---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Drawing makes you see things clearer, and…"
description: "\"Drawing makes you see things clearer, and clearer and clearer still, until your eyes ache.\" — David Hockney"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43b/david-hockney-1395_ache_drawing-makes-you-see-things-clearer-and_2195053.png"
---

#  Drawing makes you see things clearer, and clearer and…

![“Drawing makes you see things clearer, and clearer and clearer still, until your eyes ache.” quote by David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43b/david-hockney-1395_ache_drawing-makes-you-see-things-clearer-and_2195053.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43b/david-hockney-1395_ache_drawing-makes-you-see-things-clearer-and_2195053.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43b/david-hockney-1395_ache_drawing-makes-you-see-things-clearer-and_2195053.png)

> “Drawing makes you see things clearer, and clearer and clearer still, until your eyes ache.”

[David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Drawing sharpens perception, progressively revealing details until the effort becomes intense.

**In simple terms:** Drawing clarifies perception.

Key Takeaway

Practice drawing to improve observation.

Themes

art perception skill development

Mood

contemplative inspired

Type

educational philosophical

When to use this quote

- art education
- design work
- therapy
- hobby

Key Concepts

visual acuity focus mindfulness

Questions to Reflect On

- How does drawing change your view of the world?
- When does detail become overwhelming?

A Different Perspective

Over‑focus can cause fatigue.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Ache](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ache/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Clearer Eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clearer-eyes-4797145/) [Drawing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drawing/) [Drawing Makes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drawing-makes-2476000/) [Eye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eye/) [Eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eyes/) [Eyes Ache](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eyes-ache-4797146/) [See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/see/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things/) [Things Clearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-clearer-326995/) [Ur Eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ur-eyes/) [Your](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/your/)

## Related quotes

> [“Drawing makes you see things clearer, and clearer, and clearer still. The image is passing through you in a physiological way, into your brain,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gayford/drawing-makes-you-see-things-clearer-and-clearer-and-clearer-still/)

[Martin Gayford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gayford/)

> [“Drawing makes you look at the world more closely. It helps you see what you’re looking at more clearly. Did you know that?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-almond/drawing-makes-you-look-at-the-world-more-closely-it-helps-you-see/)

[David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/)

> [Matisse makes a drawing, then he makes a copy of it. He copies it five times, ten times, always clarifying the line. He’s convinced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/matisse-makes-a-drawing-then-he-makes-a-copy-of-it-he-copies-it-five/)

[Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/)

> [It is not bright colors but good drawing that makes figures beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/titian/it-is-not-bright-colors-but-good-drawing-that-makes-figures-beautiful/)

[Titian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/titian/)

> [“Unhappily, things get clearer as we go along. I perceive that I have no body. What's less, I've been speaking of myself without delight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barth/unhappily-things-get-clearer-as-we-go-along-i-perceive-that-i-have-no/)

[John Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barth/)

> [“Many things become clearer with the perspective of maturity gained.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-patricks/many-things-become-clearer-with-the-perspective-of-maturity-gained/)

[Jacqueline Patricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-patricks/)

> [I've learned a lot just being able to see things clearer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shy-glizzy/i-ve-learned-a-lot-just-being-able-to-see-things-clearer/)

[Shy Glizzy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shy-glizzy/)

> [“A careful observation of ourselves would immensely simplify life, and would make many things much clearer to us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyubov-dostoyevskaya/a-careful-observation-of-ourselves-would-immensely-simplify-life-and/)

[Lyubov Dostoyevskaya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyubov-dostoyevskaya/)

> [Meditation helps me see things clearer. When things are going fast, it helps me slow them down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamal-murray/meditation-helps-me-see-things-clearer-when-things-are-going-fast-it/)

[Jamal Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamal-murray/)

> [“Once I understood that it’s all physiological, many things became clearer to me. While I used to get angry and frustrated at people because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/once-i-understood-that-it-s-all-physiological-many-things-became/)

[Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/)

> ["Simple" is a tricky word, it can mean a lot of things. To us, it just means clear. That doesn't always mean total reduction,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-fried/simple-is-a-tricky-word-it-can-mean-a-lot-of-things-to-us-it-just/)

[Jason Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-fried/)

> [I remember things being more clearer, at one time things were more real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/i-remember-things-being-more-clearer-at-one-time-things-were-more-real/)

[Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/)

> [“He had a talent for asking exactly the right questions to lead me to my own answers. Just being near him made things clearer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-d-sarge/he-had-a-talent-for-asking-exactly-the-right-questions-to-lead-me-to/)

[k.d. sarge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-d-sarge/)

> [Some things get clearer as you look back on them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lanchester/some-things-get-clearer-as-you-look-back-on-them/)

[John Lanchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lanchester/)

> [We are in the ordinary position of scientists of having to be content with piecemeal improvements: we can make several things clearer, but we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-p-ramsey/we-are-in-the-ordinary-position-of-scientists-of-having-to-be-content/)

[Frank P. Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-p-ramsey/)

## More by David Hockney

> [ You can't believe any picture nowadays, if it's digital. You can't really believe. If you see me shaking hands with Mr. \[Barack\] Obama, it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/you-can-t-believe-any-picture-nowadays-if-it-s-digital-you-can-t/)

[David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/)

> [I had always planned to make a large painting of the early spring, when the first leaves are at the bottom of the trees,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/i-had-always-planned-to-make-a-large-painting-of-the-early-spring/)

[David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/)

> [I've always said that the only thing a photograph is good at capturing faithfully is another flat surface.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/i-ve-always-said-that-the-only-thing-a-photograph-is-good-at/)

[David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/)

> [I'm rather shocked by what I thought was simple mindedness actually. I thought they're not looking, they're not actually looking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/i-m-rather-shocked-by-what-i-thought-was-simple-mindedness-actually-i/)

[David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/)

> [You would think death was an optional extra nowadays. Nobody wants to tick that box.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/you-would-think-death-was-an-optional-extra-nowadays-nobody-wants-to/)

[David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/)

> [I live wherever I happen to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/i-live-wherever-i-happen-to-be/)

[David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/)

> [Until I saw my drawings replayed on the iPad, I'd never seen myself draw. Someone watching me would be concentrating on the exact moment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/until-i-saw-my-drawings-replayed-on-the-ipad-i-d-never-seen-myself/)

[David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/)

> [You always need a bit of low-tech.You always need a pair of scissors, it seems to me. You can do better things… The high-tech,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/you-always-need-a-bit-of-low-tech-you-always-need-a-pair-of-scissors/)

[David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/)

> [When you are older, you realise that everything else is just nothing compared to painting and drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/when-you-are-older-you-realise-that-everything-else-is-just-nothing/)

[David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/)

> [The photograph isn't good enough. It's not real enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/the-photograph-isn-t-good-enough-it-s-not-real-enough/)

[David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/)

> [In fact, I'm a bit of a slob, but I've always said my excuse, I have a higher sense of order, I can see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/in-fact-i-m-a-bit-of-a-slob-but-i-ve-always-said-my-excuse-i-have-a/)

[David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/)

> [Spring is very energising to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/spring-is-very-energising-to-me/)

[David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/)

> [No theoretician, no writer on art, however interesting he or she might be, could be as interesting as Picasso. A good writer on art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/no-theoretician-no-writer-on-art-however-interesting-he-or-she-might/)

[David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/)

> [How difficult it is to learn not to see like cameras, which has had such an effect on us. The camera sees everything at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/how-difficult-it-is-to-learn-not-to-see-like-cameras-which-has-had/)

[David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/)

> [With chemical film, it was possible to alter photographs, but you had to be an expert. That's not true any more. The LA Times…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/with-chemical-film-it-was-possible-to-alter-photographs-but-you-had/)

[David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/)

[Explore all 247 David Hockney quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/)

## More Ache quotes

> [… and so he tried to accept the ache in his heart as what Dr. Larch would call the common symptoms of normal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/and-so-he-tried-to-accept-the-ache-in-his-heart-as-what-dr-larch/)

[John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/)

> [When we went into the ocean, I watched his body as he dove into the waves, and it gave me a feeling in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-krauss/when-we-went-into-the-ocean-i-watched-his-body-as-he-dove-into-the/)

[Nicole Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-krauss/)

> [A woman who lives with the stress of an overwhelmed schedule will often ache with the sadness of an underwhelmed soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysa-terkeurst/a-woman-who-lives-with-the-stress-of-an-overwhelmed-schedule-will/)

[Lysa TerKeurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysa-terkeurst/)

> [I ache for the touch of your lips dear, but much more for the touch of your whips dear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/i-ache-for-the-touch-of-your-lips-dear-but-much-more-for-the-touch-of/)

[Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/)

> [I was not wounded in any part of my body, but I had never experienced such intense pain, such a ripping of the nerves,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/i-was-not-wounded-in-any-part-of-my-body-but-i-had-never-experienced/)

[Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/)

> [And the flavor of Pippa's kiss--bittersweet and strange--stayed with me all the way back uptown, swaying and sleepy as I sailed home on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/and-the-flavor-of-pippa-s-kiss-bittersweet-and-strange-stayed-with-me/)

[Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/)

> [They are enthusiasts, devotees. Addicts. Something about the circus stirs their souls, and they ache for it when it is absent. They seek each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/they-are-enthusiasts-devotees-addicts-something-about-the-circus/)

[Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/)

> [as we acquire new aches and new pains, our health care is, of necessity, being supplied by internists, cardiologists, dermatologists, podiatrists, urologists, periodontists, gynecologists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-viorst/as-we-acquire-new-aches-and-new-pains-our-health-care-is-of-necessity/)

[Judith Viorst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-viorst/)

> [Jamie enjoyed solitude, but loneliness was a constant ache.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-sheldon/jamie-enjoyed-solitude-but-loneliness-was-a-constant-ache/)

[Sidney Sheldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-sheldon/)

> [Some men make money not for the sake of living, but ache In the blindness of greed and live just for their fortune's sake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juvenal/some-men-make-money-not-for-the-sake-of-living-but-ache-in-the/)

[Juvenal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juvenal/)

> [Staring at her face, she began to fancy her outer layer had begun to melt away while she wasn't paying attention, and something --…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laini-taylor/staring-at-her-face-she-began-to-fancy-her-outer-layer-had-begun-to/)

[Laini Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laini-taylor/)

> [O thou beautiful And unimaginable ether! and Ye multiplying masses of increased And still increasing lights! what are ye? what Is this blue wilderness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-byron/o-thou-beautiful-and-unimaginable-ether-and-ye-multiplying-masses-of/)

[Lord Byron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-byron/)

> [An emotion is a thought, yes, an idea, but it is also a sensation, an ache in your body. Desire, love, hate, fear, repulsion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-landay/an-emotion-is-a-thought-yes-an-idea-but-it-is-also-a-sensation-an/)

[William Landay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-landay/)

> [He that sleeps feels not the tooth-ache](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/he-that-sleeps-feels-not-the-tooth-ache/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [I will live this day as if it is my last. …I will waste not a moment mourning yesterday’s misfortunes, Yesterday’s defeats, yesterday’s aches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/i-will-live-this-day-as-if-it-is-my-last-i-will-waste-not-a-moment/)

[Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/)

[Browse all 489 Ache quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ache/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Drawing makes you see things clearer, and clearer and clearer still, until your eyes ache.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "David Hockney"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/drawing-makes-you-see-things-clearer-and-clearer-and-clearer-still-2/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Ache"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/drawing-makes-you-see-things-clearer-and-clearer-and-clearer-still-2/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43b/david-hockney-1395_ache_drawing-makes-you-see-things-clearer-and_2195053.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43b/david-hockney-1395_ache_drawing-makes-you-see-things-clearer-and_2195053.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43b/david-hockney-1395_ache_drawing-makes-you-see-things-clearer-and_2195053.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Drawing makes you see things clearer, and clearer and clearer still, until your eyes ache.” — David Hockney",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "David Hockney",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Drawing makes you see things clearer,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/drawing-makes-you-see-things-clearer-and-clearer-and-clearer-still-2/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/drawing-makes-you-see-things-clearer-and-clearer-and-clearer-still-2/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
