TEAMWORK STRATEGIES AND METHODS TO IMPROVE DRAWING SKILLS FOR STUDENTS  (CASE STUDY: UNIVERSITY OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM, TIMISOARA, INTERIOR DESIGN DEPARTMENT)

Iasmina Nicolau¹*, Anamaria Andreea Anghel ², Irina Mohora ³,
¹PhD, Politehnica University, Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism,Timisoara, ROMANIA, iasmina.nicolau@gmail.com
² Lect. Dr., Politehnica University, Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism,Timisoara, ROMANIA, anghelandreea@yahoo.com
³ PhD, Politehnica University, Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism,Timisoara, ROMANIA, irina.mohora89@gmail.com
*iasmina.nicolau@gmail.com

Abstract

The ability to draw and make fast sketches is very important in the design process. In the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism of the Politehnica University in Timisoara, before passing to computer aided design lessons, students learn, during the first year of study, how to represent correctly an architectural or interior design project, using hand drawing means and techniques. For this purpose in our faculty there are several hours dedicated to drawing lessons. These classes are meant to teach students how to transform the three dimensional space they see and perceive in reality, into two-dimensional images. Later on, this will help them make correct correlations between what they have in their imagination regarding a project and what they actually are able to put on paper. It is also important for the students to have the ability to represent a project by hand sketching because in this way they will not rely only on what the computer generates. They will have better representations of their projects in their minds using a few handmade sketches. In this way the designing process will take place before having to draw in detail at a certain scale. There are only three hours a week for these drawing classes during the first two semesters. Students start in the first year with different training levels in sketching abilities. Our aim is to teach all of them the required drawing skills they will need in their future profession. Diverse backgrounds and insufficient time do not allow us to reach the desired levels with all of the students. The paper presents an experimental approach through teamwork in order to determine the students to draw better, faster and more efficient, using various styles of representing an object or interior. One of the main results was that after just one experimental three hour lesson, their progress was visibly higher than in weeks of standard classes. Also the atmosphere during this experimental lesson was full of awareness and presence from the students. It turned out to be not just a technical gain in matters of drawing, but also a way to help the students know themselves better, interact with their colleagues and have a good time while learning. The fact that they do not have the same level in drawing skills and the idea that maybe some of them may not know enough when it comes to drawing or painting, vanished after the experiment, leaving each of them free to express their own style and learn from others. These are the reasons that encouraged us to further develop this teaching method based on teamwork. After having good results over the three experimental years, an improved version is now part of our regular drawing classes.

Keywords: teamwork, drawing, experimental teaching, design.