Loosetooth.com: Library

I see all different types of drawings and reasons to draw. You can scribble an idea on a napkin. You could spend weeks on a photorealistic drawing. You can doodle while you're on the phone. You can support a paper or presentation with handdrawn illustrations. You get the idea. All of these drawings are fantastic.

I've been working on better ways to describe drawing and to demonstrate all the dimensions to it.

Years ago, I learned about Ken Wilber's Four Quadrant model. Please take a second to read my previous page about it. And if you have some time, here's a great presentation about it, closer to the source. As my ideas percolated, I thought about using this model as an overlay to my ideas about drawing.

First, here's a more colorful version of the model:

Next, I added these labels:

Here's examples of what I mean:

Here is drawing to work out your ideas. Getting your ideas, thoughts, feelings out of your head and onto paper. These drawings are personal, they don't have to be for anyone but you. These images can be fast, messy, temporary.

This is observing and making a drawing look like the object or subject you're drawing. I.e. The zebra that looks like a zebra. Even within that objective, there's a million styles, ways to draw that zebra. If you want to share your zebra, please go here.

These are drawings you create to speak to a specific audience. You are crafting a message to share. Often because these images are conveying something specific, they need to be more refined. Get your point across.

This is about bringing your drawing skills to a group to serve their work. This is where graphic facilitation lives. This is about using paper, post-it notes, markers to do better work because you can visualize what you're doing. The group can all be on the same page. These are works in progress, in process.

Because I'm a huge fan of iteration, here's a more detailed drawing of these ideas:

As I noted in the SEE quadrant above, many folks think that drawing to represent is the only drawing that matters. The only drawing that is "right" or "correct." It is 25% of the picture. I think there is loads of value to developing the SEE skills of drawing an object accurately. Through this work you observe the world differently, develop great strengths between your hands, brain and eyes. AND you can do fantastic drawings in the THINK, SHOW and DO spaces too. I hope this model will widen your horizons about drawing.

This site will hold more resources about all of four quadrants. I'll admit, my passions about drawing are the THINK and DO quarters.

If you want to get your hands on this model, here's a paper toy.

p.s. You'll see The Draw Quad in my book, The Idea Shapers: The power of putting your thinking into your own hands. The cover is yellow because this book focused on drawing to THINK. My first book, The Graphic Facilitator's Guide: How to use your listening, thinking and drawing skills to make meaning, is all about drawing to DO.