This is very interesting, but I do think that there's a big distinction between drawing and imagining, so I don't think it's too surprising that a person may be better at one than the other.
Indeed, I suspect I am like you and am better at drawing a bicycle than imagining one. With drawing it, I simply know how to do it. There's a sequence of steps (draw a diamond shape, add the seat post, add the wheels and the front fork). I don't even need to keep the whole thing in my head while I'm drawing it -- the paper acts as the repository.
On the flip side, though, there are plenty of things I can imagine that I cannot for the life of me draw. Faces of family members. Animals.
But again, I think that artists who can draw life-like representations are ones who do not use their imagination, and, in fact, learning to draw from life is a process of learning not to use your imagination. When we draw from our imagination, we tend to use our mental models, which are abstract and functional. We put eyes at the top of the heads, because that's how we imagine them, because we focus on the face and all that wide-open forehead space is useless. It's a skill to not use those models when trying to draw accurately.
> On the flip side, though, there are plenty of things I can imagine that I cannot for the life of me draw. Faces of family members. Animals.
Lucky you :-)
Seems I can only recall photographs of my mom and dad when I try now (passport style photo og my mom and a photo of my dad making a funny face while carrying an oversize chocolate).
Same kind of goes for my wife: I immediately recognize her now but the first few months I was dating her I was afraid I would not recognize her :-D
Edit: and when I try to view my wife in my head I only see a 15 year old passport style photo :-D
Indeed, I suspect I am like you and am better at drawing a bicycle than imagining one. With drawing it, I simply know how to do it. There's a sequence of steps (draw a diamond shape, add the seat post, add the wheels and the front fork). I don't even need to keep the whole thing in my head while I'm drawing it -- the paper acts as the repository.
On the flip side, though, there are plenty of things I can imagine that I cannot for the life of me draw. Faces of family members. Animals.
But again, I think that artists who can draw life-like representations are ones who do not use their imagination, and, in fact, learning to draw from life is a process of learning not to use your imagination. When we draw from our imagination, we tend to use our mental models, which are abstract and functional. We put eyes at the top of the heads, because that's how we imagine them, because we focus on the face and all that wide-open forehead space is useless. It's a skill to not use those models when trying to draw accurately.