Multi-figure planar composition as a tool for shaping design thinking among architecture students

Abstract

This article investigates the didactic potential of multi-figure planar composition as a summative assignment within an academic drawing course for students enrolled in architectural programmes. The author provides a methodological rationale for departing from the realistic illusion of three-dimensional space in favour of a conventionally symbolic and decorative pictorial solution – an approach that cultivates in prospective architects the competencies of planar organization, silhouette articulation, and compositional hierarchy, skills that are directly transferable to architectural design practice. A four-stage sequential methodology for preparing students to complete the summative assignment has been developed and empirically validated; the stages comprise: life drawing of the skeleton, an écorché study incorporating analysis of contrapposto, reconstruction of internal anatomical structure from external contours, and a series of life sketches integrating elements of stylisation. The article details the assessment criteria applied at each stage, identifies recurrent difficulties encountered by students, and describes the corresponding pedagogical interventions. The findings of a pedagogical experiment conducted with two second-year student cohorts (experimental and control) demonstrate that systematic acquisition of planar composition principles yields measurable improvements in the quality of summative works, irrespective of students’ baseline level of artistic aptitude. The study concludes that proficiency in compositional technique and analytical reasoning in creative practice constitute a more reliable and educationally equitable foundation than reliance upon individual artistic giftedness, particularly within curricula characterised by constrained instructional hours.