Today's Class- Today we began our study of value, the use of light and dark in two dimensional art, which will be a part of the class for the rest of the semester. I started by showing some slides of how value has been used through history. Value can imply form and space, focus attention on a particular part of the image, show texture, indicate time of day, among other things. Then I set up simple still lifes involving all white objects so the class could use different kinds of charcoal to explore the effects of light and shadow. Last week's graded line drawings were returned.
How to make this up- Once again, everyone showed up, so everyone has done the work. We did two drawings, both from still life set ups of all white painted forms and white drapery. For the first one, a page of your 18" x 24" paper was completely covered with vine charcoal, and then the kneaded eraser was used to do a value reduction drawing- using the eraser to draw the light in the still life. After the break, a different approach, using the compressed charcoal to do the value drawing directly on the white paper. The two drawings are both portfolio exercises.
Homework- Set up a still life. Place a box on a table and drape with a white or light colored cloth. Find 3 white or very light colored objects and arrange- one on the box and two around it. Have a direct light on the set up, so that patterns of light and shadow are created. Draw the set up on a page in your small sketchbook using your softest pencil (such as a 4B or 6B), paying attention to all the things we dealt with in line drawing, but now matching the values of light and shadow. Then rearrange the three objects, and draw it again. Do a total of two drawings.
For next class 3/6/15- We will continue with charcoal value drawing, but introducing a variety of local values into the still life. Bring your 18" x 24" pad, both vine and compressed charcoal, your kneaded eraser, and spray fixative.
Today's Class- Tonight we began the design portion of the semester with a new graded project in composing with black and white. The medium for this is the woodblock print and the subject is a book illustration of your choice. I showed a brief history of printmaking slide show, along with slides and copies of student prints, then let everyone get to work. All present students were given a piece of plywood of the type I use. Toward the end of the evening I gave a basic demonstration of safe and effective cutting procedures for using an x-acto knife to cut a wood block.
How to make this up- You can't start cutting the block until you have the wood, and next week I'll have some for those who missed tonight, but you can work on the design on paper before then. The blocks are approximately 6" x 8", and can be used either vertically or horizontally. The subject should be a literary illustration, which can come from a novel, short story, poem, from fiction or non-fiction. No kids books, comics or already illustrated stories. It can be a specific scene, or something that sums up the whole book. It must be representational, but it doesn't have to be realistic to be effective. What I'm looking for here is to have both narrative elements and an interesting black and white design. Above and below are student examples from previous semesters. More detailed instructions and additional student examples can be seen here.
Homework- This graded black and white illustration woodcut project is due at the beginning of class on March 12, 2015. You need to complete the cutting of the block for then. On that day I'll bring in ink and printing tools and we'll print them during the class.
For next week 3/5/15- We are going to start our study of color with a group of portfolio exercises in basic color theory and color mixing. Bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencil and eraser, acrylic paints, brushes, palette, and palette knife.
Today's Class- Today we concluded our specific study of line with a graded project involving a still life of mixed items. It included some things we've seen before (bottle, shoe), and some things we haven't, but nothing too crazy. Students had the entire class period to do a line drawing of the still life that included at least 4 of the objects, but everything in their selected view was to be included. The drawings were collected at the end of the day and will be returned graded next week.
How to make this up- Everyone was in attendance today, and everyone turned it in, so everyone is caught up on this project.
Homework- Set up a still life. Place a low box on a table, and drape with some kind of cloth. Select four objects of similar size, and place one on top of the draped box, and the other three around it on the table. Draw it using pencil line on a page in your sketchbook. Then, leaving everything in place, move yourself to a different position and redraw the same set up again. Total of two drawings.
For next class 2/27/15- We will move on to our study of value drawing, the use of light and dark (shading), which will be a part of your drawing for the rest of the semester. We will start with charcoal, the one most similar to pencil. You will work with two different types of charcoal, vine and compressed, each with different characteristics and advantages. Bring your 18" x 24" pad, both vine and compressed charcoal, a kneaded eraser, and some spray fixative. I recommend wearing dark clothing, as at least some charcoal dust is likely to get on you. It will wash out of your clothes, but short term it may make your light colored clothes look a little grubby.
Today's Class- Tonight we wrapped up the basic drawing portion of the semester with an exercise in value drawing. I started by showing a few dozen slides of historical art (Egypt through 20th Century), pointing out how value can be used in two dimensional art to imply form and build distance, to show texture, to focus attention, to provide a time of day, among other things. Then I set up a still life of all white colored objects so that the class could get a little hands on practice. After we cleaned up, I spent a few minutes talking about next week's book illustration project. The line drawing projects from last week were returned graded.
How to make this up- You will need to set up a still life on a table of all white or very light colored objects. Shine a direct light on it to create distinct patterns of light and shadow. Draw the set up on a full sheet of your 18" x 24" paper, paying attention to objects shapes, space between them, and the value of both individual objects and relative to all else in your view. Use either charcoal or black conte crayon, and whatever method your prefer to blend the material. Above is a student example from a previous semester. Additional examples and the detailed instructions can be found here.
This is a portfolio exercise that must be made up by the end of the semester to receive full credit.
Homework- Nothing new, but if you still owe me one of the first two projects, get it done and bring it in as soon as possible to receive partial credit.
For next class 2/26/15- We will start the more design oriented part of the semester with a project involving woodcut printmaking and composing in black and white. The subject will be a book illustration from a source of your choosing. It can be fiction or nonfiction, novel, short story, or poem, but must be something aimed at an adult level, so no fairy tales or nursery rhymes, nothing already illustrated (no comics), and nothing recently adapted for a Hollywood film. Your illustration can be a single scene from your book, or something that would sum up the whole work, as might be found on the cover. It must be representational, but not necessarily realistic- we're looking for good design combined with narrative. Below are some student examples from previous semesters to give you an idea of the range of graphic design approaches.
You don't need to bring finished illustration ideas to class next week, but you should at least have a choice for your literary source and some possible ideas so you don't use the whole class to come up with an idea. Bring paper (a sketchbook will do fine, big paper not needed next week), pencil and eraser, black markers, and your x-acto knife. I'll provide the wood.
Today's Class- Today we continued our study of line, introducing the idea of perspective. It includes a variety of techniques designed to imply three dimensional space and volume in a two dimensional work. I demonstrated the one point and two point perspective systems, but quickly moved the class into natural perspective, using careful observation, negative space, relative positions, etc to show the objects and the space. The class did two portfolio exercises, one using several identical boxes, and one where some cylindrical objects were introduced to the set up.
How to make this up- Gather several medium size boxes, which you will arrange on a large table. Using a full sheet of your 18" x 24" pad, draw the set up, paying attention to the dimensions and proportions of the boxes, relative positions, negative space between and around the boxes, and specific angles. For the second exercise, add some cylinder forms (cans, etc) to the set up. Draw with pencil, line only. Above is a student example from a previous semester. Another example, and the full instructions can be found here.
These are portfolio exercises that must be made up by the first half portfolio collection to receive full credit.
Homework- Find a flat box (such a cereal or large cracker box) and lay it down on a table. Find 3 medium small bottles (such as soda bottles), and lay them down on their sides so that one has its mouth facing toward you, one is seen in full profile, and one sits at an angle to you. Put one of the box, and the other two in front and draw the still life on a page in your sketchbook using pencil line. Then switch the bottle on the box for one of the other bottles and draw the set up again. Then switch the bottle on the box again for the third bottle and draw again, so that you'll have three sketches, each with a bottle facing a different direction on top of the box. When drawing the box, use perspective to show the box as level.
For next class 2/20/15- We will be doing a complex still life, a mixture of different kinds of objects. It is the final line drawing of the semester and your first individually graded project. Bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencils and eraser.
Today's Class- Tonight we opened with a critique of the stipple drawings that were due. These drawings were graded and returned later. Then I set up a still life and the class did their second graded project of the semester, a pencil line still life.
How to make this up- You will need to set up a still life similar in nature to what the class saw. Place a box on a table, and drape with a piece of cloth, such as a sheet or tablecloth. Then arrange a group of objects on and around the box. For the objects choose 5 of these 6 items:
a hat
a shoe
a bottle
a book
a hand tool
a telephone (land line or cell)
Draw the set up using pencil line, no shading. You may draw surface details and you may use cross contour if you wish. Pay attention to object shapes, proportions of one object to the next, space between objects, and perspective. Spend up to three hours on the drawing. Above and below are student examples of this type of drawing.
Homework- Students who did not yet turn in either the stipple drawing, or tonight's line drawing should complete them and turn them in as soon as possible to receive partial credit.
For next class 2/19/15- The class will do a portfolio exercise in value drawing, just to make sure everyone gets that experience. Bring your 18" x 24" pad, either some kind of charcoal or black conte crayon, kneaded eraser, and if you're using charcoal you'll want to use spray fixative on it as soon as possible.
Today's Class- Today we continued our study of line, doing exercises in gesture drawing and negative space, both of which are helpful in the still life process.
How to make this up- Students did three exercises today. First I put together a display involving flexible young bamboo shoots, and had everyone draw it in a continuously diminishing number of lines, forcing students to reduce the subject to the most essential gestures. Second, I put an old wooden chair in the center of the room, and had everyone draw negative spaces- only the empty shapes found between pieces of wood. Third, I set up a still life of an assortment of large bottles, a practical application of using negative space in a still life drawing. The specific instructions and student examples from previous semesters can be found here.
These are portfolio exercises and must be made up by the 1st half portfolio collection to receive full credit.
Homework- Gather four bottles of similar size (four wine bottles, four soda bottles, four perfume bottles, etc) and place in the center of a table at near eye level. In your small sketchbook, do a pencil line drawing of the set up using a full page, paying attention to bottle size, shape, and location, using negative space to help with the process. Without touching the bottles, move yourself to a different location/viewpoint and draw it on a second page. Then two more positions and two more drawings, for a total of 4 pages of bottle drawings. (an alternative is to have the four bottles on a tray or something else rigid and rotate the whole tray between drawings, so that bottles maintain relative position to each other, but your view is different each time)
For next class 2/13/15- We will continue with line, with a focus on perspective, the idea of representing three dimensional objects and spaces on a two dimensional page in such a way as to make clear to the viewer true size, orientation, and location of the subject relative to the viewing position. Bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencils and eraser. I'll provide the subject.
Today's Class- Tonight we move onto line, a very useful aspect of two dimensional art. I showed about 3 dozen slides of historical art, ranging from cave painting to the 20th century, pointing out how the artists used line and the effects it had on the works. Then the class did a series of portfolio exercises in contour drawing, using the simple subject of shoes.
How to make this up- The class did a series of portfolio exercises in their big pads. Descriptions of the exercises and examples from previous semesters can be found here.
These are exercises and must be made up by the last class of the semester to receive full credit.
Homework- The stipple drawing started in class last week is due at the beginning of class on February 12, 2015. You must bring both the original photo and completed drawing to class. They will be returned graded by the end of class.
For next class 2/12/15- After the critique we will start the next graded project, our final line drawing of the semester. Bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencil and eraser. I'll provide the subject.
