Thursday 10 April 2008

WANTED - Academic Drawing Classes in London

I have been doing much research today on finding the best classes in the world for teaching academic drawing. They are around and are based on the old atalier style of teaching. I didn't know there would be so many. I found them on the wonderful Art Renewal website. There are superb ones in Florence, like the Angel Academy where you can do a four year course, and great ones in the United States. I will post more on the weekend about my thoughts on drawing and its relationship to intelligence, but it seemed to me that after research, I had better find the best drawing classes in London as soon as possible. Who are the best drawing teachers here in London. I have trawled the art materials stores just drooling over the wonderful drawing materials, so with that in mind, I am cutting out, and going to read about Michaelangelo.

Wednesday 9 April 2008

Proof - Drawing makes the young more intelligent!

Some teachers in America teaching kids to become more intelligent via drawing. I knew it. I hope they don't mind my including this here. Thanks Folks!

Still trying to link up Intelligence and Drawing

I really tried hard today to find some information on the Internet about the connection between drawing and intelligence. I found one interesting article talking about the raison d'etre of classical academic drawing, and that was to investigate "significant form". Okay, so what does that mean. My take on it is, that "significant form" is that which is meaningful and necessary to create beauty in art. The form that is spoken about here is not mere memetics, but the understanding of the artist of the totality of what's in front of them. This is the totality of the figure as object in space and its own inherent features which cannot be assumed to belong to any other form; it is the totality of the figure in relationship to its surroundings and the significance between the them. How on earth does drawing make us more intelligent? Or is it the other way around, ie., a specific type of intelligence is drawn (sic) to drawing. As an artist, I want to know this and investigate this. Is it the mere act of continuing observance and focus, that flexes a muscle of the mind that then continues to flex itself in other areas of mentation? I am going to read my wonderful catalogue of the Michaelangelo exhibition that took place in London in 2005 at the British Museum. It was staggering. Now off to read.


Not my drawing you understand........


Tuesday 8 April 2008

Can Drawing Make Us More Intelligent?

This is a thought that has been bothering me a lot lately. After all, they don't tell you this at art college or at univeristy, they don't even hint at it. But as one of my art teachers said, I thought rather pompously at the time: "There are two types of people in the world - those who see and those who don't see". I think I know what he means and possibly teachers who have a greater understanding of how each line and delineation of form works on the brain or consciousness would have the answer, but I am not so sure. I really have to think this one through. Is there really a difference between the right brained person and the left brained person. I would love to start some sort of research on this, because I have found over many years, those who can draw really well, are very perceptive. Perceptive in areas other than drawing. Oh of course, they can make superb representational works, but they are perceptive about life. I have also noticed that those who can't draw (or maybe won't draw) are not so psychologicaly astute as their so-called right brained brothers and sisters. Maybe I am drawing to broad a picture here and the sweep is too prejudiced, but I am going to investigate this and post back here later. I am putting on the brakes now and will report back in a few weeks. There must be something out there on the web that deals with this. Anyway, back to looking for a decent art class in London this week, and off to browse some delicious art materials stores.