Drawing On Both Sides Of The Brain

Drawing is not only a right brain pursuit. It’s a complex process involving observation, paying attention to detail, and critical thinking — things not generally associated with “right brain” functions. 

Left brain functions include linear thinking, sequencing, and logic. Right brain functions include imagination, visualization, and intuition. The fact is that the brain is a gestalt (a whole), and when we draw, the whole thing is engaged. We’re using both sides concurrently.

To represent form — how things actually look, move, and function — we must analyze what we see and not simply guess at it. 

Analysis requires the ability to compare and contrast. It requires logic and reasoning. In observational drawing (both from life and from photographic references), we’re deconstructing, abstracting, and calculating spatial relationships. 

We can only see from one point of view at a time. Therefore, in our analyzing of form we also need to visualize the parts of it that are hidden from view. We then imagine what those parts look like based on the parts that are visible. Observing the whole form requires us to either pick it up and turn it, or to walk around it. 

If you arrived from the newsletter, pick up here.
 
To analyze is to methodically examine something in detail for the purposes of explanation and interpretation (Oxford). Art and design students often learn by copying master works, and even copying engages the whole brain.
 
 

Drawing is a systematic process

The drawing process is systematic. There’s a common approach and procedure taken whether you’re making a portrait, a still life, a landscape, an architectural rendering. The system includes these steps:
 
Attentive observation. This involves looking at your subject in order to understand what you’re seeing:
    • How are all the parts working together?
    • How is the form relating to the space around it (spatial awareness)?
    • What parts are larger, what parts are smaller (scale and proportion comparisons)?
    • What are the directions and angles involved (perspective and foreshortening calculations)?
    • What is in front, and what is behind?
    • Which edges are curved, and which are straight? How is surface color affected by light and shadow?
Establish the primary axis. An axis represents direction — horizontal, vertical or diagonal. A standing human figure will communicate a vertical axis. A horse in side view will have a dominant horizontal axis.
 
First gesture lines. After studying your subject (continue to do so throughout your drawing process) lay in lines that describes the dominant shape(s) you observe in the form. These can be interpreted as basic geometric shapes: square, triangle, circle, rectangle. Keep your first lines lightweight. These make up the framework on which you’ll build out the drawing, and may eventually disappear or be erased.
 
In this drawing of a pittie I began by inscribing a very loose circle for the head and a very loose box for the muzzle. I overlaid the center axis line that divides the form in half. (The head is in three-quarter view, and in this view the center line runs diagonally from the nose along the muzzle and curves up over the top of the head.)
 
pit bull portrait drawing development shows the first step of laying in the gesture, including proportion and directions with light lines and geometric shapes

Lay in loose contours, describing exterior edges and intersections of planes. Pay close attention to height-to-width distance relationships, angles, and what overlaps what.

pit bull portrait drawing phase two — contour lines are used to describe edges of the form

Develop details through contour lines and tonal shading. Continue to study the form as the drawing progresses. Note where form shadows (planes turn away from the light) and cast shadows (forms block the light) occur, and their shapes. Planes are defined through light and shadow relationships. Shadows are discussed in more detail in this article.

pit bull portrait drawing phase 3 — adding shading to describe the various planes of the forms
At all points during your drawing session pause and observe, pay attention, and analyze what you see. My instructors used to advise us to spend more time looking and paying attention to what we’re drawing than we spend putting marks on paper. This approach applies whether we work from life — direct observation — or from photographic reference.
finished pit bull portrait sketch shows the addition of detail and accents

Whether you draw with a loose, sketchy style as I do, or take a meticulous academic approach, the process is the same. You have to use your whole brain to analyze and translate what you see.

Article and images ©2025 Alvalyn Lundgren. All rights reserved.

Alvalyn Lundgren

Alvalyn Lundgren is a creative entrepreneur, podcaster, and author who has been freelancing for more than 40 years. She is the founder of Alvalyn Creative, a strategic creative consultancy focusing on brand strategy, visual design, and illustration for businesses, organizations, and independent authors. She is also the founder of several educational initiatives: Freelance Road Trip, Occuprise Network, and Alvalyn Creative Academy, and teaches part time in professional design programs with UCLA Extension and ArtCenter Extended Studies. She resides in southern California. She is the creator of Freelance Road Trip — a business school and podcast for creative freelancers. She teaches design and design practice in certificate programs and independently. Her new book, "Freelancing By Design: Essential Strategies and Proven Tactics To Build a Thriving Freelance Business From Your Creative Work" releases on July 1, 2026.