The art of teaching art : a guide for teaching and learning the foundations of drawing-based art

337 Pages·2000·5.55 MB·English

by  Rockman, Deborah A

The Art of Teaching Art
3
Frontispiece: Gustave Courbet. Self-Portrait (The Man with the Pipe), c. 1849. Black chalk on paper, i i-Vi x 8- /4
inches. WadsworthAtheneum, Hartford. Purchased through the gift of James Junius Goodwin. (1950.605)
The Art of Teaching Art
A Guide for Teaching and
Learning the Foundations
of Drawing-Based Art
I JeborahA. Acockman
Kendall College of Art and Design
OXJFORD
UNIVERSITY PRESS
2000
OXFORD
UNIVERSITY PRESS
Oxford New York
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Copyright © 2000 by Deborah A. Rockman
Published by Oxford University Press, Inc.
198 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016
Oxford is a registered trademark of Oxford University Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without the prior permission of Oxford University Press.
Design by Charles B. Hames
Unless otherwise noted, all student drawings are the work
of Kendall College of Art and Design students.
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA
Rockman, Deborah A., 1954—
The art of teaching art : a guide for teaching and learning
the foundations of drawing-based art /
Deborah A. Rockman
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 0-19-513079-0 (cloth : alk. paper)
1. Drawing—Study and teaching (Higher)—United States.
2. Art teachers—Training of—United States. I. Title.
NC59O .R634 1999 741'.O7i'i-dc2i 99-37642
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in the United States of America
on acid-free paper
For my mother, my teacher
Ella Mae Rockman
1931-1997
This page intentionally left blank
contents
Preface ix
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction 3
A Philosophy of Teaching 3
Drawing as the Backbone of Visual Communication 6
Chapter 1
Essential Skills and Information
What Every Teacher and Every Student Should Know about Drawing 11
Sighting and the Use of a Sighting Stick 11
The Principles of Composition: Theory vs. Application 21
Suggesting Space or Depth on a Two-Dimensional Surface 41
Line Variation and Sensitivity 47
Working with Value Structure 64
The Technique of Scaling 77
The Golden Section 81
Setting Up an Effective Still Life 86
Chapter^
Teaching Essential Drawing Principles in Relation to the Human Figure 91
The Human Figure 91
Gesture Drawing or Rapid Contour Drawing 104
Enhancing the Illusion of Volume and Space in the Human Form 108
An Introduction to Portraiture 112
The Figure and Anatomy 133
vii
viii / Contents
Chapter^
Spatial Thinking and Visualization
Teaching the Essential Principles of Perspective Drawing 147
An Introduction to Perspective 147
Perspective and Cubes 160
Using Perspective Grids 166
Increasing Complexity in the Perspective Environment 773
Mathematically Precise Cubes in Two-Point Perspective 779
Constructing Ellipses in One-Point and Two-Point Perspective 186
Using Measuring Lines for Regular (Equal)
and Irregular (Unequal) Divisions of an Area 190
Inclined Planes in Perspective 192
Geometric Solids and Transparent Construction 198
Three-Point Perspective 203
Suggested Perspective Homework Assignments 207
Chapter 4
Establishing the Classroom Environment, Conducting Critiques,
and Assigning Grades 275
The Classroom Environment 275
Group Critiques 279
Individual Critiques 226
Diagnosing Problems in Student Work 227
Key Questions for Critiques 235
Grading 240
Appendix J\
Classroom Documents and Other Teaching Aids 243
Preparing for the Classroom Experience 243
Determining Course Content 249
Preparing a Slide Library 288
Appendix /)
Preparing Students for What Lies Ahead 295
Career Opportunities in the Visual Arts 295
Building a Resume 296
Preparing a Slide Portfolio 307
Writing Letters of Recommendation 302
Graduate School Checklist 309
Bibliography 377
Artist Index 379
Index 323
preface
eaching is a noble profession. Webster's Dictionary says that to teach is "to impart
Tknowledge of or skill in; to give instruction." Clearly one must first have a degree
of knowledge or skill in order to reveal it to another. Preschool, elementary, and sec-
ondary educators not only have apparent knowledge or expertise in the subjects that
they teach, but they are also required to receive training in and exposure to a variety
of techniques, theories, and philosophies of teaching.
Unfortunately for many, this is not the case for postsecondary educators teaching
at colleges and universities across the country. We have all heard the horror stories of
the brilliant scientist or mathematician or writer or artist who is awarded a position
on the faculty of an institution based on his or her professional performance and
accomplishments only to fail miserably at communicating his or her wealth of knowl-
edge and experience to an eager but disappointed group of students.
In general, the only requirement for teaching at the postsecondary level is to have
a terminal degree in your field of expertise. In the case of the studio arts, a master of
fine arts degree is the terminal degree. While this may provide the aspiring educator
with a certain amount of skill and knowledge, it by no means ensures the ability to be
an effective teacher. The communication skills required of a visual artist are not nec-
essarily the communication skills required of a teacher of the visual arts.
To complicate matters further, many beginning instructors at the college or uni-
versity level are thrust into the classroom not only lacking training or experience in
teaching techniques, but without an adequate understanding of what information is
most important to impart to a student in the initial and formative stages of an edu-
cation in the visual arts. Many institutions that offer graduate degrees also provide
their graduate students with an opportunity to teach foundation-level courses in the
undergraduate program. Unfortunately, there is often very little if any preparation or
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