drawing essay

How Drawing Helps Us Observe, Discover, and Invent

It feels as if we are living in uniquely precarious times. This has always been true, for some. Today, our lives and our children’s futures are being shaped by unprecedented fires, floods, pandemics, and political upheaval. Both human and non-human forces wreak havoc on our sense of normalcy and expectations of stability. In trying times, solace and inner peace can sometimes be difficult to come by. But we can still seek out quiet moments and spaces where we can open our eyes and hearts to encounters with the unknown.

The practice of drawing, with paper and pencil or whatever else is at hand, is a simple and accessible means to become more mindful and aware of our inner and outer worlds. Time slows down when we start drawing. Our attention shifts. Setting aside our worries and fears about the future, we can draw ourselves into stillness. Drawing provides an active way to engage deeply with the present moment, locating our thoughts, perceptions, and feelings, in time and space.

An exercise: Next time you are spending time with someone you love, try to capture their likeness on paper. Or choose a tree outside your window, or your coffee mug. Choose and observe closely anything or anyone you encounter in your daily life. Through the process of translating your observations into marks on paper, chances are you will be surprised by what you notice as you draw. You will observe new details, perhaps fine lines around your beloved’s eyes you had never seen before. The tree in your front yard might be taller and more majestic than you had realized, the gentle curve of your coffee mug’s handle more graceful. You might experience a heightened appreciation of the uniqueness of the subject of your drawing and a sense of wonder at their mere presence in the world. (This goes for the tree, or the coffee cup, or whatever else you choose to draw.)

Setting aside our worries and fears about the future, we can draw ourselves into stillness.

The end result does not matter. In picking up that pencil or pen, it is the process that counts. Your hand and eye, working together, may lead you to truly see that coffee cup or tree or loved one anew, as they are, perhaps more clearly than you ever have. And when you get up from drawing and get on with your life, take another moment to stop and look around. Your perceptions will be heightened. Enjoy a fresh sense of wonder. These are gifts the act of drawing can bestow.

Drawing can be many things, and drawing to observe the people or things around you is only one way to begin. Here’s another: Try lightly scribbling on your paper without looking, then look, and add to what you see. Perhaps a sea creature, a bird, a landscape? Add details and see what emerges. Draw with a partner or small group on a big sheet of paper, and take turns. If you have children in your life, try drawing with them, you will find you have a lot to teach and learn from one another. If nothing else, they will remind you of the sheer joy of making your mark on the world.

Drawing provides a protected, sheltered space to reflect on our experiences, ideas, and observations, and imagine how things might be different. As the drawing develops, we enter the virtual world of the drawing, to record what we see, or the images and stories that emerge from our minds. There are infinite methods and subjects to explore through drawing from observation or imagination. We each have our own individual curiosities and points of view, and as we look out toward the horizon of possibility, we all see something different. Drawing helps us get to know our own particular perspectives better. We become more aware of the limits of what we see from where we sit. We can envision alternatives. Looking down roads not yet taken, we may picture what adventures might await, where the process of drawing itself can take us. We can follow a suggestion, a squiggle, shadow, or smudge, and see where it leads.

Drawing is always a negotiation between what we see and what we know. It leverages the ways we have evolved to think with our whole bodies as we interact with the environments in which we find ourselves. Cognitive scientists who study human gesture have revealed how we use our hands to think — much more than we realize, especially when confronting a difficult problem. When we draw, we leave traces of our gestures on paper, to be examined, extended, and reconfigured later on. We sometimes find in our drawings more than we realized we put down. When an experienced drawer holds a pencil, the tip of the pencil is mapped onto the area of the brain that controls the hand, as if it were simply part of the body. The pencil, while in use, is an integral physical extension of the hand . The eye, hand, pencil, and mind are one.

The pencil and the blank page becomes a physical extension of our minds. We draw out two- and three-dimensional models of real and invented objects, actors, and scenes, pull them apart, and put them back together in new ways. We sometimes say we need to “turn things over in our minds” when we feel the need to analyze a subject thoroughly. We want to get “on top” of a situation, “cover” a topic, “uncover” the facts, or put something “to the side.” Spatial analogies permeate our thinking so completely that, like gesture, we often don’t notice them. Drawing gives us a place to explore spatial analogies and metaphors.

Drawing is always a negotiation between what we see and what we know. It leverages the ways we have evolved to think with our whole bodies as we interact with the environments in which we find ourselves.

During the long lockdowns of the pandemic, drawing helped people cope . When so much we had taken for granted was no longer available, paper and pencils were still at hand, helping to connect us with others through our imagination. For those on the front lines during the pandemic’s early days, drawing was also helpful when it came to processing and sharing difficult experiences. Heidi Edmundson, an emergency medicine consultant in the UK’s National Health Service conducted weekly wellness sessions for her medical team during the height of the pandemic. “Drawing often enables people to express emotions that are difficult to say,” she explains in an essay on the British Medical Association’s blog. “For some drawing let them acknowledge or accept feelings that they were unaware that they had.”

COVID-19 was certainly not the last calamity to so quickly and radically transform the fabric of our daily lives. This fall, returning to school, children in Kharkiv and across Ukraine drew pictures of damaged houses to try to make sense of the disaster. None of us knows what is coming next. But as humans, we can rely on the strengths of our species that have allowed us to survive thus far: our drive to understand and grapple with the time and place in which we find ourselves, to struggle to comprehend apparently incomprehensible events in order to survive.

Drawing is a practice that takes time and patience to develop. Over time, it becomes a habit that can help slow down and make meaning out of otherwise random, disconnected experiences. We learn to find beauty in unexpected places. We can use drawing as a tool of thought to enhance our abilities to observe, discover and invent. In the face of global pandemics and ecological disasters, everything we can do to cultivate and nurture human resilience, ingenuity, and understanding matters. Our continued existence and perhaps all life on earth depends on how well we are able to think and work together to imagine and build a future world we all want to live in. Drawing together, metaphorically but also literally, could play a part.

Andrea Kantrowitz , an artist and educator, is Associate Professor and Director of the Art Education Program at SUNY New Paltz. She leads workshops and symposia on art and cognition around the world. She is the author of “ Drawing Thought: How Drawing Helps Us Observe, Discover, and Invent .”

Essays on Drawing

Faq about drawing.

Essay on Drawing

Students are often asked to write an essay on Drawing in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Drawing

Introduction to drawing.

Drawing is a form of visual art where an individual uses various drawing instruments to mark paper or another two-dimensional medium.

Tools and Techniques

Tools include graphite pencils, pen and ink, inked brushes, wax color pencils, crayons, charcoal, chalk, pastels, and markers. Techniques can be hatching, stippling, or blending.

Benefits of Drawing

Drawing helps improve creativity, boosts memory, and enhances communication skills. It also brings relaxation and is a great way to express oneself.

Drawing is a wonderful art form that is both fun and beneficial. It’s a skill worth learning and nurturing.

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250 Words Essay on Drawing

The essence of drawing.

Drawing, a fundamental form of visual art, bridges the gap between perception and expression. It is a dynamic process that involves the translation of thoughts, emotions, and observations into visual form.

Historical Context

Historically, drawing has been a tool for communication, dating back to cave paintings. It has evolved over centuries, reflecting societal changes and technological advancements. The Renaissance period saw a surge in the importance of drawing, with artists like Leonardo da Vinci using it as a medium for exploration and innovation.

Techniques and Styles

There are a multitude of drawing styles and techniques, each offering a different approach to representation. Realism aims to capture the world with photographic accuracy, while abstract drawing distorts or simplifies to convey a deeper symbolic meaning. Techniques vary from the delicate precision of stippling to the bold strokes of charcoal.

Cognitive Benefits

Drawing is not just an artistic endeavor but also a cognitive one. It enhances observational skills, improves hand-eye coordination, and promotes creative problem-solving. It is a form of visual thinking, enabling us to externalize and manipulate our internal thought processes.

The Future of Drawing

With the advent of digital technology, drawing has transcended traditional boundaries. Artists now harness software to create intricate designs, expanding the possibilities of this timeless art form. However, the essence of drawing remains the same: a personal, exploratory journey of expression.

In conclusion, drawing is a multifaceted discipline that blends art, cognition, and technology. It is a testament to human creativity and our innate desire to communicate and understand the world around us.

500 Words Essay on Drawing

The art and science of drawing.

Drawing, a form of visual art, has been a channel of human expression since prehistoric times. It is a discipline that involves making marks on a surface to represent objects, ideas, or emotions. It is not just an artistic endeavor but also a cognitive process, a way of seeing and interpreting the world around us.

The Evolution of Drawing

Drawing has evolved significantly over the centuries. From the cave paintings of our ancestors to the digital art of the 21st century, it has always been a fundamental part of human culture. In the Renaissance, artists like Leonardo da Vinci used drawing as a tool to study the world, sketching everything from human anatomy to complex engineering designs. In the modern era, drawing has expanded beyond traditional mediums such as paper and charcoal, incorporating digital tools and techniques.

The Cognitive Process of Drawing

Drawing is more than just the physical act of making marks on a surface. It is a cognitive process that involves observation, interpretation, and decision-making. When we draw, we are not just copying what we see, but interpreting and translating it into a two-dimensional representation. This process requires a deep understanding of spatial relationships, proportion, perspective, and light.

Artists often talk about learning to see when they learn to draw. This is because drawing requires us to look at things differently, to see not just the object itself, but its relationship to its surroundings, its form, its texture, and how light interacts with it. This observational skill is not just useful for artists, but also for anyone who wants to improve their visual literacy and critical thinking skills.

Techniques and Styles in Drawing

There are many techniques and styles in drawing, each with its own set of rules and principles. Some artists prefer realistic, highly detailed drawings, while others opt for more abstract, expressive styles. Some use delicate, precise lines, while others use bold, gestural strokes.

Regardless of the style, a good drawing is one that effectively communicates the artist’s intention. Whether it’s to capture the likeness of a subject, express an emotion, or explore an abstract concept, the success of a drawing lies in its ability to engage the viewer and evoke a response.

The Role of Drawing in Today’s World

In today’s digital age, drawing continues to play a vital role. It is used in a wide range of fields, from art and design to science and technology. In the arts, it remains a fundamental skill, the foundation upon which other visual arts are built. In design, it is used to visualize ideas and concepts. In science and technology, it is used to create diagrams and models, helping us understand complex systems and processes.

In conclusion, drawing is not just an art form, but a way of seeing and understanding the world. It is a discipline that engages both the hand and the mind, requiring both technical skill and cognitive ability. Whether as a tool for communication, a means of expression, or a vehicle for exploration, drawing continues to be a vital part of human culture and cognition.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

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Happy studying!

1. Drawing helps me see the blobbies inside me

I tend to bottle things up and push things down. It’s taken me 30 years of life to realize this doesn’t work, and eventually everything just crashes down in a wave of exhaustion and confusion. I’ve realized how easy it is to be unaware of my inner thoughts and feelings and how deeply important it is to be in tune with them. So now I’m trying to become more aware of how I’m feeling, and drawing is aiding that process.

Over the years, drawing has evolved from something I did for fun, to something I did for my job, to something that opens up a channel to my inner self. Besides talk therapy , drawing is the only thing I’ve found that can help me see what’s really going on inside.

Almost every time I sit down to draw in my sketchbook, what comes out is a direct reflection of how I’m feeling in that moment. My sketchbook becomes a visual diary that can illuminate feelings I didn’t realize I had. I turn off my thinking brain, move my pen across the paper, then look down and think, ‘Why did I draw a big, bulbous toad with his belly hanging over his feet, droopy eyes, and a dead pan face? Oh, yeah. It’s because that’s totally how I feel right now.’

Drawing in my sketchbook helps me learn about myself. It keeps me honest with myself. It feeds something deep down inside of me, and it allows that something to come to the surface. I call these things blobbies, and drawing can give them a voice.

Why I Draw. Christine Nishiyama, Might Could Studios.

2. Drawing helps me share the blobbies inside me

These blobbies are inside all of us, and if you’re anything like me, you’re not in the habit of going around talking about them to other people. But this is why we have a stigma around mental health and why we all feel like we’re the only ones struggling with our blobbies. We put on a mask, act like everything’s ok, and in turn believe that everyone else has their stuff together.

My drawing and writing has allowed me to share these blobbies in a way I never could before. Becoming vulnerable with others and sharing what’s really inside me is powerful for both me and whoever sees my art. Because we all struggle with our own blobbies, seeing other people’s can remind us we’re not alone.

Van Gogh once wrote in a letter to his brother,

“ Does what goes on inside show on the outside? Someone has a great fire in his soul and nobody ever comes to warm themselves at it, and passers-by see nothing but a little smoke at the top of the chimney.” -Van Gogh

When I share my fire and blobbies, I’m able to connect with other people on an entirely different level. The connection you share with someone who has experienced something similar to you and the validation you feel from hearing a story similar to yours is invaluable.

I used to think that motivational quotes and emotional artwork was melodramatic and over-the-top. But now, having gone through a period of darkness, those works of art have taken on a whole new meaning. When we’re struggling, just having someone to relate to is extremely powerful. Others have been this to me when I needed it, and I aim, by sharing my own blobbies artwork, to be this to others.

3. Drawing helps me deal with the blobbies inside me

Not only does drawing help me become aware of the blobbies inside me, it also helps me clear my head by reflecting on and clarifying those thoughts and feelings.

When I sit down to draw, everything else drops away. The external world fades out and it’s just me, my blobbies, and my sketchbook. Drawing allows me to anchor myself in the present moment, rather than dwelling on the past and stressing about the future. It forces me slow down. It helps me focus on the only thing going on in this one moment: this one line, this one mark, this one color.

If I begin a drawing feeling agitated, grumpy, and stressed out, I almost always finish a drawing feeling more relaxed, content, and at peace. I draw my stress. I draw my worries. I draw my blobbies—often literally. Sometimes as the blobbies leave my pen, they leave me.

Other times, the blobbies are still there inside me, but I now have more awareness and acceptance of them, instead of denial and shame. When I finish a drawing, I’m reminded that my blobbies don’t control my life, I do. It makes me feel more accepting of who I am in this moment. Drawing reminds me that I am capable of change and growth.

Why I Draw: Drawing improves my mental health

Drawing helps me do these things, but I am still far from perfect. I have anxious thoughts, get overwhelmed, shut down, and get stuck in my own head. I can still feel insecure, powerless, stuck, exhausted, grumpy, hangry, unaware, depressed, and stressed out. Sometimes my blobbies run the show without me even knowing.

I am so very imperfect.

But that is precisely why I need drawing.

Thanks for reading, and I hope drawing can do the same for you.

Let me know why you draw by commenting below!

<3, Christine