: Artistic Composition Laboratories: An Innovative Approach to Teaching Visual Arts

AbstractThis research addresses the problem of the need to develop methods for teaching Pictorial Construction in Visual Arts departments,moving them from traditional approaches to contemporary educational strategies that align with international standards. The research aims to build and apply an educational program based on the concept of "artistic laboratories," inspired by the practical methodology of the philosopher and art critic John Ruskin in his book "The Elements of Drawing," which focuses on the precise observation of nature as a fundamental starting point for artistic composition.The research adopted the analytical descriptive approach in building the theoretical framework and the quasi-experimental approach in applying the proposed program to a hypothetical sample of students.A questionnaire was developed as a primary tool to measure the program's impact on developing artistic skills (such as a sense of balance, unity, and rhythm) and technical skills (such as accuracy of observation, handling of light and shadow, and drawing details).The hypothetical results showed significant effectiveness of the proposed program,demonstrating a noticeable improvement in students' ability to analyze artworks and build innovative and authentic compositions. The research recommends adopting and disseminating the "artistic laboratories" strategy in visual arts curricula as a modern alternative to the theoretical indoctrination of rules.