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Alex Ancona Instructor: Malcolm Campbell English 1103 September 16,12 Could technology bring about the Death of Drawing or spark another Renaissance in the Artistic World? Introduction/Overview With technology today, capturing a picturesque scene of a natural landscape or the street markets of a European village is as easy as pressing a button. Cameras have allowed any average Joe to have a chance at taking the money shot. Pictures are available to everyone of almost anything because of the vast resources of the Internet. But what about the old days when cameras had to be set up for hours and the photographs were small (not to mention black and white)Not exactly for the on-the-go lifestyle of today. Artist would sit under the shade of a tree or in the middle of an open field and simply sketch. Their sketchbooks became like the memory cards of cameras, their drawings the photos, holding details among details that are all too important to sacrifice. With developments in technology, the world of art is rapidly changing. Programs allow the user to tweak and change any little piece of their work that pleases them. Now a days it seems more paintings come of printers than easels. I will be examining how the advances in digital technology have affected the way that the traditions of drawing and painting have changed and the overall skill and talent of people. An article that originally led me to thinking about this topic was one that I received in an Architecture course that highly revolves around drawing skills. Published in the New York

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Times, Architecture and the Lost Art of Drawing discussed how technology and the use of computer programs are to blame for the overall decrease in use of hand drawings. I was curious then to see if technology has increased or decreased our creative capacity as people. With such vast amounts and such great diversity in media available to almost anyone, the sources of inspiration are endless. But is it possible that some are only using a computers brain instead of their own to create? Initial Inquiry Question How has the development of technology had an affect on drawing and painting, and what are the effects on the artistic skill of people? My Interest in this Topic This topic is interesting to me because I am studying to become an Architect. Going through books and watching short documentaries I have seen various clips and images of the spectacular architectural drawings of famous Architects, such as Louis Sullivan and even Frank Lloyd Wright. Their lines are crisp and defined, drawing depicting more than just a building, but life and living, moving space as well. But surrounded by students who have taken nothing but drafting and CAD (computer aided design) courses it often leads me to wonder when drawing was ever going to cross their mind. How else can you instantaneously show a client or an business partner an idea? What other way is there to remember a great idea you have, even if it is on the back of a napkin? Drawing is one of the foundations of architecture and it is essential. Sometimes I am even a little worried when my fellow classmates stare in disbelief at sketches and drawings in my sketchbook (sure I can draw, but work a computer program, no way). We should all be able to describe our visions with the line, to draw them and feel them transform into 3D space on a paper. It is important to me because painting and drawing have been an important

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part of my education and it is a skill that must be mastered to be an Architect. Furthermore, more and more am I seeing glossy sheets of freshly printed paper hanging on studio walls. I can see the effects of fancy computer programs decreasing the amount of drawing people do and I wonder does it also affect our creativity. Louis Sullivan got his great ideas from being in the natural world and sketching. Does doing everything on a computer limit the contact we have with possible sources of inspiration or are there endless ideas waiting at the end of every hyperlink? I hope to learn what the effects of technology are on the drawing skills of artists and are we more creative with the use of aiding technology or without. Next Steps To find information about this I will start with searching for articles in various newspapers and databases for various views and opinions on the topic. I will also reread a book assigned over the summer to me about drawing and design to look for information about drawings importance. Another step I can take is to talk with my Architecture professors and ask how they feel technology has shaped the creative world, specifically in Architecture maybe.