--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Until I saw my drawings replayed on the…" description: "\"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, but I'd alway..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4b/david-hockney-1395_artist_until-i-saw-my-drawings-replayed-on-the_70054.png" --- # Until I saw my drawings replayed on the iPad, I'd never… ![“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, but I'd always be thinking a little bit ahead. That's especially so in a drawing where you are limiting yourself, a line drawing for example. When you are doing…” quote by David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4b/david-hockney-1395_artist_until-i-saw-my-drawings-replayed-on-the_70054.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4b/david-hockney-1395_artist_until-i-saw-my-drawings-replayed-on-the_70054.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4b/david-hockney-1395_artist_until-i-saw-my-drawings-replayed-on-the_70054.png) > “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, but I'd always be thinking a little bit ahead. That's especially so in a drawing where you are limiting yourself, a line drawing for example. When you are doing them you are very tense, because you have to reduce everything to such simple terms.” [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. The artist discovers self-awareness through digital replay, revealing that his mind anticipates strokes while his eyes focus on the present, especially under the constraints of minimalist line work. **In simple terms:** Self‑observation via technology exposes creative tension. Key Takeaway Constraint amplifies internal dialogue. Themes self‑awareness technology artistic process constraint anticipation Mood reflective curious Type personal insight process description When to use this quote - digital art creation - live sketching - art education - creative workshops - self‑study Key Concepts visual feedback cognitive load minimalism Practical Applications - enhancing teaching methods for drawing - developing tools for real‑time artistic feedback Questions to Reflect On - How does seeing your own process change your approach? - What role does anticipation play in creative work? A Different Perspective Some argue that replaying work may inhibit spontaneity, but it also offers valuable insight into subconscious technique. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Limiting yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limiting-yourself/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I see the iPad as a wonderful new drawing medium, but I am at a loss as to how to make it pay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/i-see-the-ipad-as-a-wonderful-new-drawing-medium-but-i-am-at-a-loss/) [David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/) > [On the iPhone I tended to draw with my thumb. Whereas the moment I got to the iPad, I found myself using every finger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/on-the-iphone-i-tended-to-draw-with-my-thumb-whereas-the-moment-i-got/) [David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/) > [I have got an iPad, what a joy! Van Gogh would have loved it, and he could have written his letters on it as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/i-have-got-an-ipad-what-a-joy-van-gogh-would-have-loved-it-and-he/) [David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/) > [I don't just act to pay my rent. I really like doing it, so I get frustrated when I don't get to do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mackenzie-davis/i-don-t-just-act-to-pay-my-rent-i-really-like-doing-it-so-i-get/) [Mackenzie Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mackenzie-davis/) > [You can go as far as your mind lets you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-ash/you-can-go-as-far-as-your-mind-lets-you/) [Mary Kay Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-ash/) > [The person who is not strong enough gives up at the halfway point - but you are limiting yourself before even starting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/the-person-who-is-not-strong-enough-gives-up-at-the-halfway-point-but/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Read a lot. But read as a writer, to see how other writers are doing it. And make your knowledge of literature in English…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodora-goss/read-a-lot-but-read-as-a-writer-to-see-how-other-writers-are-doing-it/) [Theodora Goss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodora-goss/) > [When you let go of the belief that you should or need to know who you are, what happens to confusion? Suddenly it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/when-you-let-go-of-the-belief-that-you-should-or-need-to-know-who-you/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [Give up defining yourself - to yourself or to others. You won't die. You will come to life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/give-up-defining-yourself-to-yourself-or-to-others-you-won-t-die-you/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [There are a lot of little tricks you can do to inject a bit more time into the day. Most important is limiting yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/there-are-a-lot-of-little-tricks-you-can-do-to-inject-a-bit-more-time/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [Remember: we all get what we tolerate. So stop tolerating excuses within yourself, limiting beliefs of the past, or half-assed or fearful states.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/remember-we-all-get-what-we-tolerate-so-stop-tolerating-excuses/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [What comes forth from you as an artist cannot be controlled. But you have responsibilities as a global citizen. Your history dictates your duty.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/what-comes-forth-from-you-as-an-artist-cannot-be-controlled-but-you/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [What you believe, you can achieve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-ash/what-you-believe-you-can-achieve/) [Mary Kay Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-ash/) > [Sometimes just to paint a head you have to give up the whole figure. To paint a leaf, you have to sacrifice the whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-krauss/sometimes-just-to-paint-a-head-you-have-to-give-up-the-whole-figure/) [Nicole Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-krauss/) > [Whenever you interact with people,don't be there primarily as a function or a role,But as a Field of conscious Presence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/whenever-you-interact-with-people-don-t-be-there-primarily-as-a/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) ## 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/) > [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/) > [I think Picasso was, without doubt, the greatest portraitist of the 20th century, if not any other century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/i-think-picasso-was-without-doubt-the-greatest-portraitist-of-the/) [David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/) [Explore all 247 David Hockney quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/) ## More Artist quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [“People in coats and ties were milling around the Talley gallery, and on the wall were the minimally rendered still lifes by Giorgio Morandi,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/people-in-coats-and-ties-were-milling-around-the-talley-gallery-and/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) Taf Teh > [From as long as I can remember, I was always fond of drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/from-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-was-always-fond-of-drawing/) [St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [Designers shouldn’t design for museums any more than mummies should die for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-caplan/designers-shouldn-t-design-for-museums-any-more-than-mummies-should/) [Ralph Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-caplan/) > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [I am not the avant-garde. I am the artist who comes after the advancing guard. I am more concerned with continuity of ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-oliveira/i-am-not-the-avant-garde-i-am-the-artist-who-comes-after-the/) [Nathan Oliveira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-oliveira/) > [I am a horrible visual artist. I can't fix a car, sew, knit, cook, etc. Statistically, there is more I don't do than do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-am-a-horrible-visual-artist-i-can-t-fix-a-car-sew-knit-cook-etc/) [Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/) [Browse all 32,600 Artist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "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, but I'd always be thinking a little bit ahead. That's especially so in a drawing where you are limiting yourself, a line drawing for example. 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