DRAWING FORUM
Ideas for drawing instructors, drawing students, and drawing enthusiasts.
In the early stages of undergraduate drawing we teach our students how to observe and record the world around them. By the time they graduate, students are working more or less independently. But what do we do in between? How do we transition our students from observational drawing to personal drawing? This site is devoted to the period of change and growth that all art students should experience. Specifically it focuses on the assignments that we give our students. The information here goes beyond the very important perceptual skills taught in the studio classroom to focus on ideas. And ideas, or concepts should trigger those all important questions that every aspiring artist must ask: "What is my art about? Who is my intended audience? How do I make work that is relevant?"
How the site works. Drawing assignments are divided into beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels. In a typical undergraduate setting beginning assignments would be appropriate for the later part of Drawing 1 and into Drawing 2. Intermediate assignments would be appropriate for Drawing 3 and Drawing 4. And advanced assignments would be appropriate for Drawing 5 and 6. Remember, all of these ideas can be adjusted to fit your specific needs. All art curriculums are structured differently, so make appropriate changes.
When I assign homework I usually specify media, ground, and size. Those items are deliberately left out of these assignments. Drawing instructors usually have strong personal tastes when it comes to materials, and you can assign media accordingly. As you use these ideas I encourage you to put your own imprint on them, to somehow make them your own. And if you find a better solution than what I've printed here, by all means please let me know.
While this site was made with the university art department in mind, with a bit of tweaking these drawing ideas could be applied to advanced high school students, and certainly to the independent artist who is trolling for ideas.
When I assign homework I usually specify media, ground, and size. Those items are deliberately left out of these assignments. Drawing instructors usually have strong personal tastes when it comes to materials, and you can assign media accordingly. As you use these ideas I encourage you to put your own imprint on them, to somehow make them your own. And if you find a better solution than what I've printed here, by all means please let me know.
While this site was made with the university art department in mind, with a bit of tweaking these drawing ideas could be applied to advanced high school students, and certainly to the independent artist who is trolling for ideas.
Drawing ideas and their history. It can be very difficult to trace the genealogy of a drawing idea. Similar ideas frequently pop up simultaneously all over the map. In cases where an idea came from a certain individual or book-and it can be traced, the creator is given due credit.