Separating observation from assumptions
Noticing what is actually in front of you instead of drawing what you think should be there, especially when the two disagree.
What it is
This is catching the moment your hand starts to draw the “idea” of an eye, nose, or cube instead of the specific shape you see. It means slowing down to compare: is that angle really that steep? Is that edge really that long? Is that ellipse actually that wide? Or are you filling in a symbol from memory?
On the page, it looks like constant back-and-forth between subject and drawing: you check proportions, tilt your pencil to match angles, squint at value masses, and adjust your marks when they don't line up with what you see, even when the correction feels wrong. You let the weirdness of the reference win over what “makes sense.”
You also notice when your expectations steer your choices: assuming both eyes are the same size, assuming the far leg is as long as the near one, assuming a cylinder's sides are parallel on paper. Separating observation from assumption means choosing the odd, lopsided, or subtle version you actually see over the tidy version your brain prefers.
Why it matters
When assumptions drive the drawing, everything drifts toward generic: all faces look similar, all boxes are too straight, all poses become more balanced than the reference. Perspective errors creep in because you “know” lines are parallel, so you stop checking. Likeness, depth, and gesture suffer because you iron out the strange, specific distortions that make a subject feel real. Once you notice and override your assumptions, you start capturing those quirks, and your drawings look more solid, accurate, and alive.
You can check it when
- ✓You can point to places where you changed something that felt wrong to match what you saw, and the drawing improved.
- ✓You can copy a reference with odd foreshortening or distortion without “fixing” it into a normal pose or shape.
- ✓Your measured angles and proportions often surprise you, and you adjust your marks to match them instead of reshaping the subject to fit your expectations.
- ✓When a drawing looks off, you can find at least one area where you drew what you thought should be there rather than what your reference shows.