Widening Participation in the Practice of Drawing

Abstract

This paper reports on a collaborative research project between members of the Royal College of Art’s Drawing and Dyslexia Discussion Group , representing the Royal College of Art, and the Faculty of Art and Design at the Swansea Metropolitan University. The study seeks to identify any relationship between dyslexia and the way dyslexic students draw. We offer a presentation illustrated with a video of students talking about their perceived drawing difficulties alongside students’ drawings as visual evidence of the presence of indicators of dyslexia. A taxonomy of such indicators is presented as a useful tool for the analysis of drawings. An example of an effective strategy for the teaching of life drawing is introduced, based upon the work of Sherrie Nist and Donna Mealey cited in Tilly Mortimore’s 2008 book Dyslexia and Learning Style 2 nd edition (page 113). Ultimately, the objective is to develop a strategy for the teaching of drawing which empowers the practice of all students – dyslexic and non-dyslexic – equally.