Drawing textbook: The teaching and utilization of drawing for educational purposes

In my first post I commented that "Drawing Textbook" would probably not be very important in my efforts to learn how to draw for teaching.

Well… I’m reversing that opinion.

This may be the perfect book for what I’m looking to accomplish, which is developing the ability to use drawing as a teaching tool.

Beginning exercises

The book was written by Bruce McIntyre, who was an artist with the Walt Disney Studios from 1937 to 1949. The also taught drawing in public schools to 1st through 8th graders. McIntyre’s goal in writing this book is communication of visual knowledge. I would also say it also teaches how to communicate using visual information.

McIntyre makes a useful distinction between drawing and art. A good analogy is that drawing is to art as writing is to poetry (or other forms of creative writing). Almost everyone knows how to read and write, however, only a small percentage would call themselves writers poets, novelists or playwrights.

It’s my contention that being able to communicate using visual information is as an important a skill as being able to communicate through symbols, i.e. writing. An example used in the book is describing the basic form and function of an airplane. It would take many pages of writing and even then, it would be difficult for the reader to draw an airplane from that description. However, if you drew the airplane and gave a brief description of the each part, the learner would gain a much clearer picture (pun intended) in much less time.

If you agree with this argument, then when it comes to communicating visually, most people are illiterate.

McIntyre's seven principles of drawing

“Drawing textbook” teaches McIntyre’s seven principals of drawing: surface, size, surface lines, overlapping, shading, density and foreshortening; through a series of 40 lessons, consisting of six exercise each. None of the early exercises are particularly difficult, though as you work though the book, they become increasingly complicated.

My only criticism of this book is that it doesn’t teach the mechanics of drawing. For instance, one of the first lessons makes use of foreshortened circles, i.e. ovals. When I attempted to draw these, they all came out looking like mutant flapjacks. It wash’t until I talked to an artist teaching the ART-101 class that I realized that I should be drawing from my shoulder, whereas I had been moving the stylus only with my wrist. Making this change solve the problem almost immediately.

In future posts, assuming my drawing improves, I’ll demonstrate the kind of communication I have in mind – assuming I can learn to draw a bit better.

 

Mr. iPad @ SU - looking to learn and teach!