How do I overcome symbol drawing?

>>2726289
Break everything down into shapes, form and line. Not aspects or objects.

Construction is your friend. Your ally. Treat him well, he fights for you.

>>2726297
What's the difference between shapes and objects?

>>2726408
Literally one dimension.

>>2726408
Shapes are the means to convey the illusion of the image of an object.
An image consists of 2-dimensional shapes. An object is an interpretation of one or multiple shapes.
To learn accurate observation you try not to interpret the shapes but treat them as an abstract composition. You compare the proportions of lines to one another, observe their angles and distances and try to place them accurately.
Think about it, no object = no symbols you could use for it. So thinking about abstract shapes instead forces you to observe carefully.

>>2726413
Are there exercises other than drawing upside down that are good for building this understanding?

>>2726422
Idk where you got the upside down drawing from but you could try painting a lot of skin with emphasis on individual muscle groups and shadow of said groups.
You are bascially seeking to define form, which is impossible without a decent understanding of light.

File: 3914c1431b8100bef61284b51efc8fe9.jpg (14KB, 236x336px) Image search: [Google]

14KB, 236x336px

>>2726289
>>2726422
Practice blind contours. Try to draw objects without looking down at your paper and without lifting up your pen. It's going to feel stupid and the drawing will be bad, but this a technique that helps separate your right and left brain. It teaches your hand to draw what you see without being preoccupied with making everything look like the symbol it represents.

Other things to do: study negative shapes (the space in between shapes), think less about lines and more about shapes/tones, and practice gestures.