Today's Class- Today was our first week concentrating on line, the starting point of most drawings. I showed about 3 dozen slides of historical art from prehistoric cave painting to the 20th century, discussing the ways line was used and the effect it had in each artwork. Then the class did a series of exercises in contour drawing, using shoes as a simple subject.
How to make this up- Everyone on the class roster was present today and is all caught up. However, if you feel like you want to relive the experience, the list of all the things we did, along with student examples, can be found here.
Homework- We'll stick with shoes for some additional practice with contour line drawing. In your small sketchbook, you will do 10 drawings, one per page. Use the pencil of your choice, or try a variety if you like. You may use the same shoe for all 10, or use different shoes. These will be line drawings (no shading). Do the following:
8 exterior contour only
1 cross contour
1 full detail rendering
For next class 2/6/15- We will continue with pencil line, but with a focus on gesture drawing and the use of negative space. Bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencils, and eraser.
Today's Class- Tonight we started our study of two dimensional design with the most basic of marks, the dot or point. Students did a portfolio exercise and started the first graded project of the semester, a stipple drawing from a black and white photo.
How to make this up
Wallpaper Exercise
We opened with a portfolio exercise in which students used nothing but dots to create what I described as wallpaper patterns. The dots can be of different sizes, and can be used to create designs of pure geometry or to make recognizable images. The one rule is that from top to bottom the pattern must repeat at least once. Spend up to 45 minutes completing the exercise. This is part of the semester portfolio and must be completed by the end of the semester to receive full credit.
Stipple Drawing
A stipple drawing is a value drawing made using nothing by uniform small dots of ink. The placement of the dots can create a variety of values and textures. The assignment is to start with a black and white photograph of an actual 3D object or scene and to match the values in the image. Students started with a pencil sketch of the composition, then used ultra fine point markers to start making dots. Above is a student example from a previous semester. Additional examples, including the one I did, plus the full details of the assignment can be found here.
Homework- The completed stipple drawing is due at the beginning of class on February 12, 2015. You must bring both the original photo that you used and the drawing that you made. We will have a critique and they will be returned to you graded before the end of class.
For next class 2/5/15- We still start our study of line with a series of exercises involving contour lines, with the subject being shoes. Since shoes are designed to fit on body parts, they have many of the same characteristics of bodies- a mix of organic volumes and curves, and unlike live models, they never move and they work for free. I will likely have a bag of shoes available, but it would be a good idea to bring an extra with you. Avoid sandals or flip flops, an enclosed shoe gives more to work with, but otherwise any style works. Bring your pad of 18" x 24" paper, pencils and eraser.
Today's Class- Today was the first meeting of our drawing class. I distributed the syllabus and reviewed the contents with the class. I handed out a brief survey of student art background and interests, and we reviewed them as a group, after which I used the same form to talk about my background and experiences as an artist.
Homework- Nothing yet
For next class 1/30/15- We will start our study of line. Bring your 18" x 24" pad of drawing paper, pencils, and pencil eraser. We will do a series of exercises using shoes as the subject. I will probably have some with me, but it would be a good idea to have one of your own. Style doesn't matter, but it should be an enclosed shoe- sandals and flipflops don't have enough surface to draw. You can bring an extra one, or take one off your foot.
Today's Class- Tonight was our first meeting of the semester. I reviewed the syllabus, and had the students fill out a brief survey about their artistic experience and interests. I used the survey form to talk about my own art experience.
Homework- Nothing yet
For next class 1/29/15- We will start our study of two dimensional art with the most basic unit of mark making, the dot or point. Bring your 18" x 24" pad of drawing paper, pencils, eraser, black markers (ultra fine point and larger). Also bring in a black and white photo that will serve as the subject of a stipple drawing that we will start in class. It must be a photograph of an actual three dimensional scene (not line art, digital drawing, etc), ideally with a wide range of values from light to dark. You'll be drawing from it, so choose a subject that you feel comfortable drawing. (if you're intimidated by drawing faces, don't choose a portrait) It can be a photo on actual photographic paper, but it can be something published in a book, magazine, etc. I'll also have a bag of magazines that you may pick through, but bringing in your own means you won't have to waste class time looking for something.
This is the blog site that I have set up for my classes at Ocean County College. Each week I will post information about my classes. This semester I have a Basic Drawing class (ARTS 183 04) and everything for that class will appear in green text, and also a Two Dimensional Design class (ARTS 184 E01) for which everything will appear in blue text. Information about anything outside those classes will appear in black text.
Each post will likely go up in the evening following the class. The title will include the date and the name of the class, and the post will include a brief description of the day's activities. I will provide a detailed description of the exercises and projects worked on during the class, along with photos of relevant student work from previous semesters. I will also include the homework assignments due for the following week, along with what you'll need to bring to class. About a month's worth of posts will appear on the home page, but earlier ones can be seen by using the archive function in the column on the right side.
This is not an online class and this site is not a substitute for coming to class meetings. However, it does make it easier for people who miss a class meeting to make up the work, which some do even before the next meeting. Even a student who never misses a class my find it useful- to see more examples of a project, or to get a reminder about when something is due, or even just to check what materials to bring in. It's available 24/7, without having to wait for me to reply to an e-mail. However, if you have any questions that aren't answered here, you are welcome to e-mail me and I will usually get back to you within a day.
