Step Back to See Things Clearly

Do you step back from your drawings regularly? As artists there are countless times when our drawings are just a little off. Many times, it’s something subtle and we might not be able to pinpoint the problem right away. Here are several tips that might help, and they all require that you step back.

It’s part of the routine of drawing. We are naturally up close and personal with our artwork, sometimes hovering just inches above the surface of our paper. We do this for hours on end. Optometrists have long suggested that we give our eyes a break every 20 minutes. Sure, this is usually intended for folks who work on a computer most of the day but drawing or reading forces the muscles in our eyes to contract and execute rapid movements.

The longer we work, the more fatigued those muscles become. As the fatigue sets in, we might start experiencing a type of tunnel vision. This means we really only clearly see a very small portion of our drawing, namely just what’s directly front and center. This being the case, we lose sight of the rest of the drawing. So, is it any wonder that things might end up looking a bit wonky?

Optometrists suggest the 20-20-20 rule. Work for 20 minutes, stop and look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Looking at something that far away allows the muscles in your eyes to relax.

Which leads us to our three tips.

Tip #1

Kill two birds with one stone. Step back. Give your eyes a break and see your work more clearly at the same time. (Photo Credit: 123RF.com Image ID: 8464356 Copyright: dedmazay)

Step back from your drawing and look at it from a distance. This allows your tunnel vision to open back up because now you’re looking at your whole drawing rather than just a few square inches of it right in front of your nose. From a distance, you’ll see the entire drawing more clearly and wherever it’s off might just jump right out at you.

Tip #2

Viewing your drawing through a mirror can definitely give you a different perspective. (Photo Credit: 123RF.com Image ID: 12440037 Copyright: zagart701)

Step back and view your drawing through a mirror. Seeing your drawing in reverse can also help you see where your drawing needs help. You’ll see digital artists do this constantly by flipping the image upside down to a mirror image and back again.

Tip #3

Sometimes taking a photo of your drawing can reveal trouble areas. (Photo Credit: 123RF.com Image ID: 66819212 Copyright: Andrei Ivanov)

Step back and take a photo with your phone. I’ve done this before and didn’t even need to flip the image. Strangely, the camera picks up things that my eyes don’t see right off the bat sometimes (especially if they’re fatigued), such as lack of contrast, poor balance or proportion, perspective that’s not quite right, etc.

All three of these tips are easy to do and all three will give your eyes a much-needed break. Do you have any other tips that work for you? Comment and let us know.

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