1/30/2009

Practice makes...

...whatever you want.

So yesterday, as I lounged at home on my mid-week day off (I know I'm spoilt), I was removing the excruciatingly frustrating malware from Mooncar's computer (fracking retail sites!) I was doodling away on a piece of paper as I'm want to do.



Now, most people say they can't draw but be assured it's a practiced skill. I'm not very precise when drawing doodles but I'm still practicing the hand-eye co-ordination it takes to manipulate a pencil which enables me a certain amount of skill to execute more detailed and professional looking renderings when needed. Like with the children's book.



I was also reading a book about brain plasticity while waiting for the scans on the computer to run (may anyone who creates a single piece of Malware suffer with Tinnitus) and how imagining the use of a skill is almost as effective as actually practicing the skill. In one study people imagining an exercise increased muscle size by 22%, the people actually doing the excercise increased their size by 30%. There are complicated explanantions as to how the brain effects this change in the body which are still not fully understood by the people doing the studies.



So maybe if those people who say they can't draw (and want too) just imagine themselves drawing for a few weeks, how the lines form, how they would shade in a shape, etc. Then when they actually start drawing they will find themselves already in a position of increased skill. There is a name for that... Meditation.

I find that interesting.

Well, when meditating on my doodles I did 'it' again. Came up with another idea. Whoops. But hey, I wouldn't mind learning Flash. I think a Flash site with an entire body made up of drawings like this with stories and video associated with each body part would be a really fun way to navigate through an artists body of work. So. Lets add another project to the list to be done somewhere in the future.


Take: 32

Blogger Ruela mused...

Cool ideia R!

sending thoughts on the wings of angels...you Master.

Fri Jan 30, 11:56:00 am

 
Blogger G3T Films mused...

It'd be a fun way to learn Flash anyways.

Angels are only people who have forgotten they're meant to have bodies.

I am the Master... Master-farter!

Fri Jan 30, 12:22:00 pm

 
Blogger Bimbimbie mused...

I'm one of those people you speak of ... meditation you say, I shall have to give it a go. This latest project for your list is an interesting one very imaginative*!*

Fri Jan 30, 10:37:00 pm

 
Blogger G3T Films mused...

Ah Bimbimbie, Draw if it's something you want to do. Don't judge it compared to other drawings, just draw the things that take your whimsy. You'll find that not only over time are you able to mimic other peoples drawings but you'll fall in love with the imperfections of your own renderings and make it your style.

After all, it took Picasso 3 weeks to learn how to paint like Renoir but he said it took his life to learn to draw like a child.

An imaginative way to learn Flash programming. I can live with that :)

Fri Jan 30, 11:09:00 pm

 
Blogger Shelley Noble mused...

Very interesting indeed, Rich. You've got me thinking that the years one spends drawing, or any practice, is really just so we can believe that we've worked hard enough by spending enough time at something.

"Oh, I must be good now because I've done it for years."

[brain] Skill Permission: granted

Sat Jan 31, 05:04:00 am

 
Blogger Bimbimbie mused...

"After all, it took Picasso 3 weeks to learn how to paint like Renoir but he said it took his life to learn to draw like a child"

*!* good quote, I like that *!*

Sat Jan 31, 06:33:00 am

 
Blogger G3T Films mused...

Hey Shel, I think there's definitely that sort of psychological aspect to it as well but in terms of brain plasticity the general rule is that neurons that 'fire together wire together' so that the more you do something the brain recruits more neurons to that type of task so it becomes easier and faster to perform.

Interestingly when you ask someone to imagine say 'red', scans show that same part of the neural cortex lights up as if the person actually sees red. We imagine red with the same part of the brain that processes red. Because those neurons are firing together, even if you're only imagining something, they're strengthened because they're wiring together and recruiting new neurons.

So if you imagine or visualize something, like playing a piece on the piano, it's almost as good as actually playing it in terms of improving your ability to play that piece. And in fact all professional pianists do 'mental practice' to help save their hands for performances.

Sat Jan 31, 07:14:00 pm

 
Blogger G3T Films mused...

Yeah, Bimbimbie, it's one of my favourite quotes. I love when people say about an artists work, 'I could do that easily' to point out that it's usually because the artist has done all the hard work working the idea out completely.

Sat Jan 31, 07:20:00 pm

 
Blogger A wildlife gardener mused...

As an amatuer artist, I agree that drawing is a practised art. I love all your doodling...very creative :)

Sat Jan 31, 09:40:00 pm

 
Blogger G3T Films mused...

An amateur artist Wildlife G? I don't think there's anything amateurish about your garden. I think that's a serious piece of long term art that is beautiful in all its seasons.

As to drawing, I'm an Amateur too. I've only been drawing for 30 odd years. ;)

Sat Jan 31, 11:03:00 pm

 
Blogger Bimbimbie mused...

I've begun my meditating ommm with a b2 ;)

Sun Feb 01, 09:39:00 pm

 
Blogger G3T Films mused...

Bimbimbie?? You're hanging out with B2... wait... does that make you B1? I always though that the B stood for Banana but now I know it stands for Bimbimbie. How are the teddies?

We could all use a little more meditation :)

Mon Feb 02, 09:52:00 am

 
Blogger willynillywaterlily mused...

My goodness, for being just doodles your doodles are amazing! :)

Mon Feb 02, 12:59:00 pm

 
Blogger G3T Films mused...

Thanks WillyNillyWaterLily. Welcome to mai blarrrg.

I must humbly concede, yes, yes I am amazing! Ha! Just jokes, there are plenty of great artists out there whose rare talents far exceed my fun little doodles. But I do enjoy it.

I really like you creations too. Super cute!

Mon Feb 02, 02:59:00 pm

 
Blogger Bimbimbie mused...

LOL ... forgot all about the other B1&B2 the teddies are doing nicely within their bubble blanket.

Mon Feb 02, 04:44:00 pm

 
Anonymous Anonymous mused...

Wattle Woman and I are so happy to have had some colour swept over us ... Thanks Mr Films ;)

Mon Feb 02, 04:47:00 pm

 
Blogger G3T Films mused...

Well Bimbimbie, it is Tuesday so just be sure you catch them unawares.

I'm sure it's just my twisted mind but Carey Blyton surely had an 'interesting' childhood judging from those lyrics.

Tue Feb 03, 08:55:00 am

 
Blogger G3T Films mused...

Ahhh, Kookie! Welcome to this neck of the woods. You and the Wattle Woman are always welcome to spread a little colour.

Tue Feb 03, 08:57:00 am

 
Blogger Bimbimbie mused...

Hmmm yes how do you dress a pair of giant bananas in pajamas anyway ...

Tue Feb 03, 10:58:00 am

 
Blogger G3T Films mused...

Personally, Bimbimbie, I don't!

Tue Feb 03, 01:53:00 pm

 
Blogger Bimbimbie mused...

Phew ... glad to hear that*!*

Tue Feb 03, 03:12:00 pm

 
Blogger Ticharu mused...

Just imagine that you've already created the site and 22% of the site will already exist!

Tue Feb 03, 06:12:00 pm

 
Blogger G3T Films mused...

Hehehe, Bimbimbie :D

Not that there's anything wrong with that!

Tue Feb 03, 07:58:00 pm

 
Blogger G3T Films mused...

Tich, You may be onto something there. If I spent a large amount of time imagining through the site, how it should be coded and how to overcome usual site navigational problems. I think I'd save at least, at least 22% of time someone who didn't imagine it at that level who went ahead and started programming.

Tue Feb 03, 08:02:00 pm

 
Blogger Ticharu mused...

Alternatively you could finish one of the projects you've already started... no, no one would do that! :)

Wed Feb 04, 12:45:00 am

 
Blogger Is it sync'd yet? mused...

Dig it! I also want a whole post on your take with the whole Bale thing that is hitting the net.

In case you don't know Bale when completly balistic on the DP on the new terminator movie set.

I mean balistic!


Scott.
.

Wed Feb 04, 02:50:00 am

 
Anonymous Anonymous mused...

while
i don't
consider it
'meditation' as such,
i think it is true that imagining (pre-visualizing) a project (drawing, etc) does indeed allow the project to develop more smoothly (you might call it skill), and where that kind of prescription is desirable (it isn't for every project, of course)

love your doodles -- v.cool!

linked you at mo'po

/t.

Wed Feb 04, 06:01:00 am

 
Blogger G3T Films mused...

*slap* Tich, Man, oooouch... why you slap me?

Hehehe

I don't think having ideas gets in the way of completing projects. Getting tumours cut out, yeah, that get's in the way of projects.

But I hear ya. I really do need to get back to completing my unfinished works.

Wed Feb 04, 08:16:00 am

 
Blogger G3T Films mused...

Ha! Gnat. The Bale thing... a whole post... I dunno... the DP was just doing his job. If you've ever been on a set you'll know that there's all sorts of chaos going on that an actor has to be able to block out. But it would have been pretty hard for anyone to block out that tirade.

Bale was obviously going through a strange time when it happened. He assaulted his Mum and Sister a couple of days after this. About the only thing I could think to say about his behaviour is, 'Get off the fucking Cocaine dickhead!'

Wed Feb 04, 08:22:00 am

 
Blogger G3T Films mused...

Hey End-T-Dot welcome to Get Films.

I would consider it a form of meditation, maybe not in a traditional sense but it's definitely an act of quieting the voice of the mind in order to focus it.

I would call it skill but skill I see as aptitude garnered from repetitive experience. Brain plasticity experts seem to suggest people are able focus the mind in a particular manner which can improve ability without any experience, ie. Stroke victims recovering the use of a paralysed (hence experience-less) limb by using the mind to train other parts of the brain to take over the processing ability that used to control the limb. I know, weird but true.

Cheers, I like you visual poetry. I think...

Wed Feb 04, 08:35:00 am

 
Blogger Wendy mused...

I began drawing for the first time in years a few weeks ago. One scene that caught me and I didn't have a camera. So now I am obsessed with getting it "right" and am repeating the sketch to my satisfaction, and you know what?

It doesn't totally suck. I do feel kinda like Richard Dreyfus in "Close Encounters of The Third Kind" when he is consumed with the shape of Devils Mnt. in Wyoming and creates it out of mashed potatoes til its right...

Anyway, "Meditation" yes, I get it!

Thu Feb 12, 12:27:00 pm

 
Blogger Wendy mused...

...and what I meant to say is I totally love these sketches and the teeney tiny heart on the bird. LOVE IT! And love this whole idea.

Thu Feb 12, 12:28:00 pm

 

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