Practical Art: Drawing & Illustration

On successful completion of the module, you will be able to:

• Identify and apply appropriate drawing media, techniques and methods to a variety of drawing projects in a creatively effective way
• Demonstrate through your practical drawing work a basic level of insight into a wide variety of drawing media, techniques and methods and evaluate their appropriateness to different drawing tasks, demonstrating an understanding of draughtsmanship, tone and (where appropriate) colour to represent three dimensions
• Control the drawing media you select in a way that enables you to effectively codify visual experience into a graphic mark, while also demonstrating an understanding of the rudiments of linear perspective and other drawing systems
• Reflect critically on your practical drawing work in relation to the application of drawing media as a creative method

• Learning to look and codify a 3D world into a 2D image
• Measuring, guide-lines and freewheeling
• Objects in Space: Shadows and Shading
• Project 1: Objects on a Table Top
• Expressive Lines
• Project 2: Looking Through a Window
• Colour and Drawing
• Project 3: People, Places and Things

As with all practical art classes, the majority of time in each session will be given over to practical work in drawing, in which you will work on your own project(s), with periodic discussions and moments of reflection involving yourself and the tutor and, where appropriate, other students. The method of course delivery will employ a standard circular art school method of practice-reflexion-discussion-response. All classes will feature collective discussion time prominently, particularly at the start of sessions when projects are being negotiated, and during the duration of each session as you will discuss with the tutor and other students, either individually or in small groups, the progress of your practical work. This may include looking at drawings by historic and contemporary artists and reflection on the achievements of the class in previous weeks.

Classes will feature frequent smaller group discussions to allow you to develop your own ideas further, learn from other students and develop learning relationships. As an active learner, you will have filter and moderate information and suggestions from both the tutor and other students into material that is appropriate for your practical work. An array of supplementary materials relating to the art of drawing, further literature, examples for discussion, and lecture slides will be made available through the VLE.

You will receive formative feedback in the form of in-class comments from your lecturer on your class work, and peer feedback through group discussions when appropriate.

• Practical: Three Drawings in a Portfolio (80%)
• Coursework: Personal development log (600 words) (20%)

Summative assessment shall look at a portfolio comprising at least three drawings, one each from the three projects set, in which you demonstrate that you have identified and applied in an effective way diverse drawing media and techniques, undertaken different drawing tasks in which you demonstrate a basic level of skill in draughtsmanship, with a basic level of accuracy in codifying 3D visual experience into 2D drawn form, and you have shown a basic level of visual understanding of linear perspective and other drawing systems.

This shall be accompanied by a Personal Development Log, comprising at least three short written reflective statements, each at between 150 and 200 words long, in which you reflect upon the elements you consider successful in your learning of drawing for the particular week, and identify areas in which further work might be needed to improve.

• ECTS value: 0
• Requirements: You must be prepared to attend all classes and to spend about an hour a week preparing for each session.
• This module is designed as an undergraduate Level 4 course. For an explanation of levels, view the Imperial Horizons Level Descriptors page.‌