Drawing and Symbols

Introduction to Drawing

For me, drawing is the language of symbols.
Written languages are based on drawings or pictograms.
Hieroglyphics were a form of written language that used pictures.

Drawing- Depiction of shapes and forms on a surface chiefly by means of lines. Color and shading may be included. A major fine art technique in itself, drawing is the basis of all pictorial representation, and an early step in most art activities. Though an integral part of most painting, drawing is generally differentiated from painting by the dominance of line over mass. (definition from artlex.com)

Rather than draw things how we actually see them we tend to draw symbols- until we have trained our hands, brains and eyes to work together.

I like to talk with my students about symbols and how when we are young we begin drawing by using symbols to represent what we see.

1.When we are very young we draw an eye as a dot

2.A bit older we draw it as a circle with a dot in it

3.Even older we draw it as an almond shape with a circle and a dot. Maybe add eyelashes and an eyebrow.

Most people stop developing their drawing ability here (around the ages of 10 and 11). BUT if you go further and continue to develop your drawing skills you can begin to draw things less symbolically and more realistically

I model examples of this as we are having this discussion. I've included a picture because while I draw the symbol and the more naturalistic eye, I don't expect everyone to draw them. (I do encourage you to make your own examples for each lesson. It helps you understand what you are teaching and helps you recognize the struggles your students may have as well.)

I ask the students which eye looks more real. Even though both eyes are abstract versions of a real eye, one is more naturalistic (naturalism is when the object looks more real but still some level of abstraction as opposed to realism where the item looks almost identical to real life).

The eye to the left is more abstract, it portrays a more simplified idea of an eye. The eye to the right is more complex and also portrays the idea of an eye but with more depth and shape, more similar to a real eye.

If students need more examples I often get a student to draw the next symbol on the board, usually a tree. I then draw a more naturalistic tree (an example from an artist could be used here instead of your own drawing).

Progression of drawing

Abstract--> Naturalistic--> Realistic--> Abstract

Picasso had made the transition to realism by the age of 12 and began to experiment with more abstract forms as he got older.

I have added this example:

Study of a Torso, After a Plaster Cast,
1893/1894, Musée Picasso, Paris

Whether you share it or not is your choice. Picasso was born in 1881, so he was 12 or 13 when he drew this.

The exercise is to fill a normal white sheet of paper (or at least as many as they can think of) with all of the symbols for things that they have used. The symbols also need to be labelled.
I look for some specific symbols common in younger children's drawings like: eye, tree, heart, hand, person, sun, moon, grass, flower, dog and cat. Feel free to add your own to the list!

This lesson is a good introduction to contour and gesture drawing as the purpose of this lesson is to help students to begin to recognize the symbols they have used and encourage them to question their own mark making for future assignments.