Recently I have been working with my in-studio students in a new way with far more success than a traditional demo: Instead of taking their brush or pencil and correcting their mistakes, or drawing/painting on the side or on my own work to show them what I see, instead I stand behind them while they work, and I narrate the process to them verbally while they do the drawing and painting, step by step. Its really quite incredible, we work very slowly as I tell them exactly what I am thinking when I make every decision. We talk about the plan for every mark, then they make the mark, and then we evaluate whether it was the mark we wanted to make. Its exhausting for both of us, but the students are showing such huge improvement so quickly, its really fun! They often exclaim afterwards that they are amazed at how much I pay attention and make specific decisions for every single mark. I never make a mark without a plan and a goal. I work fast though when I am drawing or painting, so when I demo for them they just see my hand moving and they dont realize my decision-making. In contrast, when I narrate to them while they work, I speak slowly and I wait for them to understand the plan for the next mark themselves, before they make the mark. I feel so many art students worry about speed. They want to be faster. But really, the speed does not matter at all, what matters is making informed, intentional decisions every time your hand touches the paper or canvas. Painting and drawing gets faster naturally, without ever trying to rush.
Posted on: Thu, 30 Oct 2014 18:49:46 +0000