This is an expansive and fascinating topic, containing many inherent subtleties which may need to be more clearly constrained if pedagogically applicable approaches are to result.

The modern differentiation between Art and Design , or the various schools of visual art, graphic design, fine art, textiles, sculpture, etc. are, to a large extent, artificial and have been  primarily shaped by the methods of training and production, resulting in a somewhat artificial specialisation. Evidence suggests that this situation dates back before the Renaissance, developing  perhaps from the protective practices of the ancient guilds. In the ancient world, while the concepts made manifest by art were highly venerated, the artisans who realised such works were frequently despised, and of low social status, and their employment precarious. These visual arts areas are underpinned by a common exploratory approach; observation of, and experimentation with the material world, which is, in turn scaffolded by a problem-solving cognitive framework. When this process results from a attempts to solve a practical problem, or is intended for use in a social setting it might be seen as design, when the exercise is carried out for its own sake or for the benefit the knowledge of a sole practitioner, then perhaps it might be thought of as fine art.  Both approaches are typified by the exploration of technique and media, deployed in a problem-solving methodology. This methodology integrates practice-as-research, theoretical contextual knowledge and critical thinking in a complex cyclic web. This web is powered and guided by the key elements of contextual awareness and formative and summative critical evaluation. For many practitioners this process is applied almost intuitively, but it can be schematised, communicated and learned. For a visualised outline of its complexity I’d recommend Smith and Dean’s Iterative Cyclic Web graphic.* It is this complex, reactive methodology that leaves the uninitiated wondering how results are ever achieved. Having established these considerations we might look at the question anew and ask how can these areas ever be viewed as discrete and separate? The problem-solving process is common, and whilst media differ, the methods of research and synthesis are largely the same, regardless of whether it is applied to design or fine art. Fine art clearly has much to offer the designer in terms of selection and application of media, technique and the parameters of representation. Its open-ended unorthodoxy produces very diverse results. Similarly design has a its own media, techniques and structure which strongly benefit fine art sensibilities, ensuring goals, targets and media constraints are met.  In my teaching experience, I have found digital imaging technologies as a very adaptive means of fusing these traditionally disparate areas. Practical results developed in a fine art setting are applicable in design settings both 2D and 3D, to surfaces and structures. This approach to learning, meshing practice-as-reasearch and academic theory with ipsative criticality makes for adaptive, highly-employable designers who are comfortable in a range of disciplines and job settings. My students have benefitted from this approach by gaining a flexible, cross-disciplinary skills base which enabled them to achieve employment in fields such as graphic design, illustration, game design, web-design, systems design, product design, prop-making for film, costume design, interior and architectural design or as successful fine artists. I’d argue that such knowledge is actually a useful life-skill. A key, but under-considered, aspect of developing fruitful, real-world results in these areas is play. Play is essential. Roger Silverstone rightly argues that play is the means by which we explore cultural limits and push creatively at boundaries. It enables the individual to be creative by embedding innovation and facilitating risk-taking in a supportive atmosphere. Creativity and visual arts risk-taking are reciprocal. The inability to take risks strongly inhibits creativity. Failure is part of the process. Beckett put it succinctly:’ Try. Fail. Try again, fail better.’ In terms of real-world pedagogy, I have had students explore practical media in a time constrained, but open-ended way in order to produce a range of 2D outcomes. These resources then formed the starting point for later application in design problem-solving exercises in a range of disciplinary settings, both 2D and 3D. In this way results from 2D practice-as-research form the basis for plans, surface treatments, lighting, signage and way-marking, even structures. I hope this goes some way to moving this interesting topic forward. *Smith, Hazel, and Dean, Roger T., Practice-led Research and Research-led Practice in the Creative Arts, (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2009), (p.20).

I would like to answer this question from my perspective.

On our design studio 1 we work on 2d things and there we have classes on sketches. At the time of doing pencil sketches we learn the use of shades and which helps students to understand the hidden depth of natures.

On design studio 2 we work on 3d forms and there we have sculpture classes.Sculpture helps us to understand forms. How uses of forms can create an illusions this sense improves.

This things happen in my journey of learning which I shared.Hope that it will help you.Thank you.

This question can be answered from different points of view. Here's a few:

Fine arts - and specifically visual arts - could help architects as a source of inspiration in terms of (a) how shapes and forms make the artwork (b) how concepts transform and translate into forms and (thus) artworks.

Moreover, both architecture and fine arts interact with similar social and cultural contexts. Therefore, studying and understanding each one's relationship and interactions with society and culture, can clarify strategies, methods of analysis, thinking and development techniques that can help the students and practitioners in the other fields.

Needless to say that practicing visual arts, e.g., graphic design, painting, sculpting, film making, etc. can also technically improve presentation and modeling skills of architecture students.

Dear Sudeepto;

You highlighted the use fine arts to develop the presentation skills of students and to appreciate perceiving 3D forms but what’s about design concept. Have you tried to drive design concept in architectural studio from fine arts? If yes how?

Dear Aryan;

I agree that visual arts considered a source of inspiration in term of concepts but how?

Also I agree with you that studying both architecture and fine arts can clarify strategies, methods of analysis. So what are the strategies or methods of analysis of fine arts that you experienced in studio of design?

This is an expansive and fascinating topic, containing many inherent subtleties which may need to be more clearly constrained if pedagogically applicable approaches are to result.

The modern differentiation between Art and Design , or the various schools of visual art, graphic design, fine art, textiles, sculpture, etc. are, to a large extent, artificial and have been  primarily shaped by the methods of training and production, resulting in a somewhat artificial specialisation. Evidence suggests that this situation dates back before the Renaissance, developing  perhaps from the protective practices of the ancient guilds. In the ancient world, while the concepts made manifest by art were highly venerated, the artisans who realised such works were frequently despised, and of low social status, and their employment precarious. These visual arts areas are underpinned by a common exploratory approach; observation of, and experimentation with the material world, which is, in turn scaffolded by a problem-solving cognitive framework. When this process results from a attempts to solve a practical problem, or is intended for use in a social setting it might be seen as design, when the exercise is carried out for its own sake or for the benefit the knowledge of a sole practitioner, then perhaps it might be thought of as fine art.  Both approaches are typified by the exploration of technique and media, deployed in a problem-solving methodology. This methodology integrates practice-as-research, theoretical contextual knowledge and critical thinking in a complex cyclic web. This web is powered and guided by the key elements of contextual awareness and formative and summative critical evaluation. For many practitioners this process is applied almost intuitively, but it can be schematised, communicated and learned. For a visualised outline of its complexity I’d recommend Smith and Dean’s Iterative Cyclic Web graphic.* It is this complex, reactive methodology that leaves the uninitiated wondering how results are ever achieved. Having established these considerations we might look at the question anew and ask how can these areas ever be viewed as discrete and separate? The problem-solving process is common, and whilst media differ, the methods of research and synthesis are largely the same, regardless of whether it is applied to design or fine art. Fine art clearly has much to offer the designer in terms of selection and application of media, technique and the parameters of representation. Its open-ended unorthodoxy produces very diverse results. Similarly design has a its own media, techniques and structure which strongly benefit fine art sensibilities, ensuring goals, targets and media constraints are met.  In my teaching experience, I have found digital imaging technologies as a very adaptive means of fusing these traditionally disparate areas. Practical results developed in a fine art setting are applicable in design settings both 2D and 3D, to surfaces and structures. This approach to learning, meshing practice-as-reasearch and academic theory with ipsative criticality makes for adaptive, highly-employable designers who are comfortable in a range of disciplines and job settings. My students have benefitted from this approach by gaining a flexible, cross-disciplinary skills base which enabled them to achieve employment in fields such as graphic design, illustration, game design, web-design, systems design, product design, prop-making for film, costume design, interior and architectural design or as successful fine artists. I’d argue that such knowledge is actually a useful life-skill. A key, but under-considered, aspect of developing fruitful, real-world results in these areas is play. Play is essential. Roger Silverstone rightly argues that play is the means by which we explore cultural limits and push creatively at boundaries. It enables the individual to be creative by embedding innovation and facilitating risk-taking in a supportive atmosphere. Creativity and visual arts risk-taking are reciprocal. The inability to take risks strongly inhibits creativity. Failure is part of the process. Beckett put it succinctly:’ Try. Fail. Try again, fail better.’ In terms of real-world pedagogy, I have had students explore practical media in a time constrained, but open-ended way in order to produce a range of 2D outcomes. These resources then formed the starting point for later application in design problem-solving exercises in a range of disciplinary settings, both 2D and 3D. In this way results from 2D practice-as-research form the basis for plans, surface treatments, lighting, signage and way-marking, even structures. I hope this goes some way to moving this interesting topic forward. *Smith, Hazel, and Dean, Roger T., Practice-led Research and Research-led Practice in the Creative Arts, (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2009), (p.20).

Dear Mr Gibson,

Thanks for your answer.

In order to narrow the area, is it possible for a piece of painting to become a reference for derivation formal concept in architectural design? pls.

It is clearly possible. There are many examples of this across history. The works of Michaelangelo or Gaudi immediately spring to mind, where the preoccupations of the 2D visual artist finds expression in 3D architectural forms.

I have seen painting, both representative and abstract, form the inspirational and visual basis for ideas and practical design in architectural, fashion, web and graphic design. At times the links are imitative and clear, at other times the connections ar more subtle and occluded, but they are still evident.

Hope this helps.

The design process can be daunting to new students, who often find it difficult to find a direction in their design.

They are constantly asked, ‘what is your concept?

A concept is an idea, a theory or notion, but in architecture we could also describe a concept as ‘an approach’ to the design.

When we think of an architectural concept, we think of an abstract idea, one that is unchanging throughout the design process. This is not necessarily the case; a concept can be linked to many factors, and can evolve as the design grows.

Architectural concepts are the designer’s way of responding to the design situation presented to them. They are a means of translating the non-physical design problem into the physical building product. every project will have critical issues, central themes or problem essences, and the general issues of designing a building can be approached in a number of ways.

This could be takes from different point views Functional, Material, Contextual, Formal, Collaborative, Philosophical and as exercises and Ideas

By understand the problem we should start making a diagram of the problems, or requirements of the building. By understanding the needs you may be led to an approach to focus on. Inform of sketch we start to develop our ideas, sketch out your concepts. At the same time we should Carrying out in depth research relating to your design problems will inspire you and help you discover solutions. You can study how issues have been solved in other designs, and how they might direct you with your own. It is not copying, but using previous design innovation to inform your design solutions.

Some wonderful discussion here. Don't forget why something is being created. Who is it for and how will it be used? How should they feel when using it? Maybe that's what Captain Obvious would say, but how many times do we walk into a space or use something that completely defies common sensibilities or could just be greatly improved by the touch of an artist?

**off topic of this thread... Mohsen Jaafarnia Please check with Disney about the use of their artwork in your book. They are generally ruthless (which would certainly fit your perspective on capitalism) regarding their copyrights. Using images off the internet without giving credit and compensation nor getting permission is wrong - it's stealing. Do you not flunk your students when they plagiarize? At minimum, we are trained to cite every source (URL) for images used in documents. If it is not your creation, it is someone else's and they should be credited as such.

**off topic .. @Carolyn Macaluso Morally speaking, I (personally) do agree with you that one should refer to the original image creators. But FYI note that the publisher is Iranian, and I guess there might be no conventional copyright agreement/treaty between Iran and the US. If that is the case, there's no legal issue. "...However, an international copyright will not automatically protect an author's writings throughout the world. Protection against unauthorized use in a particular country depends on the national laws of that country." Read more at:

https://definitions.uslegal.com/i/international-copyright/

Aryan Shahabian Thanks for the link, Aryan. Good to know, and that there are two types! thanks. People just shouldn't do that regardless. I didn't used to come down all that hard on it, but as I've matured in my roles, I've come to see that unless you have some simple private usage (like your kid's birthday cake that people will eat that you drew yourself), its only right. Fan-art aside, Disney just denied usage of Spider-Man on a little boy's grave stone. The boy was obsessed with the web-slinger. They got some flack for it but I can see how they need to preserve a positive image, etc. The thing is too, the dad (and likely the headstone engraver) reached out in good faith to ask for permission first. They didn't just do it and hope no one noticed. It was the right thing to do. With all the artwork out there, choosing Disney art to publish in an e-Book is just too obvious.

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I agree with Usama Badawy sir