Gosh, how very exciting and sophisticated. I moved to Kingston on Thames to
do the Drawing as Process MA after doing a very late BA in the south west of
England. I would love to teach drawing because I am a total Ruskin fan :
the bit about being able to see is poetry something something.... But now
that I am 60 I feel it is just too late to start a teaching diploma or
whatever is entailed. I do fancy doing some volunteer work to bring art and
drawing to people/kids who have no chance to access it.
On 16/6/08 08:45, "Michael Bray" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> I am teaching sculpture and drawing at the American University in Dubai.
> How about yourself?
>
> M
>
>
> On 6/16/08 11:45 AM, "Rachel Pearcey" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> Michael, I think I almost totally agree with you, where do you teach?
>> Rachel
>>
>> On 16/6/08 08:13, "Michael Bray" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>
>>> In my experience as an art student a kabillion years ago, I would
>>> occasionally copy works that caught my attention. It wasn't to just copy,
>>> but to slow myself down and try to understand how the artist composed, used
>>> value and line etc...but this was only useful as I was making my own works
>>> at the same time. I found this process instructive, but I always realized
>>> that the artist's whose work I was copying was not my style, but it would
>>> offer me something to help develop my style. Copying as an exercise in
>>> observation I don't find is as useful. If that is the point, drawing from
>>> reality is more useful I would say. In a class room setting, the greatest
>>> danger with a copying method, is the student will become impressed with the
>>> result, but may not realize all the decisions that need to be taken to make
>>> their own original work. That said, I believe a selective, individualized
>>> approach can help students become aware of issues in drawing that they may
>>> not be able to grasp as readily by reading or lecture.
>>>
>>> Regarding the original question of applying a learned style to original
>>> work, I have seen some assignments that get good results, but usually not as
>>> a starting point. Get students drawing what's around them, then introduce a
>>> style to explain the concept of interpretation from what you see to what you
>>> draw. Then I would suggest you move to the student's drawing their familiar
>>> surroundings but with an interpretive mindset (if that makes any sense). It
>>> does not have to follow the style they copied, but it should follow the
>>> process using simplification, exaggeration, pattern etc...because I feel
>>> that you are using the Matisse example not to have students draw like
>>> Matisse, but to start seeing/experiencing how the drawn image can be
>>> influenced by the surroundings but not necessarily having to be a realistic
>>> copy of reality. I think if a copy is approached more along these lines, it
>>> can open up the student's mind to just how fluid, playful, and expressive
>>> drawing can be.
>>>
>>> M
>>>
>>> On 6/16/08 10:31 AM, "Rachel Pearcey" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>>
>>>> I went to the recent Russian exhibition at the Royal Academy in London.
>>>> There were some works by Matisse and Picasso I had never seen plus of
>>>> course
>>>> the wonderful dancers, or whatever they are called, which I had only seen
>>>> in
>>>> reproduction. I stood and copied 3 paintings and it really helped me to
>>>> see/understand how they had been drawn. To copy another artist you have to
>>>> suspend your own practice but to apply it to your own work you need a
>>>> certain amount of technical expertise and confidence in your own practice.
>>>> You need to be able to 'see' what each line is doing and why it was placed
>>>> there, but also that some might be mistakes which have been left. I think
>>>> the whole process is very interesting but also a lot more complicated than
>>>> it might seem.
>>>> Rachel
>>>>
>>>> On 15/6/08 17:16, "Maureen Kendal" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I always dislike this method of teaching for the reasons you note.
>>>>> If we are teaching people to look,
>>>>> Do not our eyes , hearts and minds emerge from a fresh vision and
>>>>> unique universe?
>>>>> Looking at something and seeing anew and fresh as if for the first
>>>>> time, in a state of emergence?
>>>>> Why are we asking people to copy?
>>>>> It is one technique to look closely at a great master etc and
>>>>> understand the technique and appreciate it etc
>>>>> but what about the joy of playing with and manipulating and
>>>>> experimenting with the technique, rather than only copying.
>>>>>
>>>>> I am interested in looking /listening and challenging what we see/
>>>>> hear - that is the excitement.
>>>>> Does anyone out there get excited from copying?
>>>>> Maybe they do, Andy Warhol and yet every image printed was different
>>>>> again.
>>>>> His duplicated images were been playing with repetition and
>>>>> variation, but not mere copying.
>>>>> A thought?
>>>>>
>>>>> Maureen Kendal
>>>>>
>>>>> On 15 Jun 2008, at 13:59, Y.A.Raw wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> I have an issue with the notion of asking students to paint like
>>>>>> famous artists.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Does anyone have any tips or advice on getting students to 'apply'
>>>>>> the methods and techniques used by other artists, as opposed to
>>>>>> just copying them?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I'm asking because I have just taught a one-day workshop on
>>>>>> 'Drawing like Matisse' to adult learners of varying abilities. I
>>>>>> just wondered what other teachers' methods might be. Explaining
>>>>>> Matisse's use of gesture, line, colour, pattern, mood etc. wasn't
>>>>>> really the problem. Getting students to apply these to their own
>>>>>> work was tricky. They wanted to create pictures that looked like
>>>>>> Matisse's, as opposed to creating their own pictures and applying
>>>>>> Matisse's techniques. There is a difference...
>>>>>>
>>>>>> (I appreciate that teaching/learning this in one day is a
>>>>>> relatively tall order...)
>>>>>> Any help would be appreciated.
>>>>>> Thanks
>>>>>> Yvonne
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> ---------------------------------
>>>>>> The Open University is incorporated by Royal Charter (RC 000391),
>>>>>> an exempt charity in England & Wales and a charity registered in
>>>>>> Scotland (SC 038302).
|