Skip to Main Content

DRAW 100 - Form & Space

What is a Primary Source?

A Primary Source is something that provides first-hand accounts of a topic from people who had direct connection to the topic. They may be created by the artist or someone who lived during the time of the artist. Secondary sources, such as books and scholarly articles, derive from research on primary source materials.

Primary Sources include:

  • artworks
  • objects and artifacts
  • sketchbooks
  • letters
  • diaries and memoirs
  • interviews

Visual Analysis Resources

More on the Elements of Art...

More on the Principles of Composition...

SCAD Special Collections

SCAD students have access to a variety of Primary Source materials through the SCAD Special Collections. This includes:

 

Highlights include:

Digital Resources