STEINER’S FORM DRAWING

Rudolph Steiner, who generated the Waldorf School in 1919, was a firm believer in what he called form drawing.  As faithful readers know, these pages have advocated the drawing of holistic form since day 1.  Let’s look into the broad similarities.

Steiner’s concepts of form drawing were summarized in the book Form Drawing.  The book establishes a holistic, basic educational foundation for why and how students should draw in this manner. Steiner believed that humans should learn to draw before they learn to inscribe lingual characters.

According to Steiner, the teacher of the drawing of form, first, will experience “the germinating force, their stimulating, enlivening effect upon himself first of all.”  4  And all of this occurs just for the teacher.  This has a positive effect on the entire body.  Breathing is regulated.  Relaxation increases.  Flexible thinking is increased.  And the potential for fantasy is increased. 

“Rudolph Steiner indicates repeatedly that one should work to bring about in the child an ability to experience forms.  This sense for forms is the kernel of a new artistic experience; it is also the organ for a more lively understanding of nature forms.”  Niederhauser.  2. 

In Steiner’s system, the principals of form are the straight / radiating line, and the curved line.  The straight line is a manifestation of thinking. The curved line is an expression of the will. It is important to emphasize the dichotomy of the curved line and the straight line, so as to work between them. 

I have taken the liberty, and have included without permission, page 9 from Form Drawing.  (Hey, I bought the book.) These are examples of what Steiner said were fundamental.  Of course, they are what we call shapes.  I guess we would call this holistic shape drawing. But let’s not let that distinction stand in the way for our enthusiasm for the spirit and human motives of Steiner’s teachings.  (He was in Representational Spacetime; he is forgiven.)  

The point is that students who were lucky enough to have exposure to this teaching were given a wonderful experience.  They learned to draw holistically.  They perceived the motions of their body as they drew.  The drawing of these holistic shapes was super ordinate to the drawing of lingual symbols.   They were given the tools to draw with balance, harmony and feeling.  They developed their sense of will.

Form drawing strengthens us as humans.  The resolution, the proof, of form emotes a harmony within our being.  As a push against the hardening intellectual influences in our culture, we use these tools as a pathway towards beauty and truth.  16.  

Our kids had early exposure to the Waldorf methods at the Rose Garden School.  I am thrilled that I have been awakened to this fundamental tenant of Steiner’s systems. And it is very satisfying to complete this circle by including Steiner’s drawing system in Transparent Drawing.

1. Niederhauser, Rudolf and Margaret Frohlich.  Form Drawing.  Mercury Press, Chestnut Ridge, NY.  1984.

_____________________________________________________________

I was inspired by Steiner’s teachings for my drawing above. There is an all over connectivity, just like the Waldorf Form Drawings. I first established an underlying geometry that allowed for this mandala like construct. For my Form Generation, I employed Steiner’s straight / curved line dichotomy. The tones were me going beyond Steiner’s model.