32 TEACHERs COLLEGE COLUmbIA UNIvERsITy
The bigger Picture of Drawing:
A New Curriculum, A New Pedagogy
of the MA course was the idea to hold an annual
seminar or course symposium at the beginning of
the course, to define with the student group some
key themes for the academic year. The themes
articulated in the course handbook have a lineage
to the Level 3 qualifications described earlier, and
the aim of the seminar is for the students to select
three themes that give a methodological or theoreti-
cal umbrella to their studies. The key themes are as
follows:
• 3D space on 2D surface: plans, overlays,
orthographic and axonometric projection.
• Diagrams, pictograms, flowcharts and mind
maps.
• Cartography: Mapping places, things and
ideas.
• Choreography: space and movement.
• Archaeological drawing and planning.
• Narrative Drawing: time based storytelling
and storyboards.
• Drawing and writing.
• Developing ideas and solving problems.
• Communicating and convincing: selling
ideas.
• Measurement: plotting spaces and objects.
• Working with Surface.
• Materiality.
The MA Drawing course is designed to be stud-
ied over 3 units. These units of study provide a proj-
ect-based framework for the students to interrogate
drawing and their own practice.
Unit 1: Orientation: This unit is designed to
encourage the student to critically orient their
practice. The core element of this unit is a series of
student and staff led “high impact” workshops that
introduce a range of approaches to materials and
methodology, and to build upon prior skills and
experience. Staff led workshops are from research
faculty, college academics, and visiting practitio-
ners from design, art, architecture or performance.
Each student also leads a workshop that encour-
ages them to illuminate their approach to drawing
either through a focus on ideas and agendas or
methodology. These workshops encourage risk tak-
ing and independent thinking. Furthermore, Unit
1 explores “the bigger picture of drawing” and the
boundaries of practice. Therefore, specific taught
sessions investigate the Key Themes and encour-
age students to interrogate their drawing skills and
contextual understanding. This unit provides a rich
arena for making and practice while simultaneously
supporting critical reflection.Unit 2: Navigation: This unit encourages stu-
dents to build upon the materials, media, and
methodologies experienced in unit 1. Students are
encouraged to challenge their ideas and begin to
define new parameters for future practice. In short,
and based on their experience and learning in unit
1, students are asked to re-orient their practice.
Through risk taking, reflection and experimenta-
tion, they are asked to develop innovative methods
and approaches to solving problems. Significantly,
and we think uniquely, this unit calls for students
to develop individual or collective collaborations
either within the University of the Arts London,
or with outside organisations or individuals, where
each student seeks out cross-disciplinary part-
nerships. To date, Wimbledon College of Art has
received agreement for collaborations with MA
drawing students from the National Gallery Lon-
don, The Laban Dance Centre and the structural
engineering company, Alan Baxter & Associates. A
3,000-word critical paper supports the exploration
of this intersection of disciplines, and lays out the
agenda for continued personal research.Unit 3: Presentation. Unit 3 gives critical
space to the research proposal each student articu-
lates during Unit 2; it gives definition to their col-
laborative work and strengthens their individual
practice. During this unit, students may elect to
continue with their collaborations or work indi-
vidually. Either way, they are encouraged to extend
their practice and define how they may take their
practice forward beyond the course. Their critical
knowledge is illuminated via a 5000-word defini-
tive critical document. The final course exhibi-
tion or presentation is planned and curated by the
student, acknowledging a range of audiences, and
students will be encouraged to develop innovative
approaches to presentation appropriate to their final
outcomes.Conclusion
When designing and writing courses, all any of
us can do is provide a framework, or a structure
predicated on a view or beliefs, that gives scope
for the students’ imagination and investigation,
and that provides a space for experiential learn-