Les Ateliers
Graphics I First-Year Studio, Fall 2019
The first-year drawing class at Notre Dame is every undergraduate’s gateway into the world of architecture school. As a shared experience and an introduction to hand-created graphics, it has helped to shape hundreds of students that have passed through the program. For the incoming Class of 2025, the first dip into the pool of architecture will be led by Professor Giuseppe Mazzone. In this class, students will learn how to watercolor for the first time, a hallmark rendering technique of the school, or otherwise deepen their prowess in the medium. They will also learn the basics of sketching, one of the most crucial skills for an architect to have. Learning to see—and learning to put what is seen into a drawing—is a skill that many admire, but few have; under the tutelage of Professor Mazzone, pupils will develop this critical ability. Additionally, the students will attempt to master the new medium of graphite on Mylar: covering Mylar with graphite and erasing it to create the desired image in stunning contrast. Graphics I is a stepping stone between high school and university, between pure art and full-fledged design, and between natural talent and hard-won skills. As the new students take their first steps into the Walsh Family Hall of Architecture, they will have begun a paradigm shift into their new reality as architecture students at Notre Dame. Someday, their houses, buildings, and towers will dot the towns, cities, and skylines of the world. And it all begins with one drawing class, with one line of a pencil. Text by Michael Bursch
Stoa
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