[DAB510-Users] Drawing, mark-making, and users

The activity I've chosen for my node is simply that of 'mark-making', or learning how to draw.

This is a very broad term and for the purposes of teaching and learning, I will term the activities themselves as 'mark-making', with the final product a 'drawing'. I feel like this distinction should be made at the offset, as 'drawing' as a verb has a sense of formality about it that oftentimes intimidates would-be participants in to thinking they have to produce a finished, formal piece, or emphasises polished skills. My node will be the opposite of that, encouraging experimentation with medium to equip users with a range of drawing skills.

Carolee Schneemann, Up To And Including Her Limits (1976), crayon on paper, rope and harness suspended from ceiling.
This photo for me encapsulates what mark-making is about; a physical recording of the body's movements and of ideas that go beyond just a static subject matter or landscape. That said though, the node will allow for beginners to express their mark-making through examining physical objects and landscapes but with those subjects as a means to an end, not the end itself.

I have just begun my minor in Visual Arts this semester, but have been drawing for as long as I can remember; my earliest memories include using my mum's lipstick to draw on the entirety of a mattress, and hiding under my grandpa's desk and doodling obscenities (such as butts and the like) on the underside of it with my brother when we were kids.

I am currently taking KVB110 - 2D Media and Processes, and I feel this course exemplifies what could be taught in my node. Although it is an introductory course, I still feel like I have learnt how to explore the extents and constraints of a medium despite having used it for years. This has allowed me to produce some interesting drawings with techniques I would never have even thought to use (or forgetten).

Flicked lines using a pen

Experimenting with lines using ink and Copic markers

Playing with perspective and distortion of a skull

As a result, I feel like drawing lessons as taught in the node would be suitable for beginners, amateurs, and the experienced alike. The location of the node means that once HSW is revitalised, a range of people will be able to use the space at different times of the day. These can include:

• Families on the weekend;
• People on their way home after work and needing some down time;
• Those in the Valley or New Farm's cultural precincts looking for an activity after dining out etc;
• Primary and high school students (All Hallows for example), and university students from QUT via Riverwalk or UQ via ferry.
• Exercisers or the general public using the Riverwalk or revitalised parkland.

Additionally, from DAB525, the Riverwalk feeding in to HSW acts as a very defined path along an edge and this makes anything at the end of it very much a landmark or destination, enticing more users to the space.

As I plan on having regular classes, the class size will be limited to about 5 users and 1 instructor, but outside of class times the space acts as a gallery open to the public to peruse.


In relation to unpacking the activity, there are multiple ways in which to draw. The 3 common methods include:

1. Drawing on a flat surface (usually a table)
2. Drawing on an angled surface - an easle
3. Drawing in a book or other substrate that is held or rested on your lap

 All three methods involve a substrate, a support for the substrate, seating, and of course drawing media. I will choose to explore option 1 for my design as this is the most common and ergonomic form for beginners to practice on.