Ralph Ammer

Ralph Ammer's Substack intersects drawing, design, and philosophy, offering insights into creative processes, perception, beauty, and the nature of ideas. It explores how tools, imagination, and philosophical perspectives influence creativity and understanding, advocating for experimentation, embracing limitations, and integrating empiricism and rationalism to navigate the world.

Creativity and Innovation Drawing Techniques and Tools Perception and Philosophy Design Principles Philosophical Theories Artistic Expression Creative Process and Ideation

The hottest Substack posts of Ralph Ammer

And their main takeaways

Immanuel Kant — Beauty

569 implied HN points • 20 Jan 24
đź“– Philosophy Beauty Truth Knowledge
  1. Beauty leads us to truth and goodness according to Immanuel Kant.
  2. Our perceptions are structured by concepts inside our mind, creating our understanding of the world.
  3. Beauty is a relief from rational thinking, allowing us to enjoy the playful dance of our mind with the world.

The Creative Playground

825 implied HN points • 01 Dec 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Drawing Creativity Games Skills Craft
  1. The secret to jumpstarting creativity is having fun and being immersed in a game with clear goals and rules.
  2. Drawing exercises are like structured games that set creative limitations to free up our creativity.
  3. To build a creative playground, make variations, limit your time, pick a format, and focus on improving a skill.

The perfect drawing tool

1022 implied HN points • 13 Jun 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Tools Exploration
  1. Selecting the right drawing tool depends on what you like and want to do with it.
  2. Hitting the limitations of a tool can push creativity towards unconventional ideas.
  3. The perfect drawing tool doesn't have to be complex, just master a simple tool and make it a part of yourself.
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David Hume—Why we change our mind

668 implied HN points • 02 May 23
đź“– Philosophy Empiricism Rationalism
  1. David Hume believed that our knowledge comes from outside through observation, not from within through reason.
  2. Empiricists trust that the material world has structure through cause and effect, but Hume questioned the certainty of this trust.
  3. Deductions provide logical certainty, while inductions offer general rules based on probability.

How to draw ideas

746 implied HN points • 01 Dec 22
  1. Drawing helps make finding great ideas easier and fun.
  2. In a creative process, drawing can play four different roles: study, explore, develop, show.
  3. Study drawings fill your mind with details, exploration phase fixes fleeting ideas on paper, development phase uses clean drawings to clarify ideas, and showing ideas should be kept simple for debate.

The Creative Switch

668 implied HN points • 01 Nov 22
  1. To come up with good ideas, create a lot of options and pick the best one.
  2. To be creative, switch between a crazy mood for wild ideas and a sober mood for logical evaluation.
  3. Avoid getting stuck by alternating between the crazy and sober phases, focusing on one at a time.

What is a picture?

589 implied HN points • 21 Aug 22
  1. Perception and imagination are different when we see a picture.
  2. Pictures combine what we see and what we imagine, like a mix of reality and fiction.
  3. A picture offers room for interpretation and expression because it does not precisely replicate real objects.

J.J. Gibson—The meaning of the world

432 implied HN points • 01 Oct 22
  1. Traditional perception theories view our experience as a static inner picture, disconnected from the outside world.
  2. J.J. Gibson proposed a different perspective where perception is an active process that connects us with the world around us.
  3. Gibson's ideas emphasize that we live in a meaningful world, where our environment shapes our actions and perceptions.

Is it worth the trouble?

157 implied HN points • 22 Apr 22
  1. Philosopher Albert Camus explores the concept of absurdity in life and the tension between reason and an unreasonable world.
  2. Camus suggests ways to confront absurdity by embracing rebellion, rejecting eternal freedom, and living passionately.
  3. The artist, according to Camus, should create in the moment without seeking eternal validation, as artistic expression begins where reason ends.

René Descartes – How to be certain

58 implied HN points • 21 Apr 22
  1. Some people claim there's no truth, while others believe in only one set of beliefs.
  2. Descartes emphasized the importance of thinking for yourself and seeking clarity and certainty.
  3. Descartes promoted individual rational thinking to prevent conflict and improve understanding of the world.

A quick beginner’s guide to drawing

2 HN points • 20 Nov 22
  1. Drawing is about controlling your hand and learning to see.
  2. Start with exercises like circles and hatching to build skills and relax your mind.
  3. Practice perception by focusing on contours, chiaroscuro, perspective, and composition.

So… this is a job?

1 HN point • 20 Apr 22
  1. Designers shape our daily environment by making products, communication, and systems that are understandable, useful, and beautiful.
  2. Designers keep up with constant change by focusing on Craft, Reflection, and Value in their work.
  3. Designers must create with value for others in mind, ensuring their work offers functionality and meaning to the community.