The art of ideation

Giambologna, the Flemish sculptor of the late renaissance, had just arrived in Rome when he famously took a small wax sculpture of his own to show Michelangelo. Inspecting Giambologna's model, Michelangelo proceeded to flatten it with his fist until it became a formless lump of wax. Once he had finished, Michelangelo handed it back to Giambologna, saying: 'Now go and learn the art of modelling before you learn the art of finishing'. And so with the art of ideation. First learn how to generate ideas with the help of drawing and modelling, then proceed to the finishing, or presentation stage of communicating the idea.