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The earliest known drawings date back to 30,000-10,000 BCE, and were found on cave walls of Altamira, Spain and Lascaux, France, northern Spain and southern France.
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Early Egyptians also decorated the walls of their temples and tombs by carving scenes of daily life, hieroglyphics, and religious deities, or gods, as early as 3,000 BC.
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The vases and pottery that were drawn or painted on by Ancient Greeks exhibit their graceful, decorative use of drawing. The Greeks use drawing to depict scenes of battles and myths.
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Throughout the Middle Ages (400-1400 CE), drawings were produced primarily to express religious messages and stories of the Bible. Monks used drawing and painting to illustrate Bibles and prayer books for royal and wealthy families.
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In Italy, drawing became recognized as a respectable art form because of the rise of the use of paper. Drawing became the foundation of all art work; art students were trained in drawing before their training in other forms of art—painting, sculpture, or architecture. At this time, drawing also became important to
scientists to record their learning about the physical world. Artists and scientists became increasingly concerned with creating realistic depictions of the natural world. -
While Renaissance artists, like Bosch and van Eyck, used pen and ink to create drawings, new methods of using softer materials—like chalk and charcoal—were being increasingly used by artists such as Michelangelo and da Vinci. These softer materials allowed for a greater variety of effects and textures.
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During the Renaissance, art became more popular and
affordable because of the availability of materials. At this
time, portraiture became popular household items among
wealthy families. By the commercial value of artwork, artists
started earning more money through their pieces sold on
commission. As a means to advertise their own work, artists
began placing their personal monograms on their work. -
During the 1600’s and 1700’s, the Baroque period introduced a new style of drawing that included livelier forms with flowing lines. During this time, artists also began using water color and ink washes.
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Pencils were first manufactured early in the 1800’s and quickly became the most preferred drawing tools.
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A bold move away from traditional scenes led artists to begin questioning traditional academic training and paved the way for an expansion of the definition of drawing. This led to various art movements such as Impressionism, Cubism, Expressionism, Fauvism, and other great movements. However, while all western art forms of drawing expand and incorporate new ideas, the purpose of art is to express oneself through the commonly shared world language of drawing.
