Undergraduate Course: Natural History Illustration (DESI08060)
Course Outline
| School | Edinburgh College of Art |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course will give an introduction to the visual interpretation of texts, themes and concepts relating to flora & fauna, habitats, and the natural environment. Possible sources of inspiration and reference for Illustration projects will be explored through various observational drawing trips and visits to Natural History Collections and landscapes surrounding the city of Edinburgh. |
| Course description |
This course explores the artist's relationship to the natural environment. In doing so, it examines both examples of art historical and contemporary approaches to Illustration. The course involves students creating resolved illustrations in response to a number of set briefs. Through a series of field trips and visits to relevant collections, students will be introduced to observational drawing and other methods of in-depth exploration of natural history motifs as a source for design inspiration.
During visits to the Royal Botanic Gardens, the Water of Leith and the National Museum of Scotland, students will study shape and form of plants and anatomy and behavior of animals. Through applying a variety of research methodologies students will form personal drawing collections that will serve as a basis to develop resolved Illustration projects with a clearly defined purpose.
This course is taught in a series of lectures, seminars and workshops that foster skills in drawing, sequential image-making, surface pattern design, interpretation of literature, museum and location study and field work. It also provides an introduction to relief printmaking and creative writing.
Through the practice of observational drawing and journal keeping, the projects set during the course will strengthen students visual vocabulary and support their development of a personal visual language. Assessed course outcomes will include surface pattern design, printmaking, digitally printed artefacts and book arts.
|
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Analyse relevant themes in Natural History through in-depth observational drawing and associated research.
- Develop practical Illustration skills and experimentation with a range of materials to plan your line of enquiry.
- Resolve imagery to an appropriate level of skill and finish by applying research and selecting suitable formats of presentation.
|
Reading List
K. Blossfeldt, WORKING COLLAGES, MIT Press 2001
T. O'Malley, THE ART OF NATURAL HISTORY: ILLUSTRATED TREATISES AND BOTANICAL PAINTINGS, Yale 2010
W.J. Strachan, HENRY MOORE, ANIMAL, Aurum Press 1983
L. Geddes-Brown, ANGIE LEWIN, PLANTS AND PLACES, Merrell 2010
|
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Research and enquiry:
Ability to carry out independent research into art, design and other fields of knowledge
Ability to develop imaginative projects on the basis of location-based investigation
Development of authorship through creative writing and sequential narrative projects
Personal and intellectual autonomy:
Be reflective practitioners
Be independent learners
Personal effectiveness:
The ability to plan, organize and manage their time
Communication:
Communicate verbally through presentation and the explanation of ideas.
Communicate in written form both formally and through sketchbooks.
Have interpersonal skills that allow peer review which is sensitive and useful.
|
| Keywords | Natural environment,flora & fauna,drawing,applied illustration |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Ms Astrid Jaekel
Tel: (0131 6)51 5732
Email: Astrid.Jaekel@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Karolina Mazur
Tel: (0131 6)51 5712
Email: Karolina.Mazur@ed.ac.uk |
|
|
University Homepage