Drawing Connections: new directions in drawing and cognition research

How is our understanding of the interactions between drawing and cognition expanding, and how is this enabling new directions in drawing research and development? What might expert drawers know and be able to do, sometimes unconsciously, that could benefit others in a variety of domains, including education and STEM professions? The paper reviews research surrounding the emerging field of drawing and cognition studies; outlining its current scope, summarising key pieces of research and their relationships. We report on research activity connected to the 2011/2012 symposium Thinking through Drawing,and also consider related research that touches on the same agendas.We argue that a growing cognitive understanding of drawing is producing knowledge and practical outcomes relevant across many arenas. In particular,we consider educational applications of this new knowledge, extending beyond drawing instruction to potential new contributions in, for example, the training of surgeons and in the development of general cognitive skills.Future research directions are identified, and questions pertaining to the emerging issues and potential contributions to be made in the coming decades are posed.