Visual Arts- Ray Vargas

Relationship Skills + Stereotypes

Visual Arts - Ray Vargas

Drawing as Language

drawing, age 10

"Drawing, a spontaneous uncoded language, provides a medium for articulation and expression. While the verbal codes of literacy are being internalized, drawing is the primary medium for all language values except practical communication, in other words for expressing subtle and complex perceptions, thoughts and feelings."

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-Bob Steele

Associate Professor (Emeritus)

University of British Columbia

Drawing Warm-up

Draw a wavy line:

Drawing Warm-up

Draw line parallel to your wavy line:

Drawing is a form of meditation

• It requires presence and stillness and concentration

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Drawing Warm-up

Draw a spiral:

Drawing is a form of meditation

• It requires presence and stillness and concentration

Drawing is a practice in connecting with your feelings and overcoming fear

• Your marks communicate your inner emotional state

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Drawing Warm-up

Draw some circles:

Drawing Warm-up

Draw some circles:

Drawing Warm-up

Draw a Pokemon:

Drawing Warm-up

Draw a Pokemon:

Drawing is a form of meditation

• It requires presence and stillness and concentration

Drawing is a practice in connecting with your feelings and overcoming fear

• Your marks communicate your inner emotional state

Drawing teaches how to break down complex forms into simple elements

• It helps develop the ability to process abstract concepts like culture, identity, and emotions by translating them into visual symbols and metaphors

Drawing Exercise

Draw:

• a Tree

Drawing Exercise

Draw:

• a Tree
• a Human eye

Drawing Exercise

Draw:

• a Tree

Drawing Exercise

Draw:

• a Human eye

Drawing Exercise

Draw:

• a Human eye

Drawing + Language Teaching (Analytical)

Visual Perception

• matching similar objects, copying shapes, handwriting, and organization of mathematical problems

Hand-Eye Coordination

• practice in using the eyes to accurately guide the movements of the hands is a benefit in sports, handwriting, reading, and other life skills

Memory

• Researchers from the University of Waterloo found that even if people weren't good at it, drawing, as a method to help retain new information, was better than re-writing notes, visualization exercises or passively looking at images

source: Tanja Mcllroy, Empowered Parents

drawing, age 10

Drawing Exercise

Draw:

• a Tree
• a Human eye
• Anxiety

Drawing Exercise

Draw:

• a Tree
• a Human eye
• Anxiety
• Sleepiness

Drawing + Language Teaching (Experiential)

Cognitive Development

• forms neural connectors which help “wire” the brain for deep thinking, such as pattern recognition, symbolism, and mental representation

Healthy Emotional Release

• Through drawing, students can work through the emotional problems of daily living, feeling more in control of emotional issues

Communication and Expression

• Through their drawings, children have occasions to experience word/image connections and activate both their imagination and storytelling ability

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source: Tanja Mcllroy, Empowered Parents

"When combined with reading, writing, speaking and listening, art can open doors for high levels of analysis and also challenge students to explore themselves and their surroundings and thus find avenues for sophisticated comprehension and communication."

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-Guy R. Lefrancois

Psychology for Teaching

Wadsworth Publishing

Which image feels like a dream? Why?

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Which version feels like the setting for a spooky story? Why?

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If describing the shadows in each image, would you use the same descriptive terms? Why or why not? What would those terms be?