known as a metaphor. Instead of chasing the
idea of truth, what we should be doing is
embracing the medium of drawing and using
it for a purpose that fulfils our needs as an
artist or designer. Let me now explain how we
can break down our understanding and use
drawing to facilitate our needs. As I have said
before there are many reasons for us to want
to draw, and there are many techniques and
attitudes for us to adopt that will serve our
purpose with the medium of our choice.
What follows is a list of the reasons for us as
students or beginners to make drawings.
When using this book you should first
identify the reason why you wish or need to
do the type of drawing you are going to do,
and then turn to the appropriate chapter in
the book. That will give you the technique for
the medium, and the knowledge you need to
make the drawing.REASONS FOR DRAWING1/ First Thoughts
One of the many approaches to drawing is to
use it as a tool to record our first thoughts.
These usually take the form of sketches and
drawings that have immediacy to them. They
are usually spontaneous and inspirational as
one is drawing one’s thinking process as it
happens. This process can initiate new ideas.
This procedure is usually done in sketch -
books or on scrap pieces of paper, and they
are usually presented as sheets of ideas.
These types of drawings are then kept and
developed into something more substantial
as a statement in the future when our
thoughts on the subject are collected and
developed into a finished idea. Many artists
from different disciplines have used this
process of working and thinking through
drawing as a way of developing their initial
ideas. They range from Michelangelo,6
Introduction
Drawing, just like writing or speech, is a form
of communication, and in the same way as
these other forms of communication drawing
can be multi-faceted, and very diverse as a
means of expression of our observations,
thoughts and feelings. Across the broad field
of art and design, artists and designers will
use drawing as a specific tool for visual
communication, and at the same time use a
wide spectrum of drawing techniques to
express, develop, and present their ideas and
work to the viewer for what ever reason.
Therefore, it is impossible to make a
drawing unless the artist has a clear
understanding of the type of drawing that is
to be created, and the visual language that is
to be used which will give form and
expressive dynamics to the drawing. This is
often forgotten or misunderstood by most
teachers of drawing.
FIRST ENCOUNTERS WITH DRAWING
Usually our first encounter with drawing is to
try to copy something from observation; this
could take the form of a portrait, still life, or a
landscape. When we’re children we draw our
observations from memory, and when we
become more life experienced, we tend to
draw direct from observation. This is
normally when we encounter our first
problems with the art of drawing, as we have
fixed in our minds that to be successful with
this skill our rendition of what we see must be
nothing less than perfect. Usually these
students of drawing that have this particular
approach, those who seem to be chasing a
visual truth through drawing, end up
frustrated and feel a sense of failure. We
cannot reproduce reality, we can only make a
mark or a statement that acts for that reality,
or a mark or a statement that best suits our
purpose to describe that reality, and this is