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Imagine stepping inside a virtual reality and creating a work of art on a three-dimensional canvas. You can step in, around and through your drawings and create something that transcends a pencil and paper.

‘Tilt Brush’ is an exciting new technology and is one of several free activities available as part of the worldwide drawing event ‘The Big Draw’ coming to The University of Western Australia’s Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery.

Research has proven the benefits of drawing as a life skill for children and adults alike and it’s on this canvas where ‘The Big Draw’ invites anyone to try their hand at drawing in new and exciting ways.

Manager of Audience Development at the UWA Cultural Precinct Caine Chennatt said the festival would be a great opportunity for anyone to rediscover the art of drawing.

“The Big Draw is about connecting people with art in a way they never thought possible,” Mr Chennatt said.

“As children we had very few inhibitions about ourselves and about creativity. When we become adults we somehow forget about the importance of play and drawing is attached to that.

“If we are not able to immediately see or place a value on something we dismiss it as not important. But there is lots of research that shows drawing for at least fifteen minutes a day can have positive effects on your mental wellbeing.”

UWA is one of the first places to offer ‘Tilt Brush’ to the public and encourages the wider community to come along and try it.

“The benefit of moving into this virtual reality world is you can momentarily forget the outside world around you and suspend that self-consciousness that you may have. You’re in that space, creating your own drawings, and you have no idea how people are reacting to it.”

Along with ‘Tilt Brush’ the festival offers other fun and free activities including:

• An interactive event where your creation is projected as an animation using an installation by artist Steve Berrick.
• Exploring hands-on drawing activities relating to mapmaking and cartography, taking inspiration from the photography, Aboriginal art and 16thcentury Dutch maps currently on display as part of the Saltwater Mapping exhibition.

Date: Thursday 20 - Saturday 29 October, 11:30am - 4:30pm (except Sunday 23 Oct and Monday 24th)
Venue: UWA Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery
Bookings are not required, but you can register here to receive updates

Media references

David Stacey (UWA Media and Public Relations Manager)      (+61 8) 6488 3229 / (+61 4) 32 637 716
Caine Chennatt (Audience Development at the UWA Cultural Precinct)                   (+61 8) 6488 7477