The Purpose of drawing

Drawings must have a purpose. They are an expressive outcome of a profound intention.

These intentions are not required to be grand or extraordinary in themselves, but the result

should be. Drawings can be preparatory studies and be designs for other thing but they can

also stand alone as great works of art. Each of these outcomes is the result of its intention

and the meaning behind the workshop title ‘ THE PURPOSE OF DRAWING’

Drawing with intention is the opposite of drawing as a performance placing the emphasis on

personal experience as the basis on which to activate drawing. This is similar in many ways

to how we listen to music and form lifelong relationships with songs, the emotional

investment enables us to access memory and experience feeling.

The workshop will start by looking carefully at the basics of drawing starting with the simple

materials and reflecting on how these tools and surfaces combine to create the image. We

will look thoughtfully at simple geometry and the human realities of seeing i.e why is space

important to us, the concept of open and empty space and visual language concerns such as

positive and negative, illusory and abstract space leading to a series of fun but thought

provoking exercises and experiments to understand these aspects of drawing more clearly.

DAY ONE

The aim of day one will be to develop a simple but purposeful vocabulary of drawing

techniques ready to explore more complex tasks on day two. Students will be expected to

keep a record of everything in simple diary form to build us a framework for all critical and

reflective activity throughout each session.

DAY TWO

Will be based around figure drawing with the emphasis on using techniques and ideas

from day one to create simple but impactful drawings that seek to form a poetic

relationship with the viewer. Words such as purpose, purposeful and intentional will

underpin these activities. Students will be faced with a challenge to purposefully overcome

the existing trope of life class drawing to create drawings that have emotional resonance.

Titling drawings and discussing how drawings are named will further support this

personalised approach.

DAY THREE

Will aim to complete a series of carefully considered drawings with a strong underlying

theme as the basis for a short presentation of work at the end of the day. Vocabulary and

conceptual ideas developed throughout the workshop will be used as a framework for final

presentation and feedback.

These will be a tutor led workshop with accompanying handouts but the emphasis will be on

student directed learning and hands on activities to reinforce intellectual and practical skill

development.