your eye, an extremely valuable tool. Most of us use it far too little and are unaware of the incomparable resources it provides.

The artist’s eye: A Wonderful Tool to Utilize

The human eye is an extraordinary instrument, especially for artists. It captures the smallest details, perceives the subtlest nuances of color, and captures variations in light and shadow with remarkable precision. But did you know that the eye can also be used strategically to enhance your art? Here’s how.

Harness the ability to squint:

When confronted with blinding brightness, such as that of the bright sun, our natural reflex is to squint to soften the intensity of the light. This instinctive gesture actually has an interesting effect on our visual perception: it reduces the sharpness of details and gives us a more global view of our surroundings. For artists, this squinting technique can be extremely useful, especially when working on drawings where value management is critical.

By reducing the sharpness of details, squinting allows us to focus more on the larger shapes and value contrasts in our subject. This helps us more easily identify key areas of light and shadow, as well as the tonal variations that add depth and volume to our drawings. Ultimately, this practice allows us to simplify our visual perception and focus on the most important aspects of our subject, which can greatly improve the quality of our artwork.

Close an eye to see better:

There’s a little saying in the art world that goes, « Close one eye to see better. While it may seem counterintuitive, closing one eye when looking at your subject can actually be an effective way to perceive it in two dimensions. By closing one eye, you remove some of the perception of depth and perspective, making it easier to see your subject as a flat image.

This technique is especially useful when drawing complex subjects where perspective can be difficult to interpret. By simplifying two-dimensional visual perception, you can more easily grasp the proportions and spatial relationships between the various elements of your subject. This facilitates the drawing process by allowing you to more accurately translate what you see onto your support, as if you were working from a photograph.

Ultimately, closing one eye to see better is a simple but effective way to improve your visual perception and your ability to draw accurately. So the next time you’re faced with a complex subject, don’t hesitate to put this method into practice!

Look through the hole in your fist to focus on details:

An interesting practice in the art world is to look through the hole formed by a closed but unclenched fist, a bit like looking through a spyglass. While this technique does not magnify the image, it allows you to focus on a specific part of your subject without being distracted by its relationship to the rest of the scene.

By focusing your vision through this small hole, you can discover details and relationships that you might otherwise miss. This can include variations in shape, value, or even color that are not immediately apparent from a bird’s eye view. This technique is especially useful for exploring a complex subject and discovering subtle elements that enrich your understanding and artistic interpretation.

Ultimately, using this technique to focus on details is an effective way to refine your visual perception and explore your subject in depth. It’s an invaluable tool for artists seeking a fresh perspective on their work and discovering unexpected aspects of their subject matter.

Refresh your eye for a new view:

In the art-making process, it’s important to take regular breaks to rest and refresh your eye. If you work intensively on a drawing for a long period of time, your eyesight can become tired and your ability to spot mistakes can diminish.

There are many techniques you can use to refresh your eye and revitalize your visual perception. Changing location or lighting, closing your eyes for a few moments, or simply looking away from your drawing for a while can all be effective in relieving eye fatigue and allowing your vision to renew itself.

However, there is one interesting technique that we’ll discuss in more detail in a future article: the use of a mirror. Using a mirror allows you to see your drawing from a new angle, which may reveal mistakes or areas for improvement that you might not have noticed otherwise. It’s a unique way to refresh your perspective and perfect your artwork.

Stay tuned for more on this fascinating technique in our next article, where we’ll explore in detail how to use a mirror to enhance your artistic practice.