The Art of Seeing: How Observational Drawing Turns Shapes into Form
- jeannettesirois
- May 27
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 8
The Art of Observational Drawing: How to Truly See
Understanding Observational Drawing
When people say “you’re so talented,” I sometimes want to say, “It is a combination of talent, a lot of hard work, and a lot of attention to details.”
Observation—the real kind, the slow kind—isn’t just about looking harder. It’s about learning how to see. As artists, we frequently hurry to sketch what we believe a subject looks like. I often advise my students to draw what they actually see, not what they think they see. I understand, though, that capturing something accurately is more challenging than those simple words suggest.
When we begin our journey into drawing, we often find ourselves relying on our brains to dictate how a subject should look. For example, think of an eye. Many might sketch it as two curved lines joined together at two endpoints with a couple of circles. However, eyes are much more than just lines. When we truly observe, we stop drawing based on our assumptions about how an eye should appear; instead, we depict what it truly is. It’s in this shift that the magic lies.
What Is Observational Drawing?
Observational drawing means drawing from real life—not from memory or imagination. It’s not just copying what we see; it’s about interpreting. We learn to see a subject in front of us and translate what our eyes perceive into something dynamic on paper.
The benefits of observational drawing include:
Trusting your eyes more than your assumptions.
Slowing down and letting go of perfection.
Moving past the “idea” of an object and drawing what is truly present.
Eliminating elements that don't enhance the subject.
Learning to use artistic judgment to enhance your work, often referred to as artistic license.
From Shape to Form: The Shift
Many beginners start with symbols: a circle for a head, an oval for a flower. I’ve included a video on drawing a finch to explore this premise as it's a wonderful starting point. However, to grow your skills, you need to move beyond basics into the creation of form. Shapes alone don’t convey the three-dimensional quality needed until they gain depth through value.
To draw form, you must ask new questions:
Where is the light hitting this object?
Where does it turn away from light?
What’s the actual edge—hard or soft?
Form is built through:
Contour changes that highlight where surfaces curve.
Value shifts indicating light and depth.
Edge variation guiding the eye around the object.
Shadows that create form and cast.
In this older video, I guide you through straightforward form drawing with clear step-by-step instructions. Don't let technical details discourage you; they serve as a foundation for translating a subject onto paper accurately.
Train Your Eye: 3 Observational Exercises
1. Blind Contour Drawing
Pick a simple object, like your hand or a mug. Draw it without looking at your page. Don’t worry about perfection—this exercise trains your eye to track the object more effectively than your memory can.
2. Light & Shadow Study
Set a single light source on an object. Forget outlines—draw just the values. Look for the darkest darks and lightest lights. This approach helps the form begin to emerge.
3. Form Mapping with Contour Lines
Draw an object and add curved lines across its surface, similar to elevation lines on a map. This exercise helps train your brain to perceive dimensionality.
Final Thoughts – Why This Matters
Observation is a muscle. The more you use it, the sharper it gets. The real gift of observational drawing? It’s not just that your art improves; you start witnessing beauty where most people overlook it.
Consider a wrinkle in an orange or the shadow beneath a leaf. These details are often missed. This beautiful practice teaches you to see—the slouch of your own reflection on a tired afternoon.
This is the art of seeing. Once you begin, the world never looks the same.
If this resonates with you, check out my latest blogs, and sign up for my newsletter. It’s where I share art processes, artist tips, and stories from my studio.
Thanks for reading—and keep drawing what you see.
great article