Drawing
Drawing and other visual methods such as collage have an important role to play in every discipline, not just those such as art and design with which they are usually associated. For details of the Drawing Research Network Conference held at Brighton September 2010, please click here.
Among the many potential functions of drawing, the most common include:
- Observational drawing - to sharpen perception and make rapid and accurate records of key data in almost any situation.
- Conceptual drawing and diagramming - helps students visualise ideas and processes, compare their understanding and develop critical thinking skills;reinforces memory.
- Collaborative drawing and image making activities - can develop communication skills, encourage reflection on experience, professional and personal development planning.
Drawing to Learn Booklets
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- Drawing to Learn: Arts & Humanities
- Drawing to Learn: Business, Education, Law, Management & Social Science
- Drawing to Learn: Clinical Education, Health and Social Care
- Drawing to Learn: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
We have published a set of four A5 booklets to support the use of drawing in higher education, each addressed to a broad cluster of disciplines.They offer a brief introduction to the ways in which drawing and other visual methods may be used to support undergraduate and postgraduate learning and research. We hope the ideas and examples will encourage lecturers and supervisors to explore the possibilities in their own teaching. Click on the cover images or title list above to download the booklets. If you would like to discuss the ideas raised in the books, please contact the authors Pauline Ridley (p.ridley@brighton.ac.uk) and Angela Rogers (drawingdialogue@gmx.com). If you would like to receive one or more print copies for your own institution, please email p.ridley@brighton.ac.uk.
More detailed advice and examples to supplement the booklets will be added to this site over the next few months. Current resources include:
- LearnHigher Visual Practices Workshops - a video resource for staff wishing to run drawing workshops or to include drawing activities in their teaching sessions.This is one of an award winning series; you can access the other titles through the LearnHigher website at http://www.learnhigher.ac.uk/index.php?p=8
- Information about the BigDraw @ Brighton, an award-winning programme of activities that took place across the University in October 2007.
- Suggestions for drawing activities suitable for use during induction periods: Drawing Activities for Induction.pdf.
Some other useful external resources are listed below:
Drawing, observation and recording
- Draw online workshop (aimed at adults aged 16 plus, includes plenty of drawing ideas, exercises and techniques). This is part of the generally excellent AccessArt website which also includes SketchbookSpace and other resources to support drawing.
- Visual Directions A resource produced by the University of the Arts to support the use of sketchbooks for developing and documenting ideas
- Observational skills for geoscience fieldwork Online tutorial and other resources
- Techniques for drawing botanical subjects under the microscope
- Looking vs. Seeing “A 15 Minute Tutorial on Getting the most out of your Microscope Viewing”
- Picturing to Learn This project involves science students and faculty from Harvard, MIT, Duke University and Roxbury Community College, and is part of the Harvard Envisioning Science Program. It enables undergraduate students to clarify their own understanding of scientific concepts and processes by making freehand drawings to explain these concepts to non-experts. These drawings are also used as assessment tools.
