Grade 6 students at Tokyo International School withan RBR Art instructor. TOKYO INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
Tokyo International School (TIS) grade 6 students took part in a unique art seminar last month, which expanded their skills in the area of drawing. But this was no ordinary drawing session.
The five-day workshop called “Drawing from the Right Side of the Brain” is a unique way of looking at and learning drawing techniques. The course focuses on making the shift from the left side of the brain—which is involved with linear reasoning and language—to the right side, which controls spatial manipulation and artistic ability.
Students had the opportunity to create some impressive works of art, but it wasn’t an easy task.
Instructors had the grade 6 students on their toes all week, preparing them for the culminating assignment on Friday: a fully rendered realistic drawing.
On the first day, students did a series of activities to exercise both sides of the brain, focusing on illusion and relative scale. Teachers emphasized drawing without language, relying on the eye, and using the power of close observation.
During the week, teachers pointed out that many abstract artists who appeared to create art in a random way learned to draw realistically before making the transition into more abstract painting.
The course was presented by RBR Art in Tokyo.
— ANDY MCGOVERN
