-evident as rock-solid reality was actually a very complex and fragile web of interactions and prejudices.

But I don't think perspective is a bad thing - quite the contrary, it is what allows us our individuality. It is what gives context and meaning to everything in our awareness.

So I think Rawnrr gives excellent advice. As an artist, the real unique contribution you have to give IS your perspective, because you are in it. Discover who you are - and let those who view your art discover who you are too. :smile:

[BlueSky]

What we actually see in the world is very limited. Much of our scope of vision is simply filled in by our brain, rather than being directly perceived. Our brain would not be able to process all the visual information if we were actually aware of every bit of visual data of the world around us.
So as an artist, the best approach is to capture the "nature" of the subject, not the details of it...that is also where the "life" of the art resides
Hi, your advice speaking as an artist is appreciated and noted and from that perspective, yes, an artist must learn to see as an artist and your advice is well noted.

On a larger scale though, seeing past imposing ways of seeing or training to see a certain way, what your post says to me is that we can’t see beyond what our brains can process so we are limited by our own brains, not just our thoughts and beliefs and conscious or sub-conscious limitations.

That is interesting in that there is a man I consider a guru these days and he speaks of rising above mind to what he calls ‘supermind’. He believes this is the direction our evolution is heading. This supermind is a plane that man can rise to above his current limited mentality. It is defined as a plane of perfect knowledge that has the full integral truth of anything.

I think about this supermind often and from your post I think the correlation between it and my artist blindness experiences is that the limited seeing our currents brains allow us to see, being limited by nature cannot ever see the truth of things. Furthermore to see the truth of things is what it means to truly see. This makes sense because I know deep down that to even get a glimpse of God, truth, source for a millisecond would change your life for ever.



Thanks Rawnrr for your words and sharing, it has been very helpful and exactly what I needed to hear.

[Rawnrr]

The brain is the physical organ that processes physical sight...as such anything physical shall naturally have limitations.
The brain translates the physical world into data the mind can perceive.
When you get into "mind" that is no longer physical, and is open to broader experiences.
This broader expression is also something that can be translated by an artist who is open to it..and reflect it in their art

[BlueSky]

The brain is the physical organ that processes physical sight...as such anything physical shall naturally have limitations.
The brain translates the physical world into data the mind can perceive.
When you get into "mind" that is no longer physical, and is open to broader experiences.
This broader expression is also something that can be translated by an artist who is open to it..and reflect it in their art
Yes that is exactly Sri Aurobindo’s teaching in regards to this supermind, that it is not physical. The belief is that the Omnipresent Reality, Absolute, Brahman extends itself to create a universe of separate forms from what is called the creative power of God or the feminine or Shakti. During this process called involution the mind, eyesight, the elements, etc were subtle, without form. As the process continued, they became form, matter.

The belief is that through a process of evolution, these forms or seeds which contain the essence of the tree that will emerge from it will continue to evolve spiritual properties on a journey to re-discovering its source.

Seeing from ‘mind’ is a highly evolved spiritual endeavor. I see it off in the future, I believe it to be so, I just can’t make it happen lol

[BlueSky]

Great topic!

One of the central parts of my spiritual awakening was seeing 'through' my own perspective. I realized that what I had always assumed was 'reality' was in fact not reality. It was just a perspective, and a perspective which itself had many layers, which might look something like this; Physical perspective>Earth perspective>Mammal perspective>Human perspective>MyCity Perspective>MyFamily perspective>Mycareer perspective>My perspective. The 'My Perspective' part could be broken down also, such as; PhysicalHealth>Mental>Memory>Emotional>Relationships>CurrrentGoal>etc etc etc.

All of these things had bearing on my perspective. Changing any one of them could give me a very different view of things. What I had unthinkingly taken to be self-evident as rock-solid reality was actually a very complex and fragile web of interactions and prejudices.

But I don't think perspective is a bad thing - quite the contrary, it is what allows us our individuality. It is what gives context and meaning to everything in our awareness.

So I think Rawnrr gives excellent advice. As an artist, the real unique contribution you have to give IS your perspective, because you are in it. Discover who you are - and let those who view your art discover who you are too. :smile:
That's great advice Touched from an artistic viewpoint but I was hoping to express and even find who I am beyond the individual through my rediscovering art

[Jared.L]

I think it is possible if you let go the desire to see....Because it seems that in the terms of non-physical world, you should do everything easily....with minimum effort. If you want something badly, you will unlikely get it.

[Greenslade]

As an example, I’m drawing a realistic portrait and I refer back and forth to the photograph as I proceed and I think to myself that it looks just like it. Then I put the two side by side and I see differences. Then I take a photograph of them side by side and I see different differences. Then I let it sit for a week and see even more differences pop up as well as other things that I could have done better but didn’t notice a week ago.

So even comparing doesn’t allow me to see past what I am comparingGotta love the irony here. Classic.

You're not seeing what you're seeing - they're all ways of seeing the same thing, each a different perspective. The face, the portrait, the photograph are all representations of the same face - even noticing things a week later when the light is different or you're not so caught up in the moment brings a different perspective.

When you see that all those perspectives are possible - and more importantly that you can experience them - you can also see that everything in the Universe can be seen the same way. Each perspective is a snapshot in time, in your consciousness as it is in the moment. All you see is all you look at, so don't look at comparisons but see it as you see it and nothing more. Then you will see much more.

[blackraven]

As I move forward in my recent endeavor to get back into portrait drawing, I am reminded how true it is that I do not ever truly see what is right before my eyes, for what it is beyond what I think it is or for what I want to see in it. It’s mostly all subconscious so I can’t just say “look without thinking”.



As an example, I’m drawing a realistic portrait and I refer back and forth to the photograph as I proceed and I think to myself that it looks just like it. Then I put the two side by side and I see differences. Then I take a photograph of them side by side and I see different differences. Then I let it sit for a week and see even more differences pop up as well as other things that I could have done better but didn’t notice a week ago.



So even comparing doesn’t allow me to see past what I am comparing.



When I look at a tree, I see that it is rough compared to smooth and I see that it is tall compared to short and that it is beautiful based on my ideas of beautiful.

I would love to go beyond this way of seeing even if for a moment. I can’t imagine what it is like or that it is even possible.

I would appreciate any thoughts or insights………..thanks
Self - I am a painter/drawer too and from my perspective I think it's important as an artist to look at your own works with the same wonderment and energy that went into it. Not from the standpoint where judgment comes into play. I have at least 10 of my many paintings I have done on the walls in my home. Most of them are self-expressions and thus have women in them that one would think is me. I didn't intend for this to happen. A visitor at my home looked at all my paintings and asked what is my inspiration. I didn't know what to say at the time. Later as I thought more about it, I assumed I was being patronized for using my self as the inspirations. But again, they are just self-expressions of a particular time in life.

But getting back on point. I too have gone to various paintings around the house and thought, "I should take that canvas back out of the frame and improve that hand, add more images in the background or foreground, change a color, or maybe even trash the whole canvas and start all over. So I am guilty of what I'm trying to convey that an artist shouldn't do.

In respects to drawing a portrait using a photo, it's bound to be different because of the artists eye and personal style of drawing. The drawing doesn't have to be an exact replicate of a photo in order to be perfect art. No matter what the artist creates at any given time in no matter what the frame of mind is for the artist, the outcome/creation is a self-expression and there is no getting around it. Sure, a drawing instructor may say, "Try again; it doesn't look exactly like the photo." But art isn't technical like that if it's done from a free-flowing, creative stand point.

All of my works, paintings or drawings have a unique look or feel to them that unifies them all together. It's my unique fingerprint if you will. Does that mean they all look the same? On the contrary. I displayed several of my works at a showing once and people were surprised when they met me after seeing my art. One woman said I didn't look like the type of person she had envisioned that would create paintings such as I did. She was also baffled that the same individual painted such different paintings, some very angry, some serene, some mystical, etc.

I think the artist is his/her own worst critic. Create and enjoy what has been created. Then get away from it and start something new. Go with your own unique creative flow and in the end, release the criticism. Criticism is a way of stagnating the creative flow.

[knightofalbion]

Art is all about perception and expression.

As wonderful as aesthetics is, I think making the 'viewer' think or see things from a different perspective can only be a positive thing.

[Deepsoul]

And one will never fully know how the subject has affected another, because of their own interpretation built on experiences as well,,, I am in kundalini now and it is incredibly healing ,tumultuous ,,awesome ,,challenging,,,every dual you can think of ,,, i really can only take a day at a time and learn my way through it ,,,information helps ,,but its about experience ,,all about unravelling,,re-building,,trusting,,expanding,nurturing ,,,knowledge fired and tempered with love allows one to see.