Have you ever wanted to explore and teach drawing as a way of thinking? Have we got a treat for you!
The Drawing Together community convened on Sunday, May 28th. Our session was led by Andrea Kantrowitz. As an artist and educator, Andrea Kantrowitz investigates art and cognition. In her large still-life paintings, she tears apart her subjects to reveal their underlying structure. Her students learn how to delve deeply into their own motivations and processes of meaning making. In her research, she uses the theories and methods of cognitive psychology to research the hidden dynamics of artists’ thinking processes. Andrea is the creator of Drawing Thought: How Drawing Helps Us Observe, Discover, and Invent.
Dr. Kantrowitz started with a warmup drawing exercise.
This is a two minute exercise in which you hold a pencil in each hand with their points in the center of the page, close your eyes, tune into your current environment, and “draw” what you hear.
Next, Andrea shared some wisdom about drawing and thinking from her book, Drawing Thought. She then introduced a second exercise.
This exercise asks us to turn into our thoughts and, with one hand and eyes open, draw the shapes of your thoughts for two minutes.
Next, Andrea discusses some drawing games we can try ourselves or use with our students.
Next, Andrea shared more wisdom from her book focused on the role of the hands and then launched a third exercise.
This exercise asks us to take one of our previous drawings, our environment or our thoughts, and see what we can see in them – animals, objects, shapes, etc. Enhance your drawing to clarify the objects you see. Think looking at clouds and seeing shapes, but having the opportunity to draw in eyes, limbs, teeth, shelves, any features the shapes require.
Some closing thoughts from Dr. Kantrowitz.
Will this event be offered again? To whom would this event be open to attending?
Hi! We host our Drawing Together gathering the last Sunday of each month. More info here: https://www.graphicmedicine.org/drawingtogether/