Lance Christian O.

Soriano BMMA 102 DRAWING

PROGRESSION OF DRAWING

Drawings have been around for almost as long as human civilization has, with the very
first drawings discovered dating all the way from 30,000 to 10,000 B.C. The practice of
drawing was still very much in its phase of infancy in this time period, and were simple
geometric forms and shapes rather than accurate depictions of objects and living
organisms. Ancient civilizations also used drawings as a part of representing their own
culture.

In the middle ages drawing started to incorporate more aspects in its practice, with the
introduction of shadows via the use of hatching and also the birth of perspective. Art in
this period was mainly used as a way to glorify god and teach religion. Drawings were
also used for documentation purposes in this era.

In the 1400s or better known as the renaissance era the production of drawings
increased as paper became easier to acquire. The renaissance also saw great
improvements on shading and shadows, using it to suggest solids and texture of an
image.

After centuries of continuous evolution all the way to the 1900s many different styles of
drawing emerged. The art of drawing had become liberated from the traditions of the
past. Cubism, Abstract expressionism, Postmodernism and Fauvism are drawing
mediums that resulted in the liberation of the arts and a way for artists to further express
themselves through their works.

Now in our current time more and more exhibitions of art created with experimental
media are being showcased alongside the works of the old masters. The renewed
interest of drawing and art as a whole has further moved what the definition of drawing
is and can be, now that many modern artists often include learning new, experimental
and mixed media in their curricula. Discussions of the importance and role of drawing is
a topic that continues to be thoroughly explored by artists, teachers and scholars alike
to this day.

SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES OF DRAWING IN EACH ERA/PERIOD

In the very beginning drawing has always been used as a tool for people to depict the
world around them and give it a visual representation. For a majority of our history
drawing has also been a way to artistically express and articulate oneself in a unique
way. Whilst the general idea and meaning of drawing itself has remained similar
throughout the passage of time, the practice itself has gone through many changes and
evolution to differentiate them from one another.

Back in the early history of humanity where the first records of drawings were found, the
images were nothing more than simple shapes and forms that were either scratched,
carved, or painted on the walls. The ancient Greeks also showed great prowess in the
art of drawing and painting through decorated pottery vases, which showcased their
talent for drawing graceful and decorative lines.
Ancient Egyptians used drawings of scenery in daily life to decorate the walls of their
temples and tombs, using a style that could best be described as flat and linear.

In the middle ages elements such as shadows and perspective. Perhaps the biggest
change in this era were the ways that people used art in this time. Art in this period was
produced to glorify god and teach religion, but another important function it served in the
middle ages was for keeping documentation of images that artists frequently use that
could serve as reference.

Drawing became the foundation for all of the work in arts such as sculpting, painting,
and architecture in the renaissance era. Drawings grew increasingly more realistic in
this time as artists used drawing as a tool to carefully study the structure of the human
body. The renaissance also saw the increasing shift to using softer materials, such as
red and black chalks, and charcoal. Shading was an area of drawing that had been
greatly improved on in this time, which was used to suggest solids and textures.

In the 1600’s and 1700’s drawings were much more expressive and lively, coupled with
a bolder use of materials in this time. Drawings in this time period were a stark contrast
to the renaissance before it. The renaissance’s control and precision was now replaced
with a much more loose and free style of drawing with the focus of conveying form,
emotion and movement. The 1600s also saw the birth of Rembrandt Van Rijn who
became one of the world’s greatest draftsmen, and also the most famous painter and
printmaker in Amsterdam.

The 1800s saw the manufacturing of pencils early within the century. Pencils became
the preferred drawing tool of many artists. In the last quarter of the 1800s many artists
had begun to question the merits of the traditional academic training of drawing, thanks
in part to the impressionists.

Liberation of the arts came in the beginning of the 1900s. The definition of drawing
since then has been expanded upon and now can be almost anything the artist wants it
to be. This time also saw all of the modern western art movements that are represented
in the medium. These art movements include cubism, abstract expressionism, fauvism,
and postmodernism.

Now we move to today where the academic interest in exploring both the technical craft
of drawing and an idea: beauty in art, has emerged. Drawing has been established to
be a major equivalent to other fine arts fields like painting, sculpting, and graphic
design. The biggest change to drawing as a practice in this time is the encouraged use
of traditional, mixed and experimental media altogether to create a piece.
Academic discussion of drawing’s importance and role in our curricula is still ongoing
exploration by artists, teachers and scholars.
PREDICTION ON THE FUTURE OF DRAWING

I believe that the future of drawing includes developing more styles and art movements
headed by influential artists in the future, although what exactly those would be I am
unsure of, but am excited for.

I think it is safe to assume that with the way technology is progressing that drawing
digitally would happen more in the future. I do believe this will help push our
understanding of drawing and art as a whole further, as more artists experiment with the
medium and find new interesting views, perspectives, styles, to share with all of us.
I also think that digital art would end up crossing over with traditional mediums more
often in the future, in what way specifically and how I am yet to come up with an answer
to, but I am most eagerly awaiting what it could be.

I also believe that there will be an increase in the interest of drawing, due to the ever
growing entertainment industry and its need for artists.

I am still largely clueless on what the future of drawing could look like but I am optimistic
that it will be bright, and that the artists of tomorrow will move our understanding of
drawing and art further beyond what we already know.

REFERENCES:

Gury, A. (2017). Foundations of drawing: A practical guide to art history, tools,

techniques, and styles. New York: Watson-Guptill.

Mules, H. (n.d.). The history of drawing. In Scholastic Art. Retrieved on April 20, 2018
from http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3753864