Art 101 Lesson 4: See the shapes

I had to teach myself to see shapes. Good artists can break down anything into its' basic elementary shape and then they add in the details as they go. I do not naturally possess this skill and have had to train my brain to do this. A great way to practice this is to just stop and draw what you see. Look around the room you are in. See the lamp over there? Or maybe it is the apple on the counter. Stay in one location, it gets confusing if you move around. What do you SEE? An apple is a circle. The lamp is a couple of cylinders on top of an oval. The key to seeing shapes is that you only draw what you see. You can not see the top of the lamp. Your mind wants to add in the missing pieces, but if you can not physically see it, do not add it into your picture. Use a pencil and sketch everything lightly. As you draw, your sketches will be come clearer and clearer. And with everything, practice makes perfect.