PAINTING AS AN EDUCATIONAL TOOL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF DESIGNER CREATIVITY

Abstract

Painting, as a space of artistic communication, serves as an effective educational tool that fosters students’ visual thinking, self-expression, and creative problem-solving. The purpose of the study is to investigate the impact of painting as an educational tool on the development of key competencies in design students, namely creativity, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence. The article focuses on analyzing painting teaching methods within the formation of professional creativity in future fashion designers, exemplified by the Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University.The methodology included systematic observation, student interviews, analysis of creative works, and pedagogical experiments using watercolor and acrylic painting techniques to stimulate observation skills, visual thinking, and self- expression abilities.The scientific novelty lies in the integrative application of Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences, Rudolf Arnheim’s concept of visual thinking, and pedagogical approaches of Elliot Eisner and Robert Sternberg to substantiate the role of painting in shaping a designer’s creative personality. For the first time, modern innovative practices have been synthesized, and a methodology was developed that considers individual student characteristics and overcomes cultural stereotypes through interdisciplinary tasks and active reflection.The conclusions demonstrate that painting functions not merely as a technical discipline but as an intellectual activity that develops complex cognitive functions and emotional sensitivity. Creating a safe educational environment for experimentation and error fosters motivation, cognitive adaptability, and supports the formation of innovative, critical, and creative approaches to professional practice. Effective integration of painting into design education significantly improves specialist training quality and strengthens their competitiveness in the labor market.