Sketching and drawing have grown in popularity in recent years – why? Beverley D'Silva explores the healing power of mindful drawing.
Drawing is arguably the most ancient form of visual art – whether on the body or on stone. The earliest known drawing by a human was discovered in 2021 at the Blombos Cave, South Africa: some 73,000 years ago, a human hand took an ochre crayon and carved a cross-hatch design on a silcrete stone flake. The medium of drawing is engrained in us all. It's our first means of expression and creativity, says Julia Balchin, principal of the Royal Drawing School, London: "As a child, before you can even talk, or walk or read, you can draw. So it's often our first way of expressing ourselves".