B.F.A. in Studio Art - Drawing

Undergraduate students can pursue study in drawing at Lamar University through the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with an emphasis in Studio Art and declaring a concentration in Drawing. 

Drawing
At Lamar University, drawing, as a foundational instructional component, unifies students’ studio experience in all areas of study in the department. At this level, drawing is implemented as a means to understanding the visual world and as the simplest method to organize visual ideas, connecting all other artistic mediums. As a concentration area, drawing is taught as a broadly defined medium, while emphasizing pictorial form in drawing as a finished expression.

For more than 50 years, the Lamar University Department of Art has maintained a commitment to a drawing curriculum based on the development of traditional skills through observational drawing and an understanding of human anatomy. Using a variety of media, courses include instruction in technical development, historical and contemporary issues, and the various possibilities of artistic exploration being conducted in contemporary drawing.

At Lamar, drawing serves as a foundational instructional component in all areas of study in the department, and emphasizes strong drawing skills in students of all concentrations. Observational drawing sharpens technical skills, perceptual skills, and critical judgment. By learning to translate three-dimensional form and space into two-dimensional imagery, students develop a relationship with drawing materials and gain an understanding of pictorial space applicable to all other two-dimensional media.  Art students also learn to implement drawing as a tool for planning and testing ideas, relatable to all other art media.

Lower division drawing courses expose students to key concepts of observational drawing. Upper division courses focus on the human figure as a means to further refine technical proficiency, as a vehicle for organizing pictorial space, and as an additional avenue for refining content. Advanced drawing classes expose students to the broad character of drawing in its contemporary context and encourage students to explore their own interests while developing a personal voice in their work and striving to create a body of related drawings. At Lamar University, students are strongly encouraged to explore drawing for its full potential.

The area is housed in two dedicated classrooms featuring a variety of still life objects, a collection of classical plaster casts, an anatomical skeleton, and two ecorches for the study of musculature. Lockers and flat-file storage are available for student materials and artwork. Upper division drawing majors are assigned space in the art building and ArtHouse as available. Drawing majors completing senior thesis are also assigned space in the Senior Thesis Room on an as needed basis.

The undergraduate drawing study experience culminates in Lamar’s distinctive senior thesis program involving a series of original works produced by each Bachelor of Fine Arts degree candidate, exhibited in the Dishman Art Museum, and defended by the student in a formal written thesis.