Learning to see by learning to draw: Probing the perceptual bases and consequences of highly skilled artistic drawing

Abstract

In this paper, I review the empirical evidence for advantages in visual perception and attention that may be associated with high levels of drawing skill. Particularly in the last few decades, some substantial progress on these issues has been made, although frequently with inconsistent or even contradictory results across studies, some substantial methodological issues and limitations, and divergent theoretical perspectives. Despite the lively messiness of the current state of research on artists and perception, a core set of findings about the nature of artists’ expertise is emerging, rooted in superior object understanding and attentional flexibility. Moreover, key unresolved questions, like causal relations between drawing skill and perception and the longitudinal development of perceptual changes as drawing skill develops or is trained, are highly amenable to investigation and should continue to inform this set of issues.