I don't really agree with this. Betty Edward's process is great for drawing from reference and learning to see. Drawing from imagination relies on a completely different skill-set.
In Cocteau's case, I would even argue that it leans more towards symbolic drawing, but with a more comprehensive visual library to draw upon- one that would've been developed from his profession.
I will disagree with your disagree. Edwards demolished a barrier for me in learning to see and draw. YMMV but it was profound for me.
Edwards does focus entirely on drawing from observation, but I see that as a necessary step on the way to drawing from imagination, in much the same way that you must first learn circuit analysis in order to do circuit synthesys.
Re:The Art of Doodling
by egypturnash on Sunday May 26, 2019 @11:33AM
(#20015408)
My experience as a pro artist is that drawing from reference and “learning to see” is a large part of how one develops that “more comprehensive visual library”.
In the article, Stephen King's and Queen Victoria's doodles are clearly using the symbolic brain, creating "drawings" equivalent to writing in hieroglyphs - the parts of the drawn objects are unrelated to how something looks in real life, only to what each shape means.
You don't need to become a professional of visual arts to overcome that style, only realize that you're doing it and practice drawing from pure visuals, without symbolism, and turning off the analytical brain.
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOh4eIEjqvY
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Edwards