Today's Class- Today we explored our last new medium of the semester. Conte crayons are a bit harder than familiar wax crayons (the base is clay), to they are less likely to smear than charcoal, which means they take a little more effort to blend. Today the class did portfolio exercises, drawing from familiar still life set ups while getting a feel for the medium.
How to make this up- Set up a still life in our typical fashion- draped box, a variety of medium sized objects of varying value on and around, light to create patterns of light and shadow. You will do two drawings from the still life. First use the black crayon by itself. The black marks are not unlike compressed charcoal, though the feel will be different and it will take a little more effort to blend. (fingers probably won't be abrasive enough- try paper blending stumps or a bit of paper towel) Then rearrange the objects and draw the new set up using just the red crayon. The value range won't extend as far as the black crayon, so you may have to adjust how you depict relative areas of light and dark. Above are student examples from previous semesters. An additional example and specific directions can be found here.
These are portfolio exercises and must be made up by the end of the semester to receive full credit.
Homework- Put together a typical place setting of utensils- fork, spoon and knife. Place on a table in front of you so that none are parallel to each other, and light so that shadows and possible reflections on the surface will be seen. Draw the whole grouping on a page in your sketchbook, first with the black crayon, then on a second page with just the red. Rearrange the three utensils and again draw the set on one page with black, and the other page with red. Total of four drawings.
For next class 12/6/13- We will continue with conte crayons, but this time combining the red and black together in chiaroscuro style drawings. Bring your 18" x 24" pad, both red and black crayons, erasers, and anything you think may help you blend.
Today's Class- Today the class did the last portfolio exercise of the semester, a color still life painting. I opened by showing a few slides of historical art and discussing different roles that still life could serve- practice, developing a experimental style, vanitas paintings, etc, as well as a few student examples. Then I set up a still life of solidly colored objects and a colored drape for students to paint during the class. We also reserved time at the end to critique the limited palettes projects, and to look at some late arriving season projects. A few students who were absent last week picked subject words for their collage project.
How to make this up- Set up a still life. Place a box on a table and drape with a multicolored cloth. Arrange 3 solidly colored objects that are different colors from each other and the drape on and around the box. You may sketch it first with pencil or paint directly from observation. More specific directions and additional student examples can be found here.
This is a portfolio exercise and must be made up by the end of the semester to receive full credit.
***Thanksgiving Break Nov 28-29. No class next week.***
Homework- The mixed media collage graded project is due at the beginning of class on December 5, 2013.
Those who still owe the temperature collage or limited palettes projects should turn them in as soon as possible to receive partial credit.
For next class 12/5/13- We will begin our final project of the semester, which will be partly based on the work of an artist from the history of fine art (someone found in major museums, art history texts, etc). This artist must work in color in a two dimensional medium, such as painting or printmaking. Bring examples of this artist's work, such as a book about them. If you don't have a particular artist in mind, bring a book about a favorite period in art history, or favorite particular culture, or if you can't make up your mind, just a general art history text. You will also need a piece of mat board to paint on (color doesn't matter- we'll be using the white side), at least 15" x 20". Also bring pencil and eraser and all your painting related materials.
Today's Class- Today we devoted the class to exploring a specific type of printmaking that has a lot in common with drawing, the monotype or monoprint. Unlike most forms of printmaking, monotypes are not based on a fixed matrix that produces multiple identical images, but rather the images are created using a flat surface, and the ink is manipulated by the artist until the image is as desired. Only then is the plate printed, the drawing completed before it ever touches the paper. I started with a slide overview of the history of printmaking, which was interrupted by a fire drill that went on way too long, and then after a quick demonstration of the process, everyone got going, using random still life objects as subjects.
How to make this up- Find yourself a flat surface (most people today used either plexiglass or glass, but anything that won't absorb water or oil will suffice) and you'll need either black oil based printing ink or oil paint. We started off with value reduction prints, similar to the first vine charcoal drawings we did, where the whole page was filled in with charcoal and an eraser was used to draw the lights. In this case, a piece of mat card could be used to spread some of the paint over most of the surface, and then items like corners of mat cards, cotton swabs, cotton balls, bits of paper towels, paint brushes, etc were used to draw lines in the black, or to wipe away larger areas and create shapes of white. A little vegetable oil made it easier to wipe broad areas of paint. More paint can be added if too much is removed. To print, carefully place a piece of paper a little larger than the image on top of the inked drawing and lightly rub your hand over the back of the paper to pick up the ink. Lift the paper by the edge and see the results of the process. Above and below are examples of student monotypes made in previous semesters. Additional examples and the specific assignments can be found here.
This is a class exercise that will be part of your 2nd half portfolio, and must be made up by the last day of the semester to receive credit. If after reading the above you are not sure of the process, wait and ask me the next time you are in class and make it up after that.
Homework- Although it is not unusual for some students to enjoy this process so much that they go home and make more on their own, it can be very messy and it's very difficult to print in your sketchbook, so no new homework this week. However, considering how few homework sketches I've seen lately, I'm guessing most of you are behind on homework and I suggest you go back through this blog, look up what you've missed, and use the time this week to make some of them up.
For next class 11/22/13- Next class we start our study of the last new medium of the semester, conte crayon. Unlike the wax crayons you are familiar with, in these the pigment is mixed with a clay base, so they are harder than wax crayons and can be used to draw harder edges. Don't smear as much as charcoal, but they can be blended. They come in a variety of colors suitable for figure and landscape drawing, but what you need for our class is black and red (usually called sanguine- blood color). Both colors were stocked in the college bookstore when I last checked, and most art and craft stores should have them in their drawing section. Also bring your 18" x 24" pad, and erasers.
Today's Class- Tonight we started a new graded project, a mixed media collage partly inspired by the Dada movement. We also looked at the related text design projects (Russian words) from a few weeks ago, and critiqued a few late arriving projects.
How to make this up- Two things associated with the Dada art movement were the use of the collage and random chance. Our project started with students choosing random words from two bags to form a phrase. That phrase is the theme of your collage. Once you have a theme, come up with a visual adaptation of the concept, using a combination of collaged images (magazines, etc), painted elements, and drawn elements, in addition to the drawn words that inspired it. The example above is called "City of Zoo", and the one below is "Everything Turns to Thinking." This should not just be a collection of stuff glued to the paper, but think of it as a two dimensional work of art, and make use of everything we've dealt with in the class- shape, composition, color, texture, balance, value, etc.
The first step is to get your theme. You may either e-mail me to request it, and I'll pick the words for you and send you the result, or wait until next week's class and pick them yourself. Further instructions and several additional student examples can be found here.
This graded mixed media collage is due at the beginning of class on December 5, 2013.
Homework- The limited palettes project begun last week is due at the beginning of class on November 21, 2013.
Those who still owe the color temperature project (which is almost everybody) should turn them in as soon as possible to receive partial credit.
For next class 11/21/13- We'll be doing a semester portfolio exercise involving still life painting. Bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencil and eraser, and all your painting materials.
Today's Class- Today we finished our study of value drawing using ink wash as a medium. I set up the subject, a leafy potted plant with long vines, hanging within a wooden tripod, and the students had the entire class period to draw it. The drawings were collected to be graded.
How to make this up- Find yourself a potted plant and place it on the seat of a wooden kitchen or desk chair. The room should be well lit. Use light pencil to sketch the plant at 100% scale, so that the leaves and the pot are about the same size on the paper as they are in real life. Include the pot and any part of the chair seat, back, and legs that fit within your 18" x 24" page. Then use the ink wash to match the value of the leaves, stems, pot, chair parts, and anything else in your drawing. Above are a few examples of the class assignment from previous semesters. Further instructions and additional student examples can be found here.
This is a graded project and should be made up as soon as possible to receive partial credit.
Homework- Go outside and find three intact leaves from three different species of trees (maple, oak, birch, etc). Lay them out flat on a table, sketch the shapes in pencil and then use ink wash to match the values of the leaves. Arrange the leaves in a different order and do a second sketch in the same way. Total of two ink wash sketches.
For next class 11/15/13- We're going to try a new medium, monotype. It's a form of printmaking that has a lot in common with drawing. Prints are made by using an oil based medium applied to a smooth non porous surface (such as glass, plastic, or metal) and manipulated with hands, tools, etc to create the value drawing. Once the drawing is where you want it, paper is placed on top and light hand pressure is used to print the drawing on paper. You will need some kind of printing plate (the glass from an inexpensive 8"x 10" frame may be the easiest solution, but any similar sized piece of metal, or plexiglass will do well), a small tube of black oil paint or oil based relief ink, your 18" x 24" pad, paint brushes. Cotton balls, q-tips, and other things that can be used to move the paint around on the glass are recommended.
Today's Class- Today we started a new graded project about specific color combinations, which can also be called palettes. Sometimes painters will do their best to imitate the exact colors of their subjects, but other times they will choose a color scheme that does not copy the subject yet still follows a type of logic. The class looked at slides of historical paintings as I pointed out examples of monochromatic, complementary, split complementary, analogous, and triad color palettes, and then began tonight's project. We reserved time at the end of class to finally have the critique of the woodcut projects from a few weeks ago.
How to make this up- As with the stipple project, you will need a black and white photo of something real (person, landscape, object, etc), something you feel comfortable drawing and with a wide range of value. Take a sheet of your 18" x 24" paper and use your pencil to divide it into 4 equal boxes of 9" x 12". Do a basic composition sketch of your photo in all four boxes (horizontal or vertical, based on the nature of your photo) in pencil. You will then use your acrylic paints to adapt the value structure of the photo to four different specific color schemes, from the six options for this project. Above are two student examples from previous semesters. Additional student examples and all the specific instructions and color scheme options can be found here.
Homework- This limited color palettes graded project is due at the beginning of class on November 21, 2013.
The color temperature collage projects begun last week are due at the beginning of class on November 14, 2013.
Anyone who still hasn't printed their woodcut yet should bring in the completed block as soon as possible to get partial credit.
For next class 11/14/13- We will start a new graded project, a mixed media collage that will have to include collaged printed material, painted elements, and drawn elements. The subjects of the collages will be determined that evening. Bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencil, black markers, paints and paint related materials, scissors, and glue. I'll have my usual bag of magazines to cut up, but if you wish to bring in additional ones, feel free to do so.
Today's Class- Today we continued our study of value drawing, but with a new medium- ink wash. This process uses drawing ink, the kind used in refillable pens, and dilutes it with water to achieve various levels of value. A watercolor brush is used to apply it to the page, gradually building up the values. I showed a few slides of historical and student ink drawings, as well as some actual student drawings and a demonstration piece I made. We did two portfolio exercises with the ink, then closed out the day with a critique of last week's charcoal drawings, which were returned graded.
How to make this up- We kept things simple today, all white drapery and objects, with all the value based on light and shadow. Get yourself a white or very light colored cloth and attach it to something so it hangs down and onto a table or box. Find simple white or light colored objects to place at the base of the cloth and shine a direct light to create light and shadow patterns. You may sketch the basic contours first with light pencil on a sheet of your 18" x 24" pad, then mix washes of ink and water to gradually build the value. Above are two examples of student ink drawings. Full instructions for the exercises, and additional examples of student ink drawings from previous semesters, can be found here.
These ink wash drawings are portfolio exercises and must be made up by the last day of class to receive full credit, but I strongly recommend you complete them before next Friday, especially if you have no experience with the medium. Next class we'll be doing the graded ink wash drawing and practice could be helpful.
Homework- Set up a still life like the one mentioned above- a white drape hanging down and onto a flat horizontal surface, with a white or light colored object placed so it rests on the cloth, with cloth also becoming a backdrop. Light the set up to create patterns of light and shadow. Do an ink wash drawing of the set up, paying attention to all our usual concerns. Then switch the object for a different white object, and draw the still life again on a new page. Total of two ink sketches.
For next class 11/8/13- We will continue with the ink wash, doing a graded ink wash project. Bring your 18" x 24" pad (a piece of watercolor paper of the same dimensions is optional), black waterproof drawing ink, watercolor brushes, pencil and eraser, and two water containers.
