In Daniel Pink's 2006 book A Whole New Mind, he discusses his experience taking the DRSB course. He noted, "As I discovered...drawing is about seeing relationships --and then integrating those relationships into a whole."As Pink realized, the key to drawing is learning to see like an artist, and what artists see are relationships.

This program has been honed for over twenty years by Dr. Betty Edwards and her son Brian Bomeisler. They have taught thousands of people to draw who never thought they could. Its success is in teaching the five basic skills or perceptions required for drawing:

--The perception of edges or line

--The perception of spaces, called "negative space"

--The perception of relationships called perspective and proportion

--The perception of light and shadow

--The perception of the gestalt or whole

Each of these perceptions is presented in class through slides, lecture and demonstrations. They are described within the context of shifting to "right brain" or R-mode (Dr. Edwards' term) thinking which is relational and spacial. Exercises early in the course are designed to show students how to make the conscious shift from L-mode to R-mode. The skills are then practiced sequentially through a series of drawings that culminate in the self-portrait, which incorporates all of the skills. As an art teacher, I value this program as such a wonderful tool to successfully teach students how to draw and access their creativity, even if they've never drawn before.

If you'd like to read more about the theory behind the DRSB method, see Brian Bomeisler's description at http://drawright.com/theory.htm