PROPORTIONS: Identifying the Ideal Solids

Dylan Murdoch

Emma O'keefe

Last night we discussed Proportions and the measuring technique called "sighting". The first thing to consider when addressing the proportions of things is style and genre. The proportions for cartoon characters is very different than the those of realistic or even idealized proportions. That said, our objective was to develope accurate proportions of the still life objects. Dylan's drawing (top) effectively relates and compares the various parts of the vase. Notice his use of vertical lines enclosing the negative space. Emma's drawing (bottom) reveals a sphere located within the structure of the pitcher. Locating and rendering the ideal solids will increase your drawing speed, because they are easier to draw, and strengthen the volume because they help define structure and placement of values.

LINEAR PERSPECTIVE: Building a Better Box

Liz Bufton

Michelle Reardon

Last night we discussed One-Point and Two-Point Linear Perspective. The class made drawings from a still life of blocks addressing the perspective, proportions, line quality, values and imagined textures. Liz's drawing (top) illustrates evenly, rendered gradations and complementary line quality. The mood of the piece is light with short shadows suggesting mid-day light. In contrast, Michelle's drawing is dark and solemn. The bold lines are very complementary to the slight distortions in the forms making them appear heavy and grounded. The mood of the drawing is enhanced by the grainy quality of the surface which helps to unify the objects with the space.

DISTAL CUES: Composing with Ideal Solids

On Friday class began with a discussion of the Ideal Solids and rendering the categories of light. After the lunch break we used the aforementioned forms to create images addressing the Distal Cues, categories of light, texture and mood. The images below illustrate two very different settings in light and atmosphere. The top image exhibits the cold, stark lighting of a wintery night. The bottom image is a warm, hazy afternoon light. In addition, both drawings effectively use diagonals within the location and placement of the objects. Eduardo has created a zig-zag up the center of the composition like a slithering snake whereas Nicole has an implied diagonal between the two spheres and triangulation with the placement of the cylinders.

Eduardo Gonzales

Nicole Stender

DISTAL CUES: Composing with the Ideal Solids

Amelia Ketzer Dean

Last night we covered the six Distal Cues for creating depth within a composition (see menu above for more info). Amelia has created a very rich and mysterious image. The value range consists of mostly low key values suggesting a dark environment possibly naturally illuminated by the moon shining through a window. Her mark-making is expressive but does not dismiss the cross-contours of the objects. The table edge activates the negative space while adding a sense of the unknown leaving the viewer to wonder what lies down below.

SKETCHBOOK

Here's a page from my sketchbook playing around with some of the things addressed in last week's classes. The two drawings on the right are essentially cross-contour studies even though the "accenting" has given the appearance of hatched texture. The small drawing on the left started out as a contour drawing and developed into a line drawing with tone. All drawn with an "F" tip Faber Castell Pitt Pen. NOTE: I'll accept cross-contour studies with homework #1 too.

IDEAL SOLIDS

Last night the class made drawings of the Ideal Solids (standard geometric forms found in many man made objects and some from nature). We also addressed the categories of light to add volume to the forms. The last drawings of the evening explored the tonal and textural applications of the charcoal and erasers through additive as well as reductive drawing techniques.

Techi Brant

 Techi's drawings both exhibit a strong use of linear as well as tonal applications. She has also worked with the eraser to reduce the tones and create white marks. Notice her attention to the cross-contours in the direction of her marks most evident in the cone.

Amy Macinnis

 Amy's drawing illustrates a more realistic approach in the absence of dark contour lines. Instead the planes (or sides)  of the cube are defined by using white lines as highlights or juxtaposing a dark value against a lighter value.

John Burgess

John's cylinder exhibits strong textural qualities as well as addressing the categories of light. Again attention is given to the cross-contours by curving the tonal sweeps around the form.

LINE: Contour vs. Gesture

Yesterday morning began with a discussion on Contour Line drawing followed by a series of studies in contour.

Giana Lawson

Javier Contreras

The two examples above illustrate strong, bold and confident contours. Notice how lines advance and recede depending on their location and value (darks advance, lights recede).
The afternoon session was dedicated to the Gesture drawing techniques. We began with cross-contour studies followed by continuous line drawings. You's drawing below again illustrates the importance of "accenting" the line with dark and light variations as well as thick and thin areas to enhance the sense of volume.

You Nara

We ended class with a series of bone studies drawn in the technique that best suited the requirements of the subject. Both students below chose to use the Mass drawing technique. The antler's exhibit a strong attention to the light and dark patterns as well as strong experimentation with the materials. Eduardo's drawing also illustrates an acute observation of the value patterns. In addition both drawings have effectively used cast shadows to create weight/ gravity and a sense of space or environment.

Celindrea Debuck

Eduardo Gonzales