Here is what you will learn: 

•  Introduction to the transdisciplinary nature of science and art and preparing for the course
•  Learning the basics of drawing, sketching and 3D rendering
• Close observation (Lessons 1-5)

Ultimately, scientists and artists alike change the perception of the world around us.

I have taken an excerpt from my blog Can science and art co-exist?  below. 

Science and art as a transdiciplinary subject

Both scientists and artists alike try and communicate the way in which they see the world. The public has empathised particularly with the science of the natural world and the environment; plants, botany, animals, climate and the like, especially since David Attenborough first introduced his powerful series examining life on earth in the 1980’s.

This has in part been due to incredibly strong visual images, photography and dedication of the cameras and scientists behind these programmes. Who can forget the Iguanas and the snakes episode? (If you don’t know what I’m talking about -youtube it)

This course aims to introduce the idea that science, in order to be effective, needs the skills that art brings, to communicate and bring the discipline into the 21st century.

Science needs art

Jerome Kagan, an Emeritus professor at Harvard University and listed in one review as the 22^nd most eminent psychologist of the 20^thcentury, says that the arts contribute amazingly well to learning because they regularly combine the three major tools that the mind uses to acquire, store, and communicate knowledge: motor skills, perceptual representation, and language. http://Bazler, Judith, and Meta Van Sickle, eds. Cases on STEAM Education in Practice. IGI Global, 2017. .

A recent article in The Guardian (attached here) again describes how the simple communications of scientific ideas through art (starting in the 1600’s) can revolutionise and create a whole movement :https://franscienceart.com/2019/04/26/big-tick-energy-how-a-tiny-flea-created-a-revolution-in-british-art-art-and-design-the-guardian/

Let’s assume as a scientist you have gained two of the three major tools that the mind uses to acquire, store, and communicate knowledge: motor skills, and language, but what about perceptual representation?

Once you start to focus in on a topic and become so engrossed in it, it becomes difficult to communicate effectively what you are doing, especially if others are not on your journey or don’t have a basic understanding of your field . The capacity to get creative with our ideas and think outside the box can only do good for scientific advances. 

Does art need science?

Artistic and scientific skills should not be exclusive but embedded in every subject and whilst I have made a case for science to need art, does art need science?

I’m not talking about an artist going off and researching cancer, but instead gaining all the transferrable skills you get from being ‘scientific’. This means developments in observational skills, the objective assessment of what you see, constructing a strong argument, deduction, interpretation and understanding a subject until you ‘know it’ implicitly.  Historians do it, as do geographers, but those pure artists? Any good artist would say that some of those skills are ones that they excel in.

Aims and Objectives

1. How to analyse an object ; to use your senses of touch and feel to look at something from all angles in order to interpret its form , proportion and structure and gain as much understanding and information as possible
2. One of the other aims of this course is not only to be able to learn how to draw but also by mastering this new skill you will learn how to persevere
3. The final aim is to be able to comprehend the underlying structure of the heart and why it does what it does.

This will be achieved by:

1.  Learning the theories behind realistic drawing and   composition; rendering a 3 dimensional subject onto a 2 dimensional surface providing step by step instructions.
2. Listening to the accompanying audio with the drawing.
3. Completing the small tests to see how much you have learnt

The art in your heart kit: equipment and materials

Paper

Has to be hard and smooth.

Believe it or not I have found in my experience the paper can make a great deal of difference. I find that with drawing any good quality smooth watercolour paper (hot pressed),  is good for the paper that I like to use. In these instances Winsor & Newton 100lbs or Bristol board, such as Strathmore. Usually an A4 size is more than enough.  If you want to go for the sketchbooks there are some really lovely ones  such as the Stillman & Birn Zeta series.

Some of these might be outside your budget and I don’t think that it’s the be all and end all if you can’t get this paper however if you wanted to frame your work or present your work the quality of paper and the quality of your drawing can really be improved on better paper .

Pencils

When I was a kid I never knew what on earth any of the different pencil grades were . These range from 4H to 8B  and you will need them. Faber Castell 9000 series, Caran’d Aches, Mitsibushi Hi – Uni or Staedtler Mars Lumograph have some, but stick with one make as the hardness of the lead  can vary from make to make .

I have found that mechanical pencils are really good for line drawing with tiny leads (0.2-0.3mm)

Erasers

These are also essential. a putty eraser enables you to lift off graphite directly from the paper however I use a retractable Tombow mono zero, Which allows you to erase very small areas on your page

Sharperners

I like my pencil’s super sharp with an elongated lead, the tip then needs to be finely tuned so I use a Derwent sharpener with dual sharpening action and sometimes a scalpel and sandpaper to get that extra level.

Tracing paper

An odd thing I know and not an absolute necessity however it can be used to transfer any preparatory drawings or protect any work in progress, so that it doesn’t smudge

Magnifying glass

Unless you have the eyes of an eagle, the level of accuracy that is sometimes required, particularly if like me you have failing eyesight , magnifying glasses become essential. Clip on ones for your board or alternatively ones that you can actually wear on your face such as watchmaker’s glasses can take your work to another level

Work area

Being organised in science and in art is important. You have to be comfortable and you have to have your materials at hand. You need good lighting because you miss detail, and you end up getting headaches.

Be aware that when you sketch you may introduce a parallax error and therefore raising your work upwards towards you will minimise this effect, in addition, it’ll prevent back ache.

If you are right handed,  have your pencils and what not to the right hand side of you and if you’re left handed have your pencils and what not on the left hand side of you. This prevents crossover and coincidentally is a technique commonly used in cell culture hoods to prevent contamination .

Assessment Strategies

This course uses a number of assessment strategies to  help you achieve your goals. These include:

1. Drawing assignments
2. Quizzes
3. Active participation (peer feedback and uploading your work)

(see menu below for more detail)

Homework

Every week you will be given tasks to accomplish before you move on to the next lesson. It is recommended that you spend  a week undertaking this.

If you cannot complete the tasks within a recommended time don’t worry about it have a rest and come back to it when you can manage , however once the course has been launched, every week there will be forums and peer assessment that will be moderated for that week. This means that if you miss the deadline you will be unable to take part in that assessment and be able to comment on other people’s work and have your work commented upon.