Eddy Wholly Drawing Experiment [ 3.2025]
DAP - 7 [Drawing As Processing]
DAP - 6 [Drawing As Processing]
DAP - 5 [Drawing As Processing]
DAP -4 [Drawing As Processing]
Initiating Wholly Drawing: Unlearning to Relearn
Adopting the Wholly Drawing method demanded a radical departure from my ingrained artistic conditioning. Years of training in representational accuracy—steeped in the pursuit of “correctness” and external validation—had confined my approach, reducing observation to a mechanical exercise. Letting go of these conventions initially felt destabilizing, akin to shedding a familiar language.
Yet, this act of unlearning became profoundly liberating. By relinquishing rigid expectations and embracing uncertainty, I rediscovered drawing as a practice of embodied inquiry. Freed from the pressure to produce, I began to inhabit the immediacy of the moment, where spontaneity and curiosity replaced self-judgment. The absence of predefined outcomes transformed drawing from a performative act into a mode of self-discovery, deepening my connection to both the subject and the intuitive rhythms of my own creative process
DAP -3 [Drawing As Processing]
DAP -2 [Drawing As Processing]
This collection marks the second installment of drawings exploring the theme “Drawing as Processing.” It encapsulates my ongoing research on Wholly Drawing, a process-oriented approach to depicting observed subjects. Through this slideshow, I present my exploration of the Wholly Drawing method alongside works created using traditional techniques.
Drawing as Processing highlights the dual nature of drawing—both as a creative act and as a means of inquiry. In this approach, drawing becomes a vehicle for perception and understanding, where the process itself shapes the outcome. By prioritizing observation and perception, each representational drawing serves as a visual reflection of the act of seeing. Collectively, these works chart the evolution of my research journey.
DAP -1 [Drawing As Processing]
This slideshow presents a collection of drawings from my sketchbook, centered around the theme “Drawing as Processing.” The theme encapsulates my research journey on Wholly Drawing, where I delve into a process-oriented approach to drawing observed subjects. Drawing as Processing emphasizes drawing’s dual function as both a creative mode and a means for exploration. In this approach, the act of drawing itself becomes a means of perceiving and understanding the subject matter. By focusing on the process of observing and perceiving, the resulting representational drawings serve as visual feedback on the act of observation. Each drawing in this slideshow represents a different facet of my journey, and when compiled together, they create a cohesive visual narrative that reflects my personal growth and artistic evolution.
Wholly Self- Portraiture - Drawing Project with
Lankenau Highschool, Philadelphia, 2022
Wholly Drawing Self-Portraits
Key research aspects and descriptions
Wholly Drawing Methodology Procedural Diagram.
Wholly Drawing In Summary
Blind Mickey Mouse Drawings
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This series involved closing my eyes and drawing the iconic figure of Mickey Mouse from memory, utilizing a methodology that interrogated the consistency of mental images stored in the psyche. By exploring imagery imprinted through marketing, pop culture, and collective consciousness, this work examined how ubiquitous visual symbols persist in memory. These drawings challenged the reliance on direct observation, shifting the focus to the internalized visual archive and its reproduction. The process highlighted the tension between memory, cultural conditioning, and the act of drawing as a means of recalling embedded imagery.
Total Observational Drawings
In this body of work, I employed a methodology of drawing observed subjects with a sense of urgency and complete, immediate focus. This approach was inspired by moments of profound captivation with my surroundings or observed subjects. Emotionally invested in the act of observation, I used drawing as a tool to document and embody my immediate, unfiltered response. The process was characterized by an intense synergy between perception and action, wherein the act of drawing itself became a means of “seeing.” This methodology emphasized drawing as an immersive experience, where the observer and the observed were intertwined through the act of mark-making. The first notable projects employing this methodology include;
Non-Dominant Hand Drawing –
To disrupt habitual tendencies in my observational drawing practice, I employed a methodology of using my non-dominant hand (my left hand, as I am right-handed). This disorienting approach introduced intentional distortion and slowed down the drawing process, fostering heightened attentiveness to both observation and representation. By resisting the inclination to create realistic imagery, this method invited a raw and unrefined quality to the work, emphasizing the process over the outcome. The deliberate challenge of working with my non-dominant hand revealed new ways of perceiving and engaging with my subjects, ultimately enriching my understanding of the relationship between observation, motor control, and artistic expression.
These three methodologies were instrumental in shaping my evolving artistic philosophy. Each approach foregrounded drawing as an active, experiential, and deeply personal process, moving beyond the confines of technical mastery or traditional aesthetic expectations. Together, they laid the groundwork for the development of Wholly Drawing, which emerged as a synthesis of these early explorations into the conceptual, emotional, and embodied dimensions of drawing.
This carefully curated collection of works, culminating in my research study, presents pieces that demonstrate attempts towards a subjective-oriented mode of representation.
This curated collection of works, culminating in my research study, features pieces by influential artists who have shaped the exploratory direction of my practice and informed the development of the Wholly Drawing concept.
Pre-Wholly Drawing practice