Can creativity be learned?

A scientist’s journey through the creative learning process

Andre D. G. Leitao, DVM, MSc, PhD

I am a neuroscientist with an interest in drawing, painting and illustration. My main goal is to fill the gap between Science and the Visual Arts; I want to use the visual arts to tell scientific stories, so they can be more accessible and appealing to the global community.

  • Drawing

  • Photography

  • Art

  • Creativity Classes

  • Awaken your creativity step-by-step

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'Upside down'. The power of drawing upside down to activate the right side of the brain cannot be overstated. You forget what you're drawing - only lines matter, you stop judging. Graphite pencil
'White light'. An assignment on using white charcoal on black paper, using the Fontana di Trevi sculpture as template. White charcoal
'Caught by surprise'. An assignment on capturing the immediacy and intimacy of a look. Graphite pencil
'The Iberian Lynx'. One of the most endangered cats in the world, it also comes from my home country. Ink
'Speed painting a tree'. Capturing the light coming through the leaves of a tree in less than 5 minutes. Acrylic paint
'Chewy'. The teacher asked us to draw a show in any perspective we wished. I drew it being chewed on by my dog, from a picture of my dog when he was a puppy. This was also my first ever drawing using gridlines. Huge learning experience. Ink
'Black orchids'. The power of focusing on negative space to achieve the ultimate perception of proportion and shape. White charcoal
'My still life'. An assignment on choosing and drawing my most personal objects . Graphite pencil
'Movement'. An assignment where we had to create snippets and create a coherent composition or story. I chose to try and convey 3D movement on a piece of paper. Ink
'Faces'. My first attempt at portrait drawing. Graphite pencil
'Speed painting light with ink'. Ink really strikes a contrast that is hard to match. Even such a simple object like a glass looks like coming out of the paper
'Continuum' - acrylic on canvas 'The circle of light' - acrylic on lamp Two of my projects in Creative Process II
'The circle of light'. (lateral view) I was asked to use paint on anything but a canvas to create an project would an impactful statement.
'Globe impact'. Spray paint on yoga ball, hand painted.
'Collage green-eyed lynx'. The forms and shapes are formed as a whole, leaf by leaf