I use a Renaissance-era technique, referred to as ‘Camera Obscura’ at my studio. This technique helps my students to identify lines and shadows. By looking into the camera, they can easily sketch an image of the scene onto a piece of paper to create a realistic drawing. The idea behind this exercise is not to copy an image but to learn how to see an object and recognize outlines and shadows which will eventually help them build perspective and to create a realistic, detailed drawing in their artwork.

My students love this process of learning. In the picture below, a girl is drawing a pear and a cube by looking into a camera.

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