History of Drawing by Cole Mullins

Pre-historic

30,000 BCE

The earliest forms of human art were drawn on cave walls an scratched, carved , or painted onto different tools/items. This is our oldest account of our ancestors.

Ancient Egypt

3000 BCE

The Egyptians carved and decorated walls of temples and tombs with scenes that depicted there daily lives. Hieroglyphics and the many religious gods (polytheist) were also drawn on these walls. A flat, linear style was mostly used and drawing could sometimes be found on papyrus (a paper-like material from the Nile)

Ancient Greece

800 BCE

The Greeks used drawing as a way to show off scenes of battles and
myths (supernatural stories of past ancestors). They had a focus on artifacts that have lasted to this day.

Middle Ages

400

A period of European history where art was used to express religion (the Bible). The use of tablets and canvas began and artists started to use model books to store ideas and images.

Renaissance

1300

A period in Europe of artistic, political, and economic rebirth following the Middle Ages. Artists began to create realistic depictions of the world. New methods of drawing, like chalk and charcoal, began as they allowed artists to have a bigger variety of effects and textures.

Baroque Period

1600

A period that introduced a new style of drawing that was more lively and stayed away from straight lines, focusing on flowing lines. The use of water color and ink washes also started during this time. During this period, the Counter-Reformation saw new techniques such as open composition and access to sketch books (allowing artists to get more accurate depictions).

Rococo Period

1730

The "Late Baroque" period of art that focused on the use of
draw ing that combines asymmetry, curves, white and pastel colors, and sculpted molding. These new styles are were used to create illusions of motion, drama, and surprises.

Impressionism

1860

An art movement that focused on the visual impression of the moment. It focused on capturing a feeling instead of an accurate depiction of what was being drawn. Some aspects included open composition, thin yet visible brush strokes, and accurate depiction of light, etc.

Fauvism

1905

A style of drawing and painting that uses vivid expression and details. It also uses bright and strong colors that bring out specific details in the art. It focused on being dramatic and vibrant over realistic (like Impressionism).

Cubism

1907

This was an art movement that moved away from a single perspective to a three-dimensional one. It focused on the use of simple geometric shapes and interlocking plaines to create abstract pieces.