In universities across Europe and North America, education is built around the simple concept of not necessarily just trying to impart as much wisdom in as brief a time span as possible, but teaching students how to think and learn for the long term. More valuable than all of this is the simple precept of requiring the student to learn how to ask the important questions related to their major. For example: The engineering student should be made not only to learn to calculate the physics involved in the structural aspects of their field, but to ask, "How can we build this thing better, stronger or faster?" -depending on the specialty of their focus. The Accounting student should be made to ask not only, "How much will this cost?" but also "Will this project (or business) be sustainable for the long term?" The Fine Art students, again, should be made to focus on and practice important questions as well, and get used to asking the questions, "Would you like fries with that?" and also, "Where do you want these 2X4's?"
Here are a couple of drawings from when I was living in Portland, Oregon and showing at the Blackfish Gallery. They were made using graphite powder and an eraser. You coat the heavyweight acid-free paper with graphite powder, and then start carving away the negative space. Very satisfying when you drag the eraser across the surface of the graphite, and on first pass it only burnishes, creating a reflection that can only be seen at an angle. Really fun and messy media, graphite powder. Thanks Geoff Barnes!
