How the design process is reflected in drawing practice
February 24, 2010
In their presentations both Helen and Robert addressed issues in learning/teaching that I could clearly identify in my practice. Helen spoke of the declarative versus the procedural as evolutionary stages in learning, and there seems to be a link between this idea and Robert’s thoughts on encouraging ‘follow through’ from the early assessment to the students’ final hand in. I realise I’m loading these ideas with my own meaning but both have opened up issues that are primary concerns in the teaching of drawing.
Where the student is encouraged to make adjustments to their work and this piece is subsequently abandoned with the student showing an entirely new work for the final assessment, is familiar territory, and in my area usually the result of the student being naïve of the process.
This tendency for students to abandon a drawing rather than adjusting the existing work is a regular occurrence and separates the beginner from the more advanced student. They only have to rework one drawing to see the power of ‘getting it into working order’.
In drawing, the failure of a work is usually the result of the beginner starting without a workable overview, they proceed to make an inventory of all visible detail, at the expense of proportion. Work usually comes to a halt when the out line has been reinforced, effectively shutting down any opportunity for ambiguity. In this case the student has been too declarative too early, aiming for premature finish.
As the resulting drawing is embarrassingly flat, of doubtful proportions and somewhat rigid, the student is understandably keen to abandon the work. However, if the drawing can be softened (which is why charcoal is the preferred teaching tool) with simple adjustments made by the instructor and provisos imposed, such as develop the framework, avoid detail and address the focal points and implied line (the underlying abstract), the work will be successfully salvaged.
These fundamental issues are more easily faced and surmounted in drawing than in the more specialised areas of design. In drawing, the design process is easily and efficiently rehearsed.
