As part of my ongoing research into how arts education can be delivered, and specifically how artists use different methods of teaching, I have decided to look at how artists use video both for entertainment value and for teaching. Although it is important to note that some of this research is not obviously content for the benefit of teaching someone 'how' to draw like them, the videos do show technique and how a drawing can be developed over time. Showing how a drawing is created is also a significant factor of how to learn to draw because you gradually pick up an understanding of how to develop detail in a piece, use perspective, line, tone and shape appropriately and also proportion. I believe learning through both exploration and watching others create work in their specialism go hand in hand because the sharing of ideas and technique can benefit the viewers personal skills, or even sparks the want to experiment for the first time. I have selected some artists that have a similar subject to my own, as well as others who opt to teach through video format, that are from different specialisms and subject matters to my own to get an understanding of the benefits of doing educational content this way, and if I can produce something similar in the next phase of my project that works alongside the worksheets I am producing on an ongoing basis.
LUKE ADAM HAWKER - Location based architectural drawer that works in pen an ink.
Hawker's work and process of documenting the creation of his pieces are the first example I intend to cover. As his work is almost exclusively location based, it requires a slightly different way of working. His subject light is consistently altering which requires his method of working to be more suggestive and built up over time. Hawker works with
pen and ink to build up wobbly, sketch-like lines which over time develop into his chosen architectural structure. Through his very short videos he speeds his process up in the form of a time-lapse to give the viewer a suggestion of his process. it gives the viewer an idea of how the drawing comes together when working in a sketchy and suggestive manner. I think it is quite interesting to see how other artists work because their starting point may not be similar to my own, which means I, as the viewer, can learn new methods of constructing a piece of work. One aspect of Hawker's process I took particular notice of during the videos is the use of very light, subtle pen guidelines in squares or rectangles. He then uses those same squares or rectangles to section them up to help with the perspective and general proportion of the building. This is somethingI have not seen before in other artist's work, where the construction of the drawing becomes vital to it's overall outcome. There are elements of how an architect would work within Hawker's process, which is something I admire.
Working outside, on-site is also a challenging method of working because of the ever changing variables. However, watching videos such as this, you value the importance of working on-site in certain situations. Often working from a photographic reference the subject can look flat and limiting. It can also limit you if you feel the angle of the subject is not right, or isn't benefitting from being at this angle. Working on-site can eliminate this and you can see the subject in person. This allows your work to be more informed, and often perspective and proportion is improved because of it. I like Hawker's short videos because it shows me the importance of working outside of the studio environment, and in a more general sense, how another artist constructs his architectural drawings.
Looking at Hawker's video content, his combination of short time-lapse videos, his intentions to do more educational content on the fundamentals of drawing, and his instagram shows how important video content can be to engage people in the arts. Learning through watching someone is an important way of acquiring skills and techniques that you can incorporate into your own work. Although Hawker's work across all of his social media platforms is quite short, it still gives the viewer a glimpse into what he does as an artist and how he does it while keeping it interesting. I find the use of extremely short videos very effective, however if I was a complete novice learning about drawing, I would prefer a longer, slower more educational approach to the videos. Although Hawker intends to do drawing fundamental videos in the near future, as shown on his social media account, I still believe the videos he has done previously provide a very interesting insight into his way of drawing buildings.
Ten Hundred - American Muralist/Artist/Designer
Ten Hundred (aka Peter Robinson) is an American artist who specialises in murals, graphic design, painting and drawing. All of his work is based around "bright, colorful, imaginative character work" (Hundred, 20) that he has developed over a decade of creating art. Although his work is very different to that of my subject matter, I think his approach of teaching others how to produce work like his and also getting participants to create art from their imagination is a really interesting aspect of his work. Having an online series of art classes to engage his audience, as well as having a Youtube channel, generates a desire to participate in learning about a similar artistic process. While his work is fun, bright, colourful and generally eye catching, I think his videos do show a great deal of educational elements as well. The ability to apply your work to different objects, surfaces, trying new medias while keeping focus on the core of his practice shows that you can educate others in a less formal manner than schooling, and do it successfully.
With Hundred's art classes, he has devised a 30 day class that takes you through drawing, p
ainting, developing a style, colour theory, mixing and using glazing affects. All of which are aspects that he uses in his own practice. Consolidating everything he knows into one art class series shows how learning online can be done, and be beneficial for both artist and participant. The artist is not teaching anything he does not know or do already in his own work, and the participant is gaining meaningful skills in understanding the fundamentals of painting, drawing, use of materials and colour theory in one series of videos. The content becomes manageable to learn for any age, while being visually engaging and something you can work on at your own pace. I believe that this is an important part of online learning because the ability to learn at your own pace is crucial to keeping participants engaged and generally understanding the subject matter at hand. Often in school environment, students are left behind when they may not understand the work they are being asked to do, or if the sessions are going too fast for them to keep up. Having online videos that cover a range of artistic areas eliminates being left behind.
Also, the use of a written curriculum plan to keep participants up to date with what they are learning throughout the 30 days is another aspect of the art class I really like. I think the idea you are working to a clear plan, with written description of each area of the course shows that the ed
ucational content has been well thought out and carefully considered. There is also space for feedback throughout, where you can receive written feedback about what you can improve on from your work directly from the artist themselves. I find this interaction a great method of talking to your community one to one while providing them with some personalised feedback that will benefit the creative development of each person who participates. Due to this personal feedback there are often limited spaces on online workshops and lessons such as this. However, the participants are receiving something similar to the content that would be available at an in person workshop or class, but from the comfort of their own home.
Looking at Ten Hundred's work and educational content has shown me that I could use educational videos to my advantage, if planned correctly. I can also use written content to supplement it well, as long as the written content explains in simple terms what each participant will receive through each session. One element I would really like to incorporate into my own educational platform is a way for myself to give feedback to my participants. I think this would generate an online community where those doing the work can upload their drawings and paintings to the site and I can comment on them and show where they can improve. One aspect online educational content lacks in is the artist to student interaction. Specifically, how an artist can help a student if they are struggling or if they need guidance on how to use a process or material. Having a way to discuss with the students about how they can improve, what they should do next or even to aid them with their choice of media would really benefit the success of an online learning platform because there would still be a person to person contact, while being able to do the work at home. Although for my project I see such interaction as a longer term goal, I think the use of video content would be very beneficial in showing people how to use mediums, technique and also fundamental skills. Along with the written content, the combination would create an in-depth body of resources that anyone could use at home to build on their skills, help them with the schooling or even to try something new. Having interactive content helps the overall success and general engagement of an artists practice and educational content that it is based around.
I intend to do further research on written, video and televised arts education to help develop my own throughout this project. It is my intention to begin exploring the realm of video very soon in the project, after I begin to incorporate image based tutorials into my resources. I think a gradual progression to video is needed because I need to have further insight into what to put into the videos to create meaningful, useful and engaging content. Overall, I am very pleased with this initial research and it is my aim to look at wider educational content throughout the project from this point on.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Battersea Power Station 2020 - Luke Adam Hawker. 2020. [video] Directed by L. Hawker. Youtube.
Hawker, L., 2020. ABOUT — Luke Adam Hawker. [online] Luke Adam Hawker. Available at: <https://www.lukeadamhawker.com/about> [Accessed 10 December 2020].
Hundred, T., 2020. Bio — Ten Hundred. [online] Ten Hundred. Available at: <https://www.tenhundredart.com/about> [Accessed 10 December 2020].
Monthly.com. 2020. Monthly - Online Classes | Commit To Your Creativity For 30 Days. [online] Available at: <https://monthly.com/ten-hundred-painting?ref=TEN-HUN&code=a> [Accessed 10 December 2020].
Comments