For untrained artists the problem with seeing lies in the conflict that exists between the concrete visual reality of an item

and the way the mind tries to characterize our perception of this reality on the sketching paper. This attempt invariably involves the predispostion to draw our symbolic preconception instead of the concrete reality.

Symbolic preconceptions are part of a subconscious visual lingo that uses symbols to characterize known items. This lingo of symbols evolved as a mechanism to help us endure as a species. These symbols help us, for instance, to instantly recognize food sources or treacherous predators.

When we observe an unknown item our subconscious mind immediately tries to form a new symbol to characterize and store the item in memory. Often beginning artists will more correctly draw unknown items than familiar ones because they are not yet wedded to the new symbols.

However, when they try to draw the same item a second time, it is likely that a more symbolic image will emerge because ready to use symbols have already been stored in the mind.

Consider, for instance, the word "head". At once an image comes to mind which is symbolic for the head. Unfortunately, this symbol is only a iconic image of a head and is invariably a gross simplification of a real head. Nevertheless, there is a strong subconscious pull to draw the icon instead of what we actually see.

It is this inconsistency that artists must learn to conquer. This is particularly a difficulty for pencil portrait artists. When sketching a portrait the artist must resolve numerous layers of symbols to reach a realistic effect.

We now will describe a very good exercise to learn to overcome the problem of icon sketching.

We will be sketching from an upside-down photograph. This way our symbolic preconception of the head is interrupted. We will be forced to draw without our symbols. The result will be a purer sketching experience free from a tainted perception.

As you draw the lines and hatch-in the values you will feel quite ill at ease in your sketching. This is a good thing. Do not be concerned with the quality of your sketch. This is an exercise in seeing.

When practicing line and tone this way, beginning artists often get better outcomes than from the right-side up way. Trust yourself and throughout the exercise only look at your photograph in the upside-down position even though it may feel quite uncomfortable.

You will learn to see and draw tone as shapes and will be able to break down hard edges into short, straight lines instead of the usual symbols your mind will give to the nose, the ears, etc.

Thinking of and naming perceived items will lead you down the garden path of almond shaped eyes, two circles for nostrils, a bunch of lines for hair, cauliflower ears and something that looks like an M perched on a bowl for a mouth instead of what is actually there.

Artists will never be free of symbolic predeterminations|fixations. The symbols actually change and become more refined. It is only by constantly analyzing and abstracting form that we are able to draw realistically.