Motoric--mechanical drawing techniques like tracing, copying, and cut and paste are among the fundamental workshop practices of the pre-modern era. They were also used in the training of renowned artists like Leonardo, Dürer, Michelangelo, and Rubens in order to modify designs, expand the supply of motifs, and produce new artworks. In the art theory of the time, however, they were largely ignored or even disparaged. It is only possible to take note of a few positions that show appreciation for these techniques until the decisive ennoblement of copying in the eighteenth century. The discrepancy between the importance of drawing techniques in practice and the addressing of them in art theory was overlooked for a long time. This volume thus strives to provide an indispensable new perspective in research on drawing and includes transdisciplinary contexts as well as aspects relating to art technologies and philosophy.

Iris Brahms, expert for works on paper specialized in material aesthetics, media reflection and color theory, Berlin