Observation in Art - Finding Faces

Observation is a key practice for artists and viewers of art. Recognizing shapes and colors is something we learn at a very young age. On a beautiful day when there are blue skies and large puffy cloud formations, I can’t help finding faces (pareidolia) and (usually) animal shapes, especially on a road trip. As you drive along, there is lots of time in which to share your perception with other riders, though often the clouds or the lighting shifts and so does the shape.

Sometimes even shadows can make you look twice, as I discovered on the BoredPanda website. I once saw a creepy face projected onto the carpet as light passed through the holes in a laundry basket. My all-time favorite is a National Geographic cover photo that got passed around our office in email years ago.

On our 2017 Palm Springs trip, we visited Joshua Tree National Park and saw this face in one of the rock formations. Then in 2018, at Utah's Zion National Park, I captured this photo of the elusive Sasquatch. Can you see him?










I love my photo of mule deer captured in silhouette among tangled branches in Zion National Park. The movement of the lines and the subtle depth and layering of the trees would make a great pastel landscape using a limited palette.

Cogsworth

One of our clocks is embellished with black metal scroll shapes below and surrounding a circular clock face. It reminds me of the head of a certain farm animal. Can you see it? All your brain needs are eyes and a mouth, and occasionally a nose, to make you see a face in something.

In Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, characters under a spell are transformed into inanimate objects that come to life.
I don't recall if his mustache moved.

Disney also does this in animated features like Cars. There, the windshields and grills make for great faces. The eyes are the windows to the soul...of the car...or truck. Some more obvious faces appear in a simple wall outlet or the combination of a faucet spout, handles, and sink vent opening. 

"I am Groot"

I remember an episode of the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson where a guest brought her collection of potato chips that resembled faces, animals, and fruits.  He famously shocked her by eating a potato chip she thought was hers. Foods, particularly vegetables, make great faces, uncut or carved (e.g. a pumpkin). 

Credit to BobRz

I used to love playing “I Spy…” games with my daughter. The “Where’s Waldo” books were particularly challenging or other picture puzzles containing a list of hidden objects to find. We made our own drawing game to keep us busy while waiting for food in a restaurant. We’d draw some small detail of something we saw on a kid’s menu or some object or person around the restaurant and the other person(s) would have to guess what and where it is. This is an excellent way to engage kids in a quiet activity that is fun and educational. It also teaches a valuable skill -- observation!

When I show examples of an artist's work in class, my 5th-graders always amaze me with their observations. They often point out a detail that I have missed. I like to challenge their brains to solve optical illusions containing two different faces. It's fun to hear them say, "Oh, I see it!" However, some of Salvador Dali's dreamlike works take longer to interpret.

You'll have to guess the title!