#174 - Proko On Memory Drawing
f you’ve been following Practice Drawing This, you know I am big on memory drawing exercises. I have a whole workbook on it here. Proko released some free videos on memory drawing!
There is a lot more to be said about memory drawing exercises. For example, he just does the memory drawings once, then notices what went wrong, and then stops there, missing a big step in the process: encoding.
Drawing from memory is basically a form of test-based learning: you do “active recall,” trying to recall what you know about something. Then you compare against reference and note the things you missed, and you do the “encoding” stage where you try to actively remember, tying it to knowledge you do already have or perhaps thinking up a mnemonic to help you memorize. And then you do active recall again. Repetition.
1) Active Recall.
2) Encoding,
3) Repetition.
One of the best ways to memorize.
Or actually, one of the best ways to learn any skill! This is how you can learn to play guitar, swim, cook, how to become an entrepreneur, any skill. It is a pity we don’t learn this method in school. You can learn anything with it very effectively.
But when used for drawing, this exercise isn’t only about memorizing a reference.
I think Stan Prokopenko also says this: it’s not actually about memorizing that thing but about becoming better at visualizing what you want on the page and seeing when things are off. Your brain gets much better at that when you do this exercise regularly.
When you practice drawing from memory, you get better at drawing things you didn’t even practice drawing this way. You also get better at drawing from observation because you get better at seeing when and why lines and shapes are off.
The Proko videos mentioned above are very much worth checking out! They make you want to draw, and I’m glad someone of Stan Prokopenko’s stature also harps on the benefits of memory drawing.
He says so, too! Now go check my memory drawing workbook!