Just anecdotal responses to Jeanette,  Martin and Ronette :

positive /negative shape thinking definitely helps in teaching  
drawing ( I don't see why one has to change the terms by the way - I  
mean neg/pos is used in physics for polarities and denotes total   
contrast/difference but  also interdependency to create charge ...).  
Upside down one can achieve with model by propping her/him onto a  
mattress on floor and by asking  the model to lean legs against a  
chair, not as uncomfortable for the model as it sounds - students  
found it easier to get the proportions right with this - which  
confirms what Ms Edwards is claiming:  turning an image into an  
unfamiliar position to aid achieving greater accuracy  in  
proportional representation, or semblance.  I have found Betty  
Edwards useful in parts, but don't like the normatised visual  
outcomes of the classes she's conducted. Sometimes I prefer the  
before to the after if you know what I mean - well if you've read the  
book perhaps you do. I don't think there is no right or wrong way of  
drawing per se - but there are different sets of conventions to  
respond to with implicit sets of skills (learnable) , and one of the  
problems of teaching drawing here and now is to find out which  
conventions one wants to subscribe to as a tutor, and also what  
expectations (often very implicit expectations !) the students  
have...I ended up setting different workshops with different  
objectives, and if possible put those into relevant cultural  
contexts. The psychological perception exercises  which are of  
interest in this email exchange are interesting. I wonder in how far  
many of these are culturally specific rather than 'absolute' ? here's  
a question back to any of you.....

Martin mentioned Merleau -Ponty - so relieved to find there's someone  
else out there who believes in embodied thinking...Martin, I'm a bit  
rusty on my Merleau-Ponty, and wonder at times if I just make up in  
my head what he wrote about - but you tell me, wasn't there quite a  
substantial disagreement of M-P with gestalt  psychology (how does  
Arnheim fit in this? ). I always assumed that M-P critiqued gestalt   
(shape/outline/contrast - definite delineation) psychology, and  
perhaps wrongly understood him there?  I found that the concept of  
mimicry is an interesting one to test in drawing classes (somehow  
there's  an article there I want to write one day ...watch the space  
- she' s half joking) - . My former students also painted directly  
onto bodies (of friends I hasten to add, not the life model) -as part  
of their project work and by blending marks optically with the body  
and its 'outside' environment. I tried to challenge 'boundary  
thinking' in more advanced sessions. Very difficult to wean people  
off outline because we like to create boundaries around things  
(conceptually and in drawing). (I'm sure I've read somewhere  that  
the breaking up of boundaries is a form of psychosis... what does  
this say about me and my teaching...oh dear...well maybe that's why  
I'm not teaching anymore... ) Projecting images onto a life model can  
create very interesting effects and can turn student's 'perception'  
of life drawing and their drawing abilities and confidences around in  
unsuspected ways... In other words - I had very good visual and  
verbal feedback from many students who felt they were low achievers  
in more traditional life drawing, when  testing this exercise... Now  
- in all fairness I pinched the idea of projection from my lovely  
former colleague Manuel who I saw projecting a Bridget Riley slide  
onto the life model - and I was stunned by the effect - now draw  
this!   Well - he's also a practising buddhist and meditation teacher  
and I felt I needed to acknowledge him. Though I think he said he  
pinched the idea from someone else - well that's what it is about  -  
not? sharing ideas?

sorry what a lot of waffle

Doris

> Better still check out Kimon Nicoliades (can't remember exact  
> spelling) The Natural Way to Draw. It is not so tied to the  
> presuppositions of the left/right brain model and is actually a  
> more profound insight into the various ways in which we think in  
> and through mark making. I would argue however that drawing,  
> painting etc should not be understood in terms of language but vise- 
> versa - see Merleau-Ponty on this idea of embodied thinking.  
> Particularly 'The Body as Expression and Speech.' I too started out  
> in art and became interested in the issues of language and  
> philosophy of mind in relation to art. Good luck with the  
> dissertation.
>
> Martin.
> On 25 Oct 2005, at 13:59, Chhatralia, Sunil wrote:
>
>
>> Classic text and exercise in this area is:
>> Betty Edwards
>> New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain Workbook
>>
>> Has all you need
>>
>> Sunil Chhatralia
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: The UK drawing research network mailing list
>> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Janet Allison
>> Sent: 25 October 2005 12:43
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: Undergraduate Dissertation
>>
>> Dear All,
>>
>> I am a undergraduate studying Psychology (I previously studied art at
>> Leeds
>> Art College at Degree level) at Trinity & All Saints College in  
>> Leeds.
>> I am
>> interested in how art making is/could form another, parallel language
>> and
>> access/expression of what we see and remember. To this end my 3rd  
>> year
>> dissertation is investigating any affect that art making has on the
>> recall
>> of an everyday event in comparison to a cognitive/structured  
>> interview.
>>
>> I am currently at the design stage and considering such things as  
>> Left
>> vs
>> Right mode of drawing etc.
>>
>> For example I am thinking of having a pre-lim task of drawing  
>> something
>> upside down to a) encourage confidence in art making and b) to  
>> encourage
>> the
>> use of the right (creative) hemisphere  but am concerned that this  
>> may
>> affect the everyday memory (un-prompted/motivated) that they have  
>> just
>> been
>> exposed to - I wondered if there was any literature/advice  
>> available on
>> this
>> . . . ?
>>
>> I would welcome and appreciate any and all input that could be  
>> spared(!)
>>
>> Thank you for taking time to read this e-mail and apologies if  
>> this is
>> not
>> relevant to your field of interest.
>>
>> Sincerely
>>
>> Janet Allison-Love
>>
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>