Visualization Exercises :: Coloring
Acquire a basic children’s coloring book, with large, simple pictures. Select a picture you like and use a blank sheet of paper to cover half of it. (make sure you can’t see through to the picture) Regardless of your perceived artistic ability, draw the concealed half of the picture on the blank paper. Continue the lines that are already present and add what is missing. If you truly feel that you can not draw, cover over less of the picture. The human brain will automatically attempt to fill in gaps in our field of vision based on what it thinks should be there. The more of the picture it receives the easier it is to apply the final touches.
Now that you have used your physical sight to complete the picture, close your eyes and create it with your mind’s eye. Imagine it just as it was in the coloring book; a flat, two dimensional outline of a simple object.
Once you can get the basic outline, add color, texture, a light source and shadows. If a light is shining on it from above, the top would have a bright area that reflects the light and shadows would reach up from the bottom. Depending on the object, is its surface glossy or matte? Is it wavy, rough, bumpy, sleek, downy, crackled?
Next, add the third dimension. Turn it around in your mind. Is it the same on all sides? Are there variations in color? In structure? In shadowing? Is it stone heavy or feather light? Cold to the touch or scalding hot? Would it make or be associated with a sound, scent, or taste?
The more detail you can draw into visualization, the more precise your magical workings will be. As you become more proficient, work with more complex images, move on to landscapes and scenes. Call up the face and body of your best friend and reenact a moment shared between you. Visualize an incident that you desire to occur, see it in full detail. Replay the scene with different characters and outcomes in different sessions.
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