This is so interesting. I'd never heard of aphantasia last year until I found out a student had it (and he didn't know the name of it, I had to find it.) It's a subject I want to learn more about. He struggled to take an interest in reading and I assume that was a part of it.
It's not weird at all, I've had this question before.
Visualisation, Imagination and Memory are different things, but if you have mental imagery they overlap a lot.
If you show me a cake and then hide it, I can still memorize the size, colour, theme, text and decorations etc, that is memory.
And I can conceptualise that cake being a different colour or shape, that is imagination basically.
When thinking of a scene I want to paint I just have an idea without specifics, I think of the viewing angle, time of day, theme, mood, perspective, colour scheme, all general ideas for the story telling of that painting. Then using technique you lay down the elements in a sketch, this is no different than other artists, you complement it with reference and research.
Like a sculptor carves a figure out of a block, I am sculpting a 3d illusion in a 2d medium, so it's more like building and sculpting what is in the paper in front of my eyes than "printing" from my mind.
This may seem weird but if you can't picture things in your head how do you imagine a scene before you paint it?
This is so interesting. I'd never heard of aphantasia last year until I found out a student had it (and he didn't know the name of it, I had to find it.) It's a subject I want to learn more about. He struggled to take an interest in reading and I assume that was a part of it.
It's not weird at all, I've had this question before.
Visualisation, Imagination and Memory are different things, but if you have mental imagery they overlap a lot.
If you show me a cake and then hide it, I can still memorize the size, colour, theme, text and decorations etc, that is memory.
And I can conceptualise that cake being a different colour or shape, that is imagination basically.
When thinking of a scene I want to paint I just have an idea without specifics, I think of the viewing angle, time of day, theme, mood, perspective, colour scheme, all general ideas for the story telling of that painting. Then using technique you lay down the elements in a sketch, this is no different than other artists, you complement it with reference and research.
Like a sculptor carves a figure out of a block, I am sculpting a 3d illusion in a 2d medium, so it's more like building and sculpting what is in the paper in front of my eyes than "printing" from my mind.
Oh that is curious! It's been really beneficial to me to know I have it so I can find alternate ways of learning.
I'm very interest led, so if my curiosity isn't peaked I tend not to engage.
My memory is information based with no visual component so it may a way of prioritising and avoiding overload?
I assume to a degree that is how everyone's mind works but may be a factor?