--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Merely to see... is not enough. It is…" description: "\"Merely to see... is not enough. It is necessary to have a fresh, vivid, physical contact with the object you draw through as many of the senses as poss..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6de/kimon-nicolaides-31321_artist_merely-to-see-is-not-enough-it-is-necess_2863965.png" --- # Merely to see... is not enough. It is necessary to have a… ![“Merely to see... is not enough. It is necessary to have a fresh, vivid, physical contact with the object you draw through as many of the senses as possible - and especially through the sense of touch.” quote by Kimon Nicolaides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6de/kimon-nicolaides-31321_artist_merely-to-see-is-not-enough-it-is-necess_2863965.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6de/kimon-nicolaides-31321_artist_merely-to-see-is-not-enough-it-is-necess_2863965.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6de/kimon-nicolaides-31321_artist_merely-to-see-is-not-enough-it-is-necess_2863965.png) > “Merely to see... is not enough. It is necessary to have a fresh, vivid, physical contact with the object you draw through as many of the senses as possible - and especially through the sense of touch.” [Kimon Nicolaides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimon-nicolaides/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Seeing alone is insufficient; true perception requires engaging all senses, especially touch, to connect deeply with the subject. **In simple terms:** Seeing isn’t enough; feel it too. Key Takeaway Engage multiple senses when observing. Themes perception art sensory experience Mood curious reflective Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - painting - sculpture - field sketching - design research - educational workshops Key Concepts embodied cognition multisensory learning Questions to Reflect On - How can you simulate touch when it’s unavailable? - What senses can you heighten to compensate? A Different Perspective Physical contact may be impractical for some subjects. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Vivid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vivid/) ## Related quotes > [There is only one right way to draw... physical contact with all sorts of objects through all the senses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimon-nicolaides/there-is-only-one-right-way-to-draw-physical-contact-with-all-sorts/) [Kimon Nicolaides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimon-nicolaides/) > [“That's all I got," Vonda sighs, and the apple is finished. She tosses the core across the room and our eyes follow the arc…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-s-all-i-got-vonda-sighs-and-the-apple-is-finished-she-tosses-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Love is blind. That is why he always proceeds by the sense of touch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/french-proverb/love-is-blind-that-is-why-he-always-proceeds-by-the-sense-of-touch/) French Proverb > [Immersion was founded in 1993 with the mission of bringing the sense of touch to computing. Our technology, TouchSense, is embedded in computer peripheral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-b-rosenberg/immersion-was-founded-in-1993-with-the-mission-of-bringing-the-sense/) [Louis B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-b-rosenberg/) > [We take the sense of touch for granted. Think about it: Without it, you're missing one of the basic senses that enables you to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-b-rosenberg/we-take-the-sense-of-touch-for-granted-think-about-it-without-it-you/) [Louis B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-b-rosenberg/) > [It's the sense of touch. In any real city, you walk, you know? You brush past people, people bump into you. In L.A., nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-cheadle/it-s-the-sense-of-touch-in-any-real-city-you-walk-you-know-you-brush/) [Don Cheadle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-cheadle/) > [You have the sense of touch because you need it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-b-rosenberg/you-have-the-sense-of-touch-because-you-need-it/) [Louis B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-b-rosenberg/) > [This is a virile sport in which physical contact is allowed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miroslav-klose/this-is-a-virile-sport-in-which-physical-contact-is-allowed/) [Miroslav Klose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miroslav-klose/) > [“I'm only trying to pull my own weight. I don't want to be a liability.' She reached out, smiling. 'And I would imagine I'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-zink/i-m-only-trying-to-pull-my-own-weight-i-don-t-want-to-be-a-liability/) [Michelle Zink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-zink/) > [How long can you keep me invisible?" "As long as were in physical contact." My throat felt dry. "Holding hands?" That's how we'd done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-vincent/how-long-can-you-keep-me-invisible-as-long-as-were-in-physical/) [Rachel Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-vincent/) > [Their whole life will begin to shift, from their first physical contact with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/their-whole-life-will-begin-to-shift-from-their-first-physical/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“She nudged my shoulder without letting go of my hand. Any physical contact with her was a bonus. She could give me a noogie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-ehemann/she-nudged-my-shoulder-without-letting-go-of-my-hand-any-physical/) [Beth Ehemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-ehemann/) > [In the traditional dances, physical contact was permitted in a way that it wasn't in everyday life. The electricity of physical contact has gone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/in-the-traditional-dances-physical-contact-was-permitted-in-a-way/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [The second principle of magic: things which have once been in contact with each other continue to act on each other at a distance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-g-frazer/the-second-principle-of-magic-things-which-have-once-been-in-contact/) [James G. Frazer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-g-frazer/) > [“Americans’ reputation for friendliness is the absence of physicality. In the United States, no one ever touches anyone else and if they do so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-lindstrom/americans-reputation-for-friendliness-is-the-absence-of-physicality/) [Martin Lindstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-lindstrom/) ## More by Kimon Nicolaides > [All that you need in the way of technique for drawing is bound up in the technique of seeing - that is, of understanding,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimon-nicolaides/all-that-you-need-in-the-way-of-technique-for-drawing-is-bound-up-in/) [Kimon Nicolaides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimon-nicolaides/) > [Learning to draw is really a matter of learning to see - to see correctly - and that means a good deal more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimon-nicolaides/learning-to-draw-is-really-a-matter-of-learning-to-see-to-see/) [Kimon Nicolaides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimon-nicolaides/) > [You should draw not what the thing looks like, not even what it is, but what it is doing... Gesture has no precise edges,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimon-nicolaides/you-should-draw-not-what-the-thing-looks-like-not-even-what-it-is-but/) [Kimon Nicolaides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimon-nicolaides/) > [Man can make only the rules. He cannot make the laws, which are the laws of nature. It is the understanding of these laws…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimon-nicolaides/man-can-make-only-the-rules-he-cannot-make-the-laws-which-are-the/) [Kimon Nicolaides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimon-nicolaides/) > [The sooner you make your first five thousand mistakes the sooner you will be able to correct them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimon-nicolaides/the-sooner-you-make-your-first-five-thousand-mistakes-the-sooner-you/) [Kimon Nicolaides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimon-nicolaides/) > [There is only one right way to draw... physical contact with all sorts of objects through all the senses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimon-nicolaides/there-is-only-one-right-way-to-draw-physical-contact-with-all-sorts/) [Kimon Nicolaides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimon-nicolaides/) > [Technique should be taught, not as an end in itself, but as something related to individual expression, as a means toward an end. One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimon-nicolaides/technique-should-be-taught-not-as-an-end-in-itself-but-as-something/) [Kimon Nicolaides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimon-nicolaides/) > [Committing oneself to a technique causes stagnation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimon-nicolaides/committing-oneself-to-a-technique-causes-stagnation/) [Kimon Nicolaides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimon-nicolaides/) > [You are not to think of painting as something separate from drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimon-nicolaides/you-are-not-to-think-of-painting-as-something-separate-from-drawing/) [Kimon Nicolaides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimon-nicolaides/) > [To understand theory is not enough. Much practice is necessary...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimon-nicolaides/to-understand-theory-is-not-enough-much-practice-is-necessary/) [Kimon Nicolaides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimon-nicolaides/) > [You cannot govern the creative impulse; all you can do is eliminate obstacles and smooth the way for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimon-nicolaides/you-cannot-govern-the-creative-impulse-all-you-can-do-is-eliminate/) [Kimon Nicolaides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimon-nicolaides/) > [There is no such thing as starting where Cezanne left off. You have to start where he started... at the beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimon-nicolaides/there-is-no-such-thing-as-starting-where-cezanne-left-off-you-have-to/) [Kimon Nicolaides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimon-nicolaides/) > [When we use numbers we are using symbols, and it is only when we transfer them to life that they become actualities. The same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimon-nicolaides/when-we-use-numbers-we-are-using-symbols-and-it-is-only-when-we/) [Kimon Nicolaides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimon-nicolaides/) > [“The first function of an art student is to observe, to study nature.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimon-nicolaides/the-first-function-of-an-art-student-is-to-observe-to-study-nature/) [Kimon Nicolaides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimon-nicolaides/) > [Art should be concerned more with life than with art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimon-nicolaides/art-should-be-concerned-more-with-life-than-with-art/) [Kimon Nicolaides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimon-nicolaides/) [Explore all 16 Kimon Nicolaides quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimon-nicolaides/) ## 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": "Merely to see... is not enough. It is necessary to have a fresh, vivid, physical contact with the object you draw through as many of the senses as possible - and especially through the sense of touch.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kimon Nicolaides" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimon-nicolaides/merely-to-see-is-not-enough-it-is-necessary-to-have-a-fresh-vivid/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Artist" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimon-nicolaides/merely-to-see-is-not-enough-it-is-necessary-to-have-a-fresh-vivid/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6de/kimon-nicolaides-31321_artist_merely-to-see-is-not-enough-it-is-necess_2863965.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6de/kimon-nicolaides-31321_artist_merely-to-see-is-not-enough-it-is-necess_2863965.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6de/kimon-nicolaides-31321_artist_merely-to-see-is-not-enough-it-is-necess_2863965.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Merely to see... is not enough. It is necessary to have a fresh, vivid, physical contact with the object you…” — Kimon Nicolaides", "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": "Kimon Nicolaides", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimon-nicolaides/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Merely to see... is not enough....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimon-nicolaides/merely-to-see-is-not-enough-it-is-necessary-to-have-a-fresh-vivid/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimon-nicolaides/merely-to-see-is-not-enough-it-is-necessary-to-have-a-fresh-vivid/#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 } } ] } ```