The Gonzaga Art Department considers drawing fundamental to the development of one’s skills in perceptual awareness and visual exploration of form and content. We offer a particularly strong curriculum in drawing that welcomes students at all levels of drawing, whether the beginning student interested in an introductory-level course or more advanced students of drawing looking to develop further their skills and techniques.
I have learned that what I have not drawn, I have never really seen.
Drawing I – Fine Arts Core, Drawing from observation
Drawing I (VART 101) develops students’ perceptual awareness of form, space, shape, and light. Students also hone their analytical drawing skills that focus on visual elements such as value, perspective, stroke direction, and gesture. This course uses the subject of the still life to build a strong foundation for understanding the basic elements of drawing construction while using a variety of drawing tools
Drawing II – Thematic drawing approaches
Drawing II (VART 201) consists of thematic projects done in relation to the elements of drawing: line, tone, color, texture, composition and space. Students explore the artistic process through traditional and non-traditional materials. Materials used will work to reflect and reinforce the theme of the project.
Figure Drawing I and II
Figure Drawing I (VART 385) is the chance to learn the basic skills necessary for drawing the human form, including understanding artistic anatomy, gesture, line and modeling. Students learn how to see the larger structures of the body and the essential connections that contribute to the beautiful lifelikeness of a pose. Students in Figure Drawing II (VART 386) can build on the basic understanding of the structure of the human figure learned in Figure Drawing 1 and explore numerous ways to be more expressionistic and individualistic in one’s interpretation of the figure. Studying the figure is a life-long investigation! Students can continue studying drawing at the 400-level after completing VART 386. Please contact the drawing faculty for more information about more advanced drawing instruction.
