KNOWLEDGE AND EMOTION

Why do we draw?

I say in these pages that we should draw for knowledge, rather than emotion. But what, exactly, do I mean by that? What do I mean when I say that we draw for emotion? Is drawing really either knowledge or emotion? Have I introduced a binary, a dichotomy? Is drawing for knowledge really a new way to look at this? And is knowledge indeed the prime focus of Transparent Drawing?

To help get at this question, I took a look at a primary, fundamental, drawing book that we all know and love. In Nicolaide’s Naural Way To Draw, what do they say about knowledge or emotion?

“The knowledge – what is to be known about art – is common property. It is in many books.” p xiii.

“Through constant effort, patient groping, bit by bit, certain rules have been established relating to the technique of picture making. These rules are the result of man’s ability to relate the laws of balance, which he has found in nature, to the business of making a picture.” p xiv.

These quotes are taken from the Introduction, the How To Use This Book section, and the beginning of Section 1. Taken together, the intent of Nicolaide’s book is the making of pretty pictures. And that, to me, means that the intent is the conveyance of emotion.

The author’s use of the word “knowledge” is the knowledge of art, not the knowledge of objects. Or the knowledge of landscapes. Or the knowledge of a three dimensional form. You are subtly directed to draw to make emotion, to make a picture. If you don’t believe me, pull your copy of Nicolaides off the shelf, open it to the first pages, and tell me if you disagree with my summary of the intent of the book.

There is an absolutely huge difference in drawing to make a pretty picture and drawing for knowledge. Don’t get me wrong. If your intent is to make a picture when you draw, that’s great. It is just that there is a deeper, more holistic purpose to draw. And that is knowledge.  I have said that Transparent Drawing is for problem solvers, and that remains true. However, might this also be interesting to anyone who does not want to draw pretty pictures anymore? Might this be interesting to anyone who wants to draw on a deeper, more holistic, less superficial level?  What if, suddenly, you say to yourself, I don’t care about making pictures anymore.  Instead, I want to seek knowledge!

What if, from kindergarten, we were conditioned to draw transparently for knowledge, rather than representationally for emotion?

1.  Nicolaides, Kimon. The Natural Way To Draw. Boston; Houghton Mifflin Company, 1969.