Drawing Upon Art is a supplemental drawing workbook, whose roughly 400 assignments' address the fundamental, historic questions in Visual Art This workbook challenges students, with simple and direct exercises, to experience for themselves history's most advanced and creative visual art problems and developments.

As a supplemental workbook, Drawing Upon Art uniquely addresses the most pressing paradox that currently exists in every college' and university Art Appreciation and Introductory Art History classroom in the United States. Namely, the seminal visual principals, theories, and concepts in Art's history are still delivered solely through .the same' old, textual approach. This antiquated methodology remains to this very day, as distant, passive, and ineffectual as it was since its conception, After all,one cannot and should not' expect the major achievements of the visual arts to be fully understood, grasped or appreciated by any means other than a direct, hands-on approach.

Students Experience The Key Ideas And Concepts Of Art History For Themselves

Learning by doing... it's what this innovative workbook is all about! Correlated chapter by chapter with Gardner's Art through the Ages, Drawing upon Art engages students in fun~to­do drawing activities and other fascinating exercises that help them experience the concepts, they've read about in the textbook. Not intimidating and requiring-no. art skills, this workbook fosters state-of-the-art active learning through comprehensive assignments that address landmark achievements in art. Each activity in Drawing Upon Art focuses students on a single important art concept For example; students gain a deeper understanding of . impressionism from the exercise that asks them to draw and shade using only shapes arid tones~ They experience pointillism as they draw outdoor scenes using monochromatic dots of different values .' And they learn the importance of image from an. exercise that asks' them to cut out a picture that relies primarily on image: for appeal.

One can only truly understand and empathize with history's great visual tactile intellectual complexities by personally undertaking similar visual tactile/intellectual exercises and problems. Drawing Upon Art's various assignments are represented in the workbook in simple, contemporary terms and scenarios. In that way, I have modernized the subject matter - not the complexity - of the material so that it can appeal to a contemporary audience and sensibility.

Description

Drawing Upon Art is a supplemental drawing workbook, whose roughly 400 assignments address the fundamental, historic questions and problems in Visual Art.  It is designed specifically to bring students in direct contact with Art’s landmark

achievements.  Thus, Drawing Upon Art challenges students, with simple and direct exercises, to experience for themselves history’s most advanced and creative visual art problems and developments

As a supplemental workbook, Drawing Upon Art uniquely addresses the most pressing paradox that currently exists in every college and university Art Appreciation and Introductory Art History classroom in the United States.  Namely, the seminal visual principals, theories, and concepts in Art’s history are still delivered solely through the same old, textual approach.  This antiquated methodology remains to this very day, as distant, passive, and ineffectual as it was since its conception.  After all, one cannot and should not expect the major achievements of the visual arts to be fully understood, grasped or appreciated by any means other than a direct, hands-on approach. 

Today, what is needed is a new ‘experiential’ and ‘embodied’ alternative approach to the subject.  One that can immediately bring needed life back into the learning and comprehension of Art’s tremendous visual achievements.  Introductory Anatomy courses have supplemental workbooks; General Biology courses have supplemental workbooks; and English and Foreign Language courses have supplemental workbooks.  Why?  Because they are great and effective agents in the struggle to engage and illustrate difficult, ephemeral concepts.  And now, since it has been brought to your attention, doesn’t seem inconceivable that Introductory Visual Arts courses do not have a similar, practical, exercise workbook?  By not addressing this traditionally flawed, pedagogical oversight, Visual Art, Art History and Art Education instructors are at best distant conveyors of delightful phrases.  “One cannot begin to learn about an omelet without breaking a few eggs”, said Julia Child, the great cooking instructor.

About The Author

LG WILLIAMS is the Emma Hennings Distinguished Professor of Visual Art and Art History at D(D).DDDD University in Honolulu, Hawaii. He received his M.F.A from the University of California, Davis and B.A. from the Kansas City Art Institute. Williams also holds an honorary Ph.D. from ISSA, Cedar Rapids, IA. Williams has taught art, art history and art appreciation courses at the University of California-Davis, University of Southern California, California College of the Arts, and the University of Hawaii, to name a few. Author of many books and publications on art, art criticism, and poetry, Williams has appeared in Modern Painters, Juxtapoz, Artweek, Art Papers, Village Voice, San Francisco Chronicle, Honolulu Bulletin, Sacramento Bee, LA Weekly, Maui Weekly, SF Weekly, and The Bay Guardian. Williams's recent curatorial projects include Wally Hedrick's, War Room, at the San Francisco International Art Fair.

His most recent book, Drawing Upon Art: A Workbook for Gardner's Art Through the Ages (Cengage Publishing), was published January 2009.

LG Williams is also an established visual artist with an extensive national and international exhibition schedule. His works have been shown at various venues, among them the Lance Fung Gallery, Steven Wirtz Gallery, Gallery Subversive, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, di Rosa Art Preserve, and Lucerne Kuntzpanaorama. His artworks are featured in many important museums and private collections. According to Kenneth Baker, an art critic for the San Francisco Chronicle: "Williams wants to hold open a space in which painting might resume in earnest."

Three catalogue raisonées are devoted to the artist: Point of No Return: LG Williams, 2003-2005; LARGE: LG Williams, 2002-2003; and LG Williams: An Appreciation, 1985-2000. His most recent work is the House Where The Bottom Fell Out, Iao Valley, Maui; 2008. Williams has won many awards, among them, Award of Excellence by The State of California, was included in the 2005 Western Biennial, and honored by induction into the Rat Bastard Protective Association in 2001. His design firm, lgofbeverlyhills, has recently appeared in Modern Painters, Juxtapoz, Nylon, LA Weekly and The Encyclopædia Britannica.

More information about the author can be found at: www.lgwilliams.com