Drawing Upside Down
Learning to draw what you see!
A visual exercise for building observational skills.
Marsha Devine
© 2007

Why Upside Down Drawing?
• Create a shift from left to right brain activity
by drawing a picture upside down.
• Learn to see lines in relationship to each
other, rather than as preconceived shapes.
• Develop observational skills
• Have fun with drawing

How does upside down drawing
build observational skills?
• Familiar things do not look the same upside down.
• Our left brain expects to see things oriented in the
customary way – with the right side up.
• In upright orientation, we recognize familiar things, name
them, and categorize them by matching what we see
with our stored memories and concepts.
• When an image is upside down, the visual cues don't
match. We see the shapes and the areas of light and
shadow, We see lines, instead of real objects.

Upside-down Drawing Steps
• You are to copy an upside-down image.
• Copy the drawing just as you see it.
• Your drawing will be done upside down.
• Do not turn the original, or your drawing,
around until you are finished.
• Limit your time on this drawing to about
45-60 minutes

Simple in steps, complex in action…
• take a line drawing
• place it upside down
• and copy it.
• observe shapes, lines and their
relationships rather than naming
objects & features.

The following slides have images that are upside down.
Copy each image – having few distractions and taking time
to observe the lines and spaces of the original.
Do your best, but remember – this is not supposed to be a
perfect piece of artwork – this is a visual exercise – like
Pilates for the brain!
Turn over only when you are finished.

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973),
Portrait of Igor Stravinsky.
Paris, May 21, 1920

Ballerina, Edgar Degas

Albrecht Dürer (German, 1471-1528), The Rhinoceros

Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn, Cottage among Trees, 1648-50

Danny Gregory – Artist & Author
• Website http://www.dannygregory.com/index.php
• See him draw a portrait with a Koh-in-noor
Rapidograph and then fill it in with a wash of
Sumi Ink all the while keeping his
sketchbook upside down.
http://www.dannygregory.com/2007/03/portrait_688.php

Reflect & Review
• After completing your upside-down drawing,
compare it to the original – look at how the lines,
shapes, and spaces relate to each other.
• Is your drawing similar to the original?
• Whenever you are looking to ‘free-up’ your mind,
hone your observational skills, or just have a little
drawing fun – try this technique again!

References
• Betty Edwards, The New Drawing on
the Right Side of the Brain, Putnam
Publishing Group; Revised &
Expanded edition, 1999. ISBN:
0874774241.
• Betty Edwards, The New Drawing on
the Right Side of the Brain
Workbook: Guided Practice in the
Five Basic Skills of Drawing,
Jeremy P. Tarcher, 2002. ISBN:
1585421952. p.17.