30SAL Challenge: Memory Marks

Hey Artists! For some reason the Mailchimps didn’t pick this up at 7:00am as scheduled. This happens sometimes. In the future, if you are looking for the challenge and don’t see it in your inbox by 7:05am, check V. Notes on ourwebsite.

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Memory Challenge

For this memory exercise you will need 2 pieces of paper, and a pencil.

To begin: Spend about 5 seconds making a very simple drawing. Draw as slowly and deliberately as your style allows. This can be a few doodle lines and dots, or a brief note from observation. This will be drawing (A).

Now that you’re finished with your initial marks, place drawing (A) in another room, and return to your second piece of paper.

Memory Drawing

Now for your memory drawing: Your goal is to re-create the shapes on the blank sheet by walking back and forth between (A) and (B).

The rules

• You cannot use any measuring tools – eyes only!
• You cannot erase.
• You can walk back and forth as many times as you like.

How to do it

When you have a good sense of the lines and placement within the white space on drawing (A), walk to the other room and draw a portion of the same lines and placements on your blank piece of paper (B). You can not erase, so place your initial marks lightly.

Return to the page with the initial drawing (A) and take another look at the marks. Notice the angles of the marks and the distances between them. Are the marks you drew farther apart or closer together? How do the angles compare? Return to your drawing in the other room. Refine. Again, keep your marks light. As you gain more confidence, allow your marks to become darker.
Continue going back and forth like this until you feel your memory reproduction is right. 

This is difficult, but the more you do it, the more you will improve! Drawing has been proven to strengthen memory, and even reverse early dementia.

The Big Reveal

To check how you did in this session, collect both sheets and hold them up against a window. Where did your marks deviate? Are you surprised by how close you got or how far off you were?

This exercise was adapted from an exercise posted by Dorien Iten, which was adapted from a book by Horace Lecoq de Boisbaudran: The Training of the Memory in Art and the Education of the Artist.

Post it!

When you’re finished with your session, post your project and tag #30SAL to Instagram or Facebook. I’d love to hear how this went for you!

You can also copy and paste these tags to your posts:

#drawingchallenge #drawing #art #illustration #sketch #artchallenge #drawings #artist #draw #artistsoninstagram #sketchbook #instaart #drawthisinyourstyle #artwork #drawingoftheday #dailydrawing #inkdrawing #drawingsketch #artoftheday #myart #pencildrawing #drawthisinyourstylechallenge #creativity #creativechallenge #memorychallenge #artjournal #seattleartistleague #memory