Warm Up And Activate Your Right Brain

Warm Up and Activate Your Right Brain

Like in any physical exercise it is good to make a warm up time before drawing or sketching. Our daily life often makes us exhausted and mentally tired. We are then almost unable to sit quietly and concentrate on reading or writing, let alone on drawing or sketching.

To minimize this “modern times” sickness, I recommend a warming up time. It really quiets down your mind and at the same time activates your right brain. I would say it is a kind of drawing and sketching meditation.

You can create your own warm up time by sketching a few two or three-dimensional forms such as:

CUBES

SPHERES

CYLINDERS

CONES

PYROLETTES – Face Frofile Vases

I personally recommend the Pyrolettes. They are simple and they will let you concentrate effectively. They are the short-cut to quieting down your mind.

At first you may not see or feel any significant changes but I promise you as you continue to practice only a few minutes you will feel the difference. It cannot be any other way, because this is how our brain works.

You can also sketch any other objects as you like. There isn’t any “the only way” to do it.

Hold the pencil loosely and never ever mind not being accurate. Accuracy or exactness does not mean much here. You can use only your wrist in the beginning and, then use your whole arm. Relax your grip. Just play with it.

By sketching these three flat things you practice shading. The gradation of shading. The bottom is the darkest and then you just work out to the top, lighter and lighter. You can make as many layers as you wish; it doesn’t need to be only three.

This was supposed to be a bottom up bowl – you can call it UFO – or whatever. Just shade the spherical shape by simple strokes that corresponds with the shape of the bowl, slightly round.

Here you have a brick-shaped thing. Proportions or dimensions are irrelevant. The approximate shape is what counts. Simply shade this object as you wish. These pictures are only for your reference. You can even copy them exactly as they are if you can’t figure out how to draw your own original, it doesn’t really matter.

Draw a circle. See the circular lines above? They are anything else but exactness. The point is to quiet down your mind and warm up, not to literally sketch or draw.

Now, by shading the circle you will create a sphere. Imagine the light is coming from the left side. A shade under the sphere is rather an uneven ellipse.

Cone is very simple and easy. Try to shade it on the right half of the body by half-round strokes. It will create an impression that the cone is really a cone, not a pyramid.

Yes I know this should have been a cube, but I was lazy to erase and correct the lines…and I left it as it came out at first. Whatever shape comes out on your first trial is good. Do not correct it if possible. This is only a warm up exercise.

Drawing Pyrolettes – Face Profile Vases are one of the best ways to relax and concentrate. I like to draw them because they really let you use the right half of the brain. Sometimes it even gets you irritated that you are simply un-able to draw the second half of the vase the same. Imagine drawing a human face-profile, left or right, any side is OK. Then on the opposite side draw the mirror effect of the same profile. The more profiles you draw the better you get in it.

You can use paper with lines if you like, because the lines will help you keep the right proportions.

Then you simply line up as many faces – vase-profiles – as you like. I used to draw about 20 to 30 Pyrolettes on one A4 sheet of white blank paper. I also admit that I don’t always want to do it, because it makes my brain change the working mode from left to right side. It makes me feel uncomfortable. But after only a few minutes you just do not feel like returning back to left side brain mode again. I can assure you, the right side brain mode is very pleasant. Practice this exercise and reap the benefits.

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wooow great,....
so interesting .. i enjoy drawing a vase look like a face of a woman...

great,....
so interesting ..

Chat
I think it is great but can you find a way to draw a leopard?

cool thinking
i think that it is really cool how people see this

You don't believe how much I love you right now...
I have searched everywhere and I mean EVERYWHERE on the web and in books, to find somewhere which can help me improve my art and enhance my creative thinking …

help
how can i activate the part in my brain to make me draw i asked this guy i didn't even know his first name he said"i have experince sadness like someone …

Aha! Right Brain Relaxation....I never thought of it, figures huh.
This is just what I was looking for when I put in a search for tips on drawing. I have been wanting to sit down and draw something but I didn't know what …

Thank you!
I always feel drawing is easier after you've warmed up, but I could never think of what to do to get my brain in drawing mode (:

scetch realistic animals
it would help me a lot, so if you can . may you please draw any relistic animals, i realy like pandas.

amazing
these warm ups really helped me get in my artistic zone.

what i think of the web
this website is really good. i cant believe real people can draw like that.

Qween of trees
I think if a King or Qween tree were in IRELAND i think that there might be the biggest trees in IRELAND.Did you know that the fruit of an oak tree is …

awsome
it was awsome it helps alot thanks.

WANTING TO GET IN THE FLOW
I am very happy to stumble upon your site. The woman who wrote, My stroke of insight, Jill Bolte Taylor, let me know we carry the bliss with us at all …

T~babi
i think everything on here as so easy but when you draw the vase lookin thing it is soooooooooo cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!

about the face profile vases
i drew the first one and i added hair but they were kind of like drooping flowers it looks really cool

artful 123
Web surfing and found your site. Thank you for your time and energy in providing step by step instructions. Drawing can keep the brain functioning at a …

COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love this site its so cool!!!!!! I've always been good at drawing but this helps improve it!!! :)

strange people/vases
Good:)

Good Drawing Relaxation Techniques!
I concentrate too hard when I begin to draw, because I'm worried about the outcome before I begin. This will slow my mind down and help my hand to relax …

I like this site
Im going to start practicing the warm-ups and then some of the exercises. I will use my iPad as this is where I am sketching at the moment. On …

awesomo
its not that great wow i dont get it

:) warm ups
LOVE THIS SITE SO MUCH !!!! And these warm ups are very helpful to me.

right brain
what if i'm left handed? Is it the same?

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Happy Monkey
I like this website a lot!!☺☺♥ I REALLY LOVE THE SKULL!♥♥♥

Thinking this web site
I think that this whole web sit is so cool but it is some bad things on here like SKULL in stuff that Kind of stuff i will not draw but all of the other …

haha
can you help me make glasses

site
i'm 9 yrs old and i think that this site isn't good, isn't nice, isn't awesome because i think that this site is so BRILLIANT!!!!!!! i love this site and …

Im a writer
I think this a great exercise to learn to draw in order for the right side of the brain to work more. Great idea i have a few poems i have written please …

9-12 Art Teacher
I love these as warm up exercises for my students to get started on and to give me a bit of time to call roll and prepare for the main lesson. Helps me …

It is Kinda Difficult for children
It is hard for children to do. It needs to be kinda easier for kids.. like a section for kids So there wont be any tracing

i_luvdrawing34759
I love draw but im having trouble with the shading. I don't know what techneces I should use and am not really sure how to sketch at all.

3-d hearts
i would really learn how to draw those things

very helpfull!
i used to draw a little in high school then just sirta stopped. But recently i got the urge to draw again but just wasnt able to draw the same as i used …

AWESOME!
Hi! I love to draw. I was looking up how to draw a dolphin, and started to warm up. I came across this page, and found this MUCH more professional than …

It is great
I learn alot thanks :)

dr radha
Excellent way to draw.Even a novice like me can draw with your excellent illustrations.Keep up the good work.Cheers!!!

headlesshorseman
well can you help me draw a horse with green eyes and armor and stuff like that

wow
That is really cool.

really amazing
From the starting I didn't get any idea but when i started concentrating i came to know what is this and it is really awesome.........

active
its cool it keep ur brain active

RELAXED
These tips made it so much easier to draw. this tips work so well.

the beginner
i am a complete beginner....i got bored and i was searching things to do ....i am 15 years old girl from Greece and i believe that your site was the most …

The Butterfly
I think my butterfly looks really nice. But i dont think any one else likes it.But if i show it to any one i think they will laugh but i dont know if any …

Interesting.
Wow i would always doodle circles, cubes, ect. Then i would start drawing and it would flow so nice. I didn't know that i was relaxing my brain to get …

cool
your a great teacher thanks!

Great Ideas and very Helpful!
I had taken a long time off of drawing --doing woodworking and mosaics and such. Now I have a drawing gig for three books. I sat down to draw (they want …

art
this is a good way of starting your journey in art

thank you
i think this is awesome to do in life u get to express your feelings on paper i thank you for making me a good drawer

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Mr.
This page is really helpful. Thankyou.

square
love the warm ups!!!!

hey!
me again! 11 year old artist! I love drawings, even a quick sketch! It just stirres the imagination. I love you all!

dont no what title to do
i think this page can make someone to become a artist

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OK COOL

Purrfecto!!
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amazing
i think most of your things are cool.Just maybe try taking measurements not to scale on screen but to scale in real life.

Logotipu kurimas
Very interesting article. Just recently I understood, that it is possible to switch between the brain hemispheres on demand. As I normally draw, I switch …

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video????
i think you should do a video clip instead as i dont know what i have drawed and what i havent many thanks

nice!
wow, i could never draw that well i tried but all i got was a bunch of messed up lines and shapes. thanx for making this website

love it
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COOL
THERE ARE GREAT WARM UPPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shansi
It was very relaxing and at the same time helpful. To see the faces better, I shaded them from the sides after finishing the vase, makes you see the shapes …

bridgets warm up
very good, helped refresh my mind... =)

cool
this will make drawing easier thanks

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