2/24/11 2D Design

Today's Class- Tonight we discussed the use of value (light and shadow) in two dimensional art. I showed slides of art from the Renaissance through the present, pointing out how the use of light and shadow in a two dimensional art can imply space and three dimensional forms and volumes. After the slides, students spent most of the class period working on a portfolio exercise in value drawing.

How to make this up- Students did a value drawing using either charcoal or black conte crayon from a still life set up of white objects, lit with spotlights to create patterns of light and shadow. For full details as to how to make this up, and to see additional student examples, click here. This is a portfolio exercise and must be made up by the end of the semester to receive credit.

Homework- Nothing new, but those who still owe me the first two projects (stipple drawing and plant drawing) should get them done as soon as possible.

For next class 3/3/11- We will begin the design oriented phase of the class with a relief printing project. The subject of your image will be a book illustration from the literary source of your choice- novel, non-fiction, short story, poem, etc. (No children's stories or things recently adapted for movies) For next week bring sketch paper (can be your 18" x 24" pad, but a smaller sketchbook will do fine), pencil and eraser, black markers, x-acto knife, and the literary source that you are planning to adapt.

2/17/11 2D Design

Today's Class- Tonight we started by having a critique of the stipple drawings due today. After that I set up a subject for our final line drawing project of the semester.

How to make this up- You will need to do a similar line drawing involving a plant. Full details and further examples can be found here. This is a graded project that must be made up as soon as possible.

Homework- Nothing new, but those who need to make up tonight's project or still owe me their stipple drawings should try to get them in as soon as possible- the longer the delay, the lower the resulting grade will be.

For next class 2/24/11- We will finish the Basic Drawing phase of the class with a portfolio exercise in value drawing. Bring your 18" x 24" pad, either charcoal or black conte crayon, and appropriate erasers.

Contour Line Exercises

This assignment applies to both my Basic Drawing Class and my 2D Design Class.

The Assignment- Find a shoe to draw from, then do the following drawing exercises in your 18" x 24" pad using pencil. You may put multiple shoes on a page and/or use the back of the page.

Exterior Contour Line- A simple line that surrounds a space to create a positive shape in space. For this first exercise draw the silhouette of your shoe- just the outside edge with no interior shapes or details, as in the examples below. Pay attention to the details around the edge, the proportions of the shoe, and the relative positions of shoe structures. Draw as many shoes as you want in 30 minutes (most students drew 2 to 4 shoes)

Cross Contour Line- Cross contour lines are perceived lines drawn over the surface of the subject to indicate movement, form and volume. Sometimes they relate to the actual surfaces of things being drawn, but usually they are made up by the artist. The drawing below uses cross contour lines to make the shoe feel more three dimensional. Spend 30 minutes doing one cross contour drawing.

Blind Contour Drawing- A traditional drawing exercise in which the artist looks only at the subject of the drawing, but not at the drawing in progress. The resulting drawing will often have issues with proportions, but often great detail in the edge. To do this kind of drawing, let your eye move slowly around the edge of the shoe, and without letting yourself look at the paper, move your pencil to match. Below are some examples. Spend 15 minutes doing blind contour drawings, typically producing 3 to 5 drawings.

Final Shoe Drawing- Use all the experience of the previous exercises to make one last detailed line drawing of your shoe. This time you may draw all the physical structures of the shoes, and use cross contour lines to whatever extent you wish. Continue to pay attention to proportions. Spend 45 minutes on this pencil line drawing. Below is a student example.

These are all portfolio exercises, that must be made up by the portfolio collection date appropriate to the class you are taking.

2/3/11 2D Design

Today's Class- Tonight we started with the most basic unit of mark making, the point or dot. We did a short portfolio exercise and began a graded project.

How to make this up-

Wallpaper Exercise- We started with a simple exercise in which dots of various sizes were used to create patterns that had in common a characteristic associated with wallpaper, that the pattern repeats at least once from top to bottom. Above is an example. For further instructions about how to complete this exercise, see me in class. Like all portfolio exercises, it's not due until the last day of class.

Stipple Drawing- The rest of class was devoted to a new graded project, a stipple drawing. Students were asked to start with a black and white photograph and reproduce a portion of it using only tiny black dots to match all the values from the original. Below is a student example. (click to enlarge to see details) To see all the specifics of the assignment and further examples, click here.

Homework- The stipple dot project is due at the beginning of class on February 17, 2011. You must bring both the drawing and your original photo when you turn it in.

For next class 2/10/11- We will start our study of line. Bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencils and eraser. We will be doing portfolio exercises involving drawing from shoes, so each student is responsible for bringing his or her own shoe. So either bring an extra one or be prepared to take on off your foot.