Abstract
The Art of Blind Contour Drawing was popularized when The Natural Way to Draw was published in 1941. Since then, its philosophy of slow and patient looking, and simultaneous recording through drawing has reverberated throughout the fine-art education world. It is revered for its ability to build aptitudes in visual research, observational skill, attention span, visual communication, caligraphic intuition, composition design, hand-eye coordination to name a few – all skills valued by employers, but ones more difficult to demonstrate and ascertain easily. Despite its previous ubiquity, in an era where the educational conversation is dominated by advancements in and the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI), the enduring relevance of traditional artistic practices such as blind contour drawing, struggle to maintain their place in outcome-based curriculums often reduced to an afternoon’s novelty activity. Thus, the art, design or media student is rarely given the opportunity to understand the true nature of the endeavor, as Nicolaides recommended - by approaching and sustaining the practice over time. By embracing imperfection and the unpredictability of human expression, blind contour drawing offers a compelling alternative to the algorithmic predictability of AI-generated art, while simultaneously providing rigorous skills training. Additionally, Its procedural nature often yields results can appear chaotic an unpredictable providing unexpected aesthetic qualities or design innovations. it also serves as an excellent “icebreaker” activity, providing students with a procedural activity that encourages “active surrender” helping students reliinquish pre-exisisting notions and giving insights into issues of ownership, and visual plagiarism.
Presenters
Jesse ThompsonAssistant Professor, Foundations/Drawing/Artistic Electives, Nanyang Technological University, South West, Singapore Lisa Winstanley
Assistant Professor, School of Art Design and Media, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Drawing, Pedagogy, Data
