Back to the Drawing Board
Drawing can be the foundation of painting, but it also has intrinsic value.
Betty Edwards uses drawing not just to sketch or create works of art but also as a mode of thinking. It accesses the "right side of the brain," where things are not bound by logic, facts, past experiences or words.
She compares it to learning to read & write... you may be able to speak fluently, but if you don't read or write, your thinking is comparatively limited. Most people can see quite well, but if they don't draw, there's a lot they don't notice. Drawing on a regular basis can expand your awareness.
Sad to think that in some places art classes are being removed from schools. Perception, proportion, relationship, patterns, point of view, "negative space" (the space around the problem...context) & wholeness are useful concepts to think with.
Maybe we need to create "stealth" art classes, to get past the idea that it's just a frill... call it visual development, creative skills, effective perception, observation resources, cognitive rebalancing...
Whatever it takes to regain its rightful place in the schools.
Leave a comment
Also in Judsons Plein Air Journal
Sarah Judson
Author