AHSE2131 Responsive Drawing and Visual Thinking
The course assumes no prior experience in drawing. Students will learn to visualize objects in three-dimensional space and commit them to the two-dimensional space of a page, gaining critical experience with "idea sketching," an ability that can be put to many uses in future courses (e.g. project design). Students will also draw subjects from life, i.e. stationary objects and life models using media including charcoal, graphite, conte, and ink. The emphasis will be realistic depiction as compared to non-objective abstraction. Students will begin with basic exercises in drawing and rapidly move to more complex intensive drawing experiences. Approximately one-third of the classroom time will be used for drawing from a life model. Class discussion and sketchbook homework assignments will be an essential element in the learning process. Homework assignments will include drawing and visual thinking exercises to be completed in personal sketchbooks. Reading selected text material is also part of the homework requirement. Several invited speakers will contribute to the course and provide informal critiques of student work. One field trip is planned to the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University in Cambridge to view art. Other in-class activities will include participation in discussion of drawings (old master and contemporary) that are presented to illustrate various objectives of classroom work (e.g. use of line to indicate form) and group critique sessions. Assessment will be based on weekly homework assignments, classroom work, and three drawing projects to be completed outside of class.
Hours
4-0-8