But sir, I can't draw... only imagine by TimC

BUT SIR, I CAN’T DRAW... ONLY IMAGINE WORDS, PICTURES AND DESIGN BY TIM CHILMAN

FOREWORD ut sir, I can’t draw!” I don’t know how many times I’ve heard that called out in my classroom over the years but quite a few, that’s for certain. I’ve taught art in secondary schools for 10 years now and have found it challenging, rewarding, thrilling, tiring and frustrating in equal measures. Truth be told, often my heart will sink when I hear those words, “I can’t draw” said with despair and utter frustration, knowing that some children have a real mental block to drawing. Often I will need to call upon my deep reserves of patience... to persevere to the end, the journey fraught with hurdles, falls and yes, moments of quiet satisfaction. Teaching children how to draw from still life is a lot easier than instilling in them an independent approach to work and sense of resilience and certainly a lot quicker! But often I would see it as an opportunity to begin a discussion on the true meaning of art... as diicult as this may be with a Year 8 class of 32 on a Wednesday 3

BUT SIR, I CAN’T DRAW... ONLY IMAGINE

afternoon! For the role of the art teacher is not to just teach children how to draw well, although I do put a high importance on this but more to set minds free, to ire up the imagination and encourage children about the value of making mistakes in their work. It was the American cartoonist Scott Adams who said “Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.” When children are making mistakes you know then that true learning is taking place, that they are starting out on (hopefully) a life long journey of thinking outside the box, trying to be diferent, of being truly creative. Don’t get me wrong, of course teaching children to draw better has always been rewarding. Children generally enjoy art and they want to see a result that looks good to them, something they can feel proud of, so I have always tried my best to improve their skill in this area. But when I think back over the years (I’m a mere 41 as a write this), my fondest memories have been of those students who did ind it hard to ‘draw well’ or get the best grades. These are the students that as a teacher I have perhaps helped the most, encouraging them to free their minds, to make their work personal, praising them for each little step forward, nagged to try again, celebrated with them over each success and seen their imaginations surprise and delight both themselves and me with their artwork. Educators have long-held up the belief that the imagination is important in a 5

BUT SIR, I CAN’T DRAW... ONLY IMAGINE

child’s development, arguing for a school curriculum that provides more creative opportunities. Perhaps most notably, it was Brenda Ueland, the American journalist, writer and educator who believed that “everyone is talented, original, and has something important to say.” What an uplifting an empowering thought! Let every child in every classroom be told this, to discover their own voice, encouraging them to ind joy in their artwork through their imaginations. Or as Ueland puts it rather aptly “The imagination needs moodling – long, ineicient, happy idling, dawdling and puttering.” I kind of know what she means by this – for children to express themselves in their art, they need to be given opportunities to explore materials, develop their ideas and imagine! In fact, whilst listening to Radio 4’s ‘Desert Island Discs’ recently, the children’s writer David Almond, author of the award-winning ‘Skellig’, expressed a similar sentiment, urging our Schools to have time in the curriculum to allow pupils to be creative. Once a teacher himself in secondary schools, he spoke of how “creativity and imagination are central to us all.” Indeed, I whole-heartedly agree with this. As a father of two small boys, I delight in their ability to see a stick on a walk in the woods as a sword to ight a dragon, a stone turns into a magic crystal, an old tree trunk becomes a castle. The world around them is full of continual discovery and adventure. So too, with their pictures, 7

BUT SIR, I CAN’T DRAW... ONLY IMAGINE

they have that same approach of fun and abandonment – the imagination literally explodes and anything is possible! Whatever happens to that sense of fun and selfexpression when we grow up? We start to worry about how good we are at drawing, that’s what. Pah! As soon as this happens then we have lost that artist who tries to see the world diferently to everyone else. Let’s teach children to ind their own voice in their art and ind pleasure in this. A child can always learn how to draw but not all adults can be creative if they haven’t been taught this from an early age. To quote the late, great Picasso, “It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.” So then it is with the imagination in mind that I have put together this book. What follows is a look at some of my favourite artists, designers and illustrators who I have over the years used in my lessons to inspire, to help children develop their ideas with more imagination. Some of them, like Picasso, are excellent at drawing, but have chosen to look at objects in a diferent way, making us re-consider the world around us. Some, like Henri Rousseau, who was ridiculed by many an artist in his day for painting like a child, have achieved recognition because of how they use colour. In fact, it is often this child like, playful approach to their work that often lifts many an artist above their contemporaries. However, all the artists, designers or illustrators have one thing in common – they all endeavour to use their imagination, 9

BUT SIR, I CAN’T DRAW... ONLY IMAGINE

to make their art uniquely personal. To quote one great mind, Albert Einstein, “Logic will get you from A-Z, imagination will get you everywhere.” How true this is! I’d like to think that every child in my classroom who thinks they can’t draw, can adopt this approach. So it is with each illustration for this book, that I have tried to use my imagination, to have fun whilst trying to pay homage to someone who has inspired me (and hopefully others). Sometimes, like the child who calls out for help, professing their inability to ‘draw’ with pencil in hand, I have drawn with wobbly lines, choosing instead to communicate an idea by exploring (and having fun with) lines, shapes, colours, patterns and textures. Each illustration has been approached with a sense of fun, a spirit of playfulness, a desire for honesty and a love for expressing an idea which I hope comes through. If nothing else, I hope you will be inspired to pick up a pencil, pen, iPad (as does David Hockney these days) or mouse and to start imagining. The journey you will embark on is endless and thrilling, so buckle up, hold on tight and allow it to take you anywhere and everywhere. You’re in the driving seat, you can go where ever you want...

BUT SIR, I CAN’T DRAW... ONLY IMAGINE

ell me what you think is happening in this painting?” This is a question I always begin with when introducing a new class of year 7 pupils to Henri Rousseau’s ‘Tiger in a Tropical Storm’. The painting was the irst of the self taught painter’s much loved jungle scenes and never fails to draw children in, to fascinate them. The painting depicts a tiger crouching, partly hidden by long wavy grass and a lush, thick jungle behind it, about to pounce on its’ prey which is not shown so it is left to our imagination as to what it might be. Some poor animal or a group of hunters? Lightning lashes in the distance adding to the drama. There is something about Rousseau that appeals to children. He was a tax collector by day and painted in his spare time, inspired by the parks, zoos and gardens of Paris. His work was much derided in his time by ‘proper’ artists because of its’ childlike naivety but maybe it is because of this and his incredible imagination, his paintings have continued to fascinate and inspire. Henri Rousseau Self Taught Painter Henri painted in his spare time for his own enjoyment. Ridiculed by the artists of the day for his childlike style, he painted stunning scenes of the jungle full of vibrant colour and wonder. “Nothing makes me so happy as to observe nature and to paint what I see.”

BUT SIR, I CAN’T DRAW... ONLY IMAGINE

ike many of my favourite designers, I irst came across Saul Bass whilst at college, discovering his ilm posters for Alfred Hitchcock and Otto Preminger. Wow! I loved his hand drawn lettering, combined with his simple, distinctive illustration style which always seemed to convey the tension, mood and basic plot of the ilm. Bass said “Design is thinking made visual” and this comes across in all his work. His graphics aren’t just there to ‘look pretty’ (although they do always look beautiful) but you can always see the thought behind them. Saul Bass always used his imagination in his work, which, particularly in ilm, always showed a masterful visual wit – always edgy and arresting, drawing you in. It’s a testament to how great his work was that still today, with so much design out there for us to feast on and enjoy, that his style is relevant, cool and continuing to inspire. Today’s design students still have much to learn from him.

Saul Bass Graphic Designer Saul Bass created some of the most iconic graphics of the last century. He applied his distinctive, instantly recognisable style to logos, ilm posters and most notably ilm title sequences. “Interesting things happen when the creative impulse is cultivated with curiosity, freedom and intensity.”

BUT SIR, I CAN’T DRAW... ONLY IMAGINE

y first introduction to art was with superhero comics. I would walk to the local shop every week with my pocket money to buy my copy of Superman or Batman. I would imagine myself in the stories, playing them out with my brother and even then I would marvel at the sophistication of the artwork, the vibrant colours, the details, the ability to create whole worlds. Comics have always been a great way in for kids to enjoy art – they are perhaps the most imaginative and in a sense real expression of art there is. We all connect with comics in some way, be it in comic books, daily broadsheets or weekend magazine supplements – they communicate every human drama, emotion or fantasy. It’s no wonder that Pop art, which drew its’ inspiration partly from comic strips, was the irst art form to really capture the public’s imagination – everyone immediately understood its’ themes, directness and familiarity.

Joe Shuster Cartoonist Along with writer Jerry Siegel, it was Shuster who created the character of Superman in 1938 for DC Comics. Tight deadlines meant that he had to capture facial expressions and action with a few simple lines, yet his comic strips jump of the page with fun, drama and energy.

“

InSTEAD OF TRYIng

TO REPRODUCE ExACTLY WHAT I SEE BEFORE mE,

I mAkE mORE ARBITRARY USE OF COLOUR TO ExPRESS mYSELF mORE FORCEFULLY. VINCENT VAN GOGH

”

BUT SIR, I CAN’T DRAW... ONLY IMAGINE

or me, Eric Carle has been a constant inspiration. Like many, I irst fell in love with his work reading ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ irst published in 1969. Drawn in by its’ simple yet heart-warming narrative, there was page after page of the most wonderful and distinctive illustrations. His pictures spoke to me then because of their bright colours and textures and familiarity. now they appear child-like yet also sophisticated in their style and imagination. I love the sense of fun and playfulness in Carle’s work which is why I think children continue to enjoy his books to this day. Carle also educates young children; his words and pictures relect the natural world and he aims to educate – eloquently and with imagination. Clearly, many others have also grown up loving Eric Carle’s books and pictures – you see his style inluencing many illustrators, animators and designers today. Whatever your age, cutting up bits of paper and making diferent textures with your paintbrush is fun – the creative possibilities are endless. Eric Carle Chidren’s Writer and Illustrator Using collage techniques, Carle layers up brightly coloured hand painted papers to create his instantly much loved and recognisable style. The inspiration behind his stories comes from his love of knowledge of the natural world.

BUT SIR, I CAN’T DRAW... ONLY IMAGINE

f you can dream it, you can do it. Always remember that this whole thing was started with a dream and a mouse.” This is a typical of Walt Disney. He liked to dream. He was an ideas man. I’ve always been aware of Walt Disney’s characters – growing up and still today, mickey mouse, Donald Duck, goofy to name some of his more popular creations are everywhere. Whatever my thoughts on Disney, his dreams, his legacy has touched the lives of millions and caught the imagination of young and old alike. I suppose I can’t help but like and admire the guy and his work for what he has done in animation... mickey mouse and Snow White heralded the golden age of animation in the 1930s and he was deinitely an inspiration to many a cartoonist, illustrator and animator afterwards. It’s funny sometimes... I’d often show ‘this’ artist or ‘that’ painter to a class, but given the choice, so many would choose to look at a Disney character for inspiration. Interestingly enough, it was mickey mouse that Roy Lichtenstein, the much loved painter of comic strips, chose to look at for his irst steps into the world of Pop Art. Walt Disney Animator and Entrepreneur “Mickey Mouse popped out of my mind onto a drawing pad 20 years ago on a train ride from Manhattan to Hollywood.”

“

EvERY CHILD IS An ARTIST.

THE PROBLEm IS

HOW TO REmAIn An ARTIST OnCE WE gROW UP. PABLO PICASSO

”

BUT SIR, I CAN’T DRAW... ONLY IMAGINE

was first introduced to the work of Herb Lubalin whilst at college by one of my tutors. This was during the early nineties when a lot of graphic design seemed to be gimmicky, making use of the new technologies of the day. His work spoke to me and I fell in love with how he made (in his own words) type talk and he would make it the most important part of the design, turning letters and words into images which jumped of the page with their boldness and visual wit. His skill was in communicating an idea with lair, imagination and elegance, often with tightly itting letterforms, creating typographic designs with impact and inluencing the design of the day. He worked across many disciplines but is most well regarded for his work in poster and magazine design, packaging and brand identity. His work is timeless and it’s no wonder that he has inspired a new generation of designers who seek to talk with type.

Herb Lubalin Typographer and Art Director Herb Lubalin was great as he paved the way for expressive typography in design. He was able to communicate an idea in his design with wit, imagination and potency. Above all, he believed that type should be the central element to his work. In the words of the quiet man, “Let’s talk type, let type talk.”

BUT SIR, I CAN’T DRAW... ONLY IMAGINE

andinsky loved shapes - circles, semi circles, squares, rectangles, ovals, triangles, irregular shapes; he used them all to help show what he was feeling in his art. Using shapes provide children with endless creative opportunities, allowing them to develop and explore their ideas. Children who ind it hard to draw can be given templates to draw around to begin with – this soon gives them the conidence to experiment and shapes can be moved around until they feel happy with their composition. I will then ask them to use their imagination to add an irregular shape. Like kandinsky, they can then add a bold, wavy line; a vibrant splash of colour; a lurry of dots or random marks. They can listen to music, developing their work in a much more honest, expressive and personal way – shapes and marks can be used to represent musical rhythms, beats and moods in this way. Working like this always leads to the responses being varied, meaningful and personal. Wassily Kandinsky Abstract Painter Some of Kandinsky’s best known works show compositions made up from geometric forms – circles, half circles, triangles, squares and an assortment of lines and colours to represent the music he was hearing and loved.

THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO SAM AND ALEX... WHO LIKE TO IMAGINE.