An investigation of spatial strategy in observational drawing

The problem of pictorial representation - how it is that marks on a surface can stand for configurations in the real world - has vexed theorists for centuries but rarely has the problem been approached empirically. This dissertation describes an empirical investigation of the nature and consequences of cognitive strategies used by artists to establish spatial relationships in observational drawing. The main part of the investigation was a studio-based case study in which each of five experienced adult fine artists drew a different still-life scene and reported the process retrospectively. For four of the five cases, video recordings of drawing activity and audio recordings of verbal reports were analysed thematically to yield rich descriptions of spatial methods and strategies.