Juried Student Art Exhibition

It's time for the 2013 Annual Student Art Juried Competition.  The show is open to all current OCC students.  All artwork should have been completed during the 2012-3 academic year.  Artwork needs to be dropped off outside room B128 (our classroom) between Wednesday, May 1st and the morning of Tuesday, May 7th.  (look for entry slips on the the table in the hallway) You may submit as many pieces as you like and there is no entry fee.  Jurying will be on May 7th at 1:00 pm.  This year's guest juror is Tom Watcke, professor of fine art at Albright College in Reading, PA.  Cash prizes will be awarded.   Rejected work can be picked up on Wednesday, May 8, 2013. The work will be hung in the halls of the ACC B building, with an opening reception on Thursday, May 23rd at 5:00 pm.    For more information, see the posters hung around the building.

4/25/13 Basic Drawing

Today's Class-  Today we continued using the conte crayons that we started with last week, but today used them together in the same drawing, to simulate a style of drawing that goes back to the Renaissance, chiaroscuro drawing.  Traditional chiaroscuro drawing makes use of a piece of paper pre-colored with a medium value tone (colorful or neutral), which functions as the middle value tone in the drawing.  The artist uses white crayons to draw highlights and black to draw shadows.  I showed examples of this, slides and an actual drawing.  Since we don't have colored paper, we simulated the concept using white paper for our lights, the red crayon for the middle tone, and the black crayon for the shadows, also shown to the class in both slide and drawing form.  Above is a drawing from a previous semester.

How to make this up-  Today I brought out a few mannequins, so we could try drawing something a little more complex than the usual objects.  This medium particularly lends itself to head and figure.  The class did two drawings, each one from one of the mannequins.  Examples of student drawings and the full directions can be found here.

These are portfolio exercises and must be made up by the last day of the semester to receive full credit.

Homework-  Find a shoe and light with directional light to create light and shadow patterns. Draw the shoe on a page in your sketchbook using both the red and black crayons together, paying attention to shape, proportion, and value.  Then change the position of the shoe or switch to a different shoe, and do a second drawing,  Total of two drawings.

For next class 5/2/13-  We will be doing the final still life drawing of the semester.  The class will have the full 3.5 hour class period to work on it.  Students may choose from charcoal (vine or compressed), ink wash, or conte crayon (red, black, or both) to complete their drawing.  Bring your 18" x 24 pad, the  medium of your choice, and any related materials (spray fixative, blending tools, etc).

4/18/13 Basic Drawing

Today's Class-  Today we went back to value drawing, but with a new medium, conte crayon.  These crayons are harder than wax crayons, or even charcoal, but can be blended to create gradual value changes.  Blending takes more effort than charcoal, but the crayons are less likely to smear, so great for drawing objects with clean edges and specific details.  The crayons come in a variety of earth tones, but we worked with black and red, as in the student examples above.

How to make this up-  I set up two typical still lifes today, all objects and drapery you've seen before.  The idea was for everyone to get a feel for how this drawing material differs from the charcoal that has been used several times before.  First I had everyone do a drawing with black, not unlike working with the familiar charcoal.  Second, after rearranging the still life objects, the class did one using just the red crayon.  Full details as to how to make this up, including additional student examples, can be found here.

These are portfolio exercises and must be made up by the last class of the semester to receive full credit.

Homework-  Gather a place setting of silverware (fork, knife, spoon) and arrange on a table in front of you, so that none of the utensils are parallel to each other.  Have some kind of direct light so the utensils have cast shadows and possibly reflections.  Draw on a page in your sketchbook using the black crayon, paying attention to shape, proportion, value, and surface detail.  Without touching the utensils, do a second drawing using just the red crayon.  Then rearrange the utensils, with still none parallel to each other, and do two more drawings, one black and one red.  Total of 4 value drawings.

For next class 4/25/13- We will continue using conte crayons, but this time using the red and black together in a variation of chiaroscuro technique.  Bring your 18" x 24" pad, both red and black conte crayons, and erasers.

4/11/13 Basic Drawing

Today's Class- Today the class explored a particular printmaking medium known as monotype.  The process has much in common with reductive value drawing, which we did with vine charcoal, except that the drawing is completed before it ever touches the paper.  Above and below are examples of student monotype prints from previous semesters.  I also returned the graded ink wash drawings from last week.

How to make this up- The process involves creating an image in oil paint or oil based ink on an absolutely flat surface, such as glass, plastic, or metal.  This can be done with brushes and other implements.  Once the image is finished, a piece of paper is put on top and the back of the paper carefully rubbed to transfer the image.  Additional examples of student prints, and the specific instructions for making up the assignment, can be found here.

This is a portfolio exercise and must be made up by the last day of the semester to receive credit.

Homework-  Although I often have students who enjoy this process enough that they try more at home, it can be very messy and hard to print in a sketchbook, so this week there will be no homework assignment.  However, I'm sure that most or all of you are not completely caught up on all of them, so I suggest you use this week to do so.  You can go back through this blog and find all of the homework assigned each week.

For next class 4/11/13- We will try the last new medium of the semester, conte crayon.  These crayons are made with a clay base, harder than ordinary wax crayons, and come in a variety of red, brown, and black hues.  We will work with black and red (sanguine) colors.  Their hardness allows the artist to make more precise edges than charcoal, but they can still be blended.  Bring your 18" x 24" paper, both red and black conte crayons, and pencil and kneaded erasers.

4/4/13 Basic Drawing

Today's Class- Today we continued our study of ink wash, doing the third graded project of the semester, an ink wash drawing of a large leafy plant hanging within a tripod.  The drawings were collected at the end of class and will be returned graded next week.

How to make this up- Our subject was a large plant hanging within a wooden tripod holder, set in the center of the room.  All the lights were on, so the value being studied was all local colors, plus whatever bits of shadow might be found within.  The plant was drawn at 100% scale (the size of a leaf in your drawing should be about the same size as the actual leaf), with the pot more or less centered in the 18" x 24" paper and the subject continuing to the edge(s) of the paper.  Above and below are some student examples from previous semesters.  Additional examples, and the specific directions as how to make this up, can be found here.  This is a graded project and must be made up as soon as possible to receive partial credit.

Homework-  Continuing this idea, you'll work with ink wash and a plant form.  Put together a grouping of flowers that contains at least 3 flowers.  These can be alive, cut flowers, dried flowers, artificial, etc, and they should be in some kind of container.  View them in a normally lit room.  Do a simple pencil line contour sketch of the set up (include whatever stems, leaves, etc are in the view) on a full page inside your sketchbook, then draw the value in using ink wash, matching the values as closely as possible.  Do one such ink wash drawing in your sketchbook.

For next class 4/11/13- We will try a drawing related printmaking process called monotype.  Oil based ink or paint is used to create an image on a flat plate, manipulated until you are satisfied with the drawing, and then printed onto a piece of paper.  Bring your 18" x 24" pad, a small tube of black oil paint (or oil based relief ink if you can find it), a printing plate (glass or plexiglass about 8" x 10" works well, such as is used in small picture frame) and paint brushes.