02: Memory Drawing

Learn to draw from memory as an exercise that develops your visual memory, an important feature of drawing and painting skill. As you attempt to draw or paint something you'll need to do the following:

1. Look at your subject to study something you need.
2. Look at your surface (paper/canvas) to replicate that part of your subject.
3. Remember what you saw in #1.
4. Draw it on your surface.
5. Look back and forth from your paper to your subject to confirm it's good.

Most people's visual memory is terrible, so #3 in this process ends up being a big blocker for a long time. As you attempt many drawings you'll accidentally train your visual memory skills, but this exercise in Memory Drawing will train that skill on purpose.

When you do this exercise keep in mind that it's not meant to make something awesome. It's simply a practice that trains an important aspect of visual skills. You might find though that you really like doing drawings from memory and you like the results, so if that's the case go with it. You can also combine memory drawing with other styles for a certain "dream like" effect.

Finally, practicing memory drawing can directly lead to drawing from imagination, which is what you do when you create comics, illustrations, and other concept art.