Today's Class- Today we began our last new medium of the semester, the conte crayon. These were developed about 200 years ago when a war had created a shortage of other art supplies. Unlike the wax crayons familiar from childhood, these are made from pigments mixed with a clay base. They are smooth and make precise marks with clean edges. They don't smear easily, so spray fixative isn't needed immediately. This means that they don't blend as easily, but blending stumps (tortillons), erasers, or bits of paper towel will do the job. They can come in any color, but most common are black and the sanguine colors- earth tones ranging from red to brown. I had students buy black and a sanguine as part of their kit this semester.
How to make this up- Today I had students do two still life drawings, with a collection of familiar objects. We did one using the black crayon first, since the effect is similar to the charcoal that you are all familiar with. In the second half of class I had students do a drawing with just their red crayon. With the latter one the overall value range will be less, but a range of relative lights and darks can be achieved. Above and below are student examples from previous semesters. An additional example and the specifics of how to make up the assignment can be found here.
These are portfolio exercises that must be made up by the last day of class to receive full credit.
Homework- Assemble a set of dining utensils- fork, knife, and spoon. Lay them on a table in front of you, all different directions. Draw the whole set on a page in your sketchbook using the black crayon, including any cast shadows and reflections in the metal. Then draw the same set up with your red crayon on a new page. Rearrange the three utensils and then draw again with the black and then the red. Total of four drawings.
For next class 12/4/15- We will continue with conte crayons, this time combining the red and black in the same drawing to simulate the effect of a traditional chiaroscuro drawing.
Bring your 18" x 24" pad, both red and black conte crayons, pencil eraser, and anything you wish to use to aid in blending.
Today's Class- The focus of today's class was a look at printmaking, an art form in which the finished art is usually produced from a fixed matrix (such as carved wood, etched metal, litho stones, silkscreens, etc) so that multiple identical copies can be made quickly. However, an exception to the multiple process is the monotype, in which the art is offset from a perfectly smooth surface that can't absorb the ink. The ink is manipulated on the surface until the artist is satisfied with the result and then it's printed onto paper, so that the drawing is essentially completed before it ever touches the paper. I showed slides with examples of the various print processes used in the past 6 centuries, as well as examples from some professional print artist friends of mine, and a few examples of my own work. Then I set up everyone with some materials and put out some still life stuff for everyone to work from. Time was saved at the end for a class critique of last week's ink wash drawings.
How to make this up-
Monotypes are printed from flat non-porous surfaces, such as glass, plexiglass, metal, or plastic. The glass from a dollar store 8"x 10" frame works fine (I recommend taping the edges with masking tape to avoid cutting your fingers while handling it) but today some students were able to make use of old plastic cafeteria trays found by our classroom sink. Few art supply stores carry oil based printing ink, but oil paint will work and I had students buy a small tube of black in their semester supplies. We are not allowed to use toxic solvents or thinners in our building, but regular common vegetable oil (such as canola) works just fine for the purpose and I provided everyone with a small paper cup of it, along with some cotton swabs for drawing (a paint brush- bristles or back end- can be used, along with paper towels, stiff edges of mat board, etc. no rules here.) Paper from your big pads or sketchbooks can be used to print on, placing a piece on the inked plate and gently rubbing the back to transfer the paint to the paper. Above and below are student examples. Instructions on how to make this up can be found here. Or if you prefer, wait until the next time you are in and ask me for details. This is a portfolio exercise and must be made up by the last day of class to get credit.
Homework- Because this is a new process and extremely messy, I am not assigning any related homework this week. Since most of you are missing one or more homeworks, I suggest you use the time to catch up on one you have missed. All homework assignments can be found by looking back through this blog.
Next week's class will be held on Wednesday November 25th at the usual time and place. Orders from OCC.
For next week 11/25/15- We will start our last new medium of the semester, the conte crayon. This is a clay based medium, sticks a little harder than wax crayons and charcoal. They can be used to draw shapes with hard edges, but also can be blended. On the list of materials I put black and red (sanguine) crayons. Bring those, your 18" x 24" pad, and erasers.
Today's Class- Today we concluded our study of ink wash as a value medium with a graded ink drawing. I brought back my wooden tripod and a potted plant with long vines and set it up in the middle of the room. Full light, so this was about matching local values more than dealing with light and shadows on surfaces. And thanks to the college bookstore's decision to discontinue selling fine art paper, and the decision to donate it to art department, students all had the opportunity to try this process with a heavy weight paper, far superior to the thin white paper in the large pads. The drawings were collected and will be returned graded next week, following a class critique. Below are some examples of this project from previous semesters.
How to make this up- For the first time this semester, everyone on the class roster was present in class, so everyone did the project. We are done with ink for semester, but it will be an option for the final drawing of the semester in a few weeks.
Homework- Find 3 leaves from 3 different species of tree. Can be still alive or in various states of turning color. Lay them on a table and sketch them, first with pencil contours and then use the ink wash to match the values of all the leaves. Then rearrange the leaves and draw the set again. Total of two pages of sketches.
For next class 11/20/15- We are going to move away from traditional drawing for one week and experiment with a closely related printmaking process, called monotype. Unlike most forms of printmaking, the image is created on a perfectly flat non-pourous surface, and completely manipulated before begin printed, so essentially the drawing is completed before it ever touches paper. You will need some kind of printing plate. Common choices are glass, plexiglass, or even metal. (the glass from a dollar store 8" x 10" frame works well) In place of traditional printing ink, bring a small tube of black oil paint. Also bring your brushes. I'll provide mat cards, cotton swabs, and the vegetable oil we'll use to thin the paint and clean everything. For paper you can use sheets from your large pad, cut down to size. Reminder, the week of Thanksgiving our class will meet on Wednesday afternoon from 2:00 to 5:30 pm. Plan ahead.
Today's Class- The class is done with charcoal now, be we continued with exploring value with a new medium- ink wash. This is a process where we use liquid drawing ink, which is diluted with water to achieve various levels of value and is applied with a brush. I showed a few slides, a mix of historical and student work from earlier semesters. I also showed a demonstration piece from several years ago, simulating the progress as the ink gets darker. After that the class did a couple of portfolio exercises, working with white objects and drapery, so students could gain some familiarity with the medium. The last part of class we had critique of last week's charcoal drawings, which were returned graded.
How to make this up- You will need to set up a still life involving some white drapery, a few white or very light colored objects, all with direct lighting to create patterns of light and shadow. Sketch the set up lightly with pencil on a page of your 18" x 24" paper. Fill a small container (cup, can, etc) with water and add a few drops of your black drawing ink. Test the wash on some scrap paper or a corner of your drawing. If the value matches what you want to work with, go ahead and start applying it to the page wherever you don't want white. If the wash isn't dark enough, add a few more drops; if it's too dark, add some more water. Once you have applied the tone everywhere it needs to be and the paper is more or less dry, add a few more drops of ink, and add this darker tone where appropriate. Continue the process until the darkest areas of the drawing match the darkest parts of your set up. Above and below are student examples of this exercise. More student examples and specifics on how to make up the assignment can be seen here.
Ink wash drawing has some similarities to watercolor, so if you have some experience with that it should come naturally. The big difference is that once the ink is in the paper it is permanent and can't be lifted out as watercolors can. When the ink is very wet, you may be able to blot it up with a paper towel, so keep one handy.
Homework- Attach a white cloth to a wall or something tall, and let the end gather on a table or other horizontal surface. Place a white or light colored object on the horizontal part (like the images above) and light to create strong light and shadow patterns. Sketch on a page in your sketchbook using pencil, then ink wash to match the values. Replace the white object with a different one and do a second drawing. Total of two drawings.
For next class 11/13/15- We will do a graded drawing using the ink wash. Bring your 18" x 24" pad, bottle of ink, brushes, and two water containers. You have the option of bringing an equivalent sized piece of watercolor paper instead, hot press is recommended. Such paper absorbs water better and allows the artist more control, but your grade won't be affected if you just go with the paper in your pad.
