Dear Drawing Research list,
I am new to this list and have followed with some interest the debates
surrounding drawing... whether as a "hands-on" concrete experience or
more abstract, cognitive process.
I am about to work with some mid-stage foundation diploma art students
and plan to begin with the notion and need of the "sketchbook" to
inform their creative, visual realization of ideas. My methods so far:
Brainstorm/Mind mapping: physical object, tactile, sensory engaging.
They will be encouraged to create their own- make paper, stitch, bind,
etc. This hopefully leads on to engaging them in thinking about and
exploring their personal relationship with the "object": as open book,
secret, confessional, therapeutic, risk-taking, discovery, scientific
journal, etc. They will be encouraged to use (thinking, recording,
collating, evaluating) a mix of images (drawings, photos, scans), text,
materials, even sound, to develop and support their own ideas. In this
way, I hope the drawing aspect will become less marginalized/separated
from the other "creative" processes, and less formalised (ie.
planned), contributing to their cognition of themselves and the world
around them.
My concern is that students often see the development of "sketchbooks"
as part of the presentation for their final portfolio- very rarely do
you see the genuine "thumbnail sketches", scribbles or notes on daily
life- it's all too polished for an external audience.
Can any members contribute ideas on activities/methodologies
surrounding drawing, which could reasonably be engaged within a number
of 2-3 hour sessions, to stretch their current capabilities beyond
creating a visual journal?
Thank you for time.
p.s. perhaps a solution lies in our understanding of the term "sketch"?
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