3/1/12 Basic Drawing

Today's Class- Today we started our study of value, which will be part of our drawings for the rest of the semester. We began with the traditional medium of charcoal, using both vine and compressed in different ways. After a few dozen slides demonstrating how value has been used historically in two dimensional art to imply form, volume, and space, students did two portfolio exercises.

How to make this up- You will need to set up a still life. Put a box on a table, drape with a white cloth (sheet, towel, etc), and arrange 3 white or very light colored objects of similar size on and around the box. Shine a directional light source to create patterns of light and shadow. You will then do two drawings based on it. Additional examples and full details can be found here.

These are portfolio exercises that must be made up by the 1st Portfolio Collection on March 22, 2012.

Homework- Set up a still life as described above in "How to make this up" (box, drape, 3 objects, light). Draw it in your sketchbook using a soft pencil (4B or 6B), matching values in the still life as closely as possible, as well as shapes, proportion, perspective, etc. Without changing the still life, move to a different position and draw it again. Total of two drawings.

For next class 3/8/12- We will continue to work with charcoal. Bring your 18" x 24" pad, both vine and compressed charcoal, kneaded eraser, and spray fixative.