Drawing and Seeing

Its funny how your interests change how you look at the world. Not long ago, studying weather with the kids, every time we ventured outdoors we would discuss the cloud formations and the weather patterns they accompanied. This week I've been working on a 'drawing clouds' tutorial (nearly finished!) and as a consequence, I've nearly crashed the car, driving along and squinting at interesting clouds to figure out the values. When I look at the sky, I lift out cirrus clouds with an imaginary eraser, or smudge in the grays of an approaching storm. Drawing is really about seeing, so you can practice without a pencil in your hand, just by observing and thinking. You can study values (shades of gray), consider how to deal with textures, and observe proportions and perspective. Give it a try! (But not while in control of a vehicle!)
Using a Value Viewer
Learning to Draw what you See