Speaking with Bettina von Hase in 2011 on drawing from life specifically, Brian Clarke explained:

'Let's say you're drawing from life, from the jaw bone down to the neck, sometimes it's possible to change direction in a very subtle way. When the line frees itself from the need to render figuration, you can convey something else that is more sublime than illustration. A great deal can be conveyed in a line and a mark, in the way cave paintings do.'