PEN AND INK: Mini Sculptures

Michelle

Rachel

Rio

Last night the class made little sculptures out of clay and wood scraps and then drew them using pen and ink. Michelle's drawing illustrates the more expressive qualities of drawing with ink using a twig. By diluting the ink with water, she achieved various tonalities of gray. They angles of the sculpture combined with the drawing style and tonal range have created a very powerful and weighted image. Rio and Rachel have both used traditional quill nibs. Throughout their images they have employed the various techniques of hatching and stippling indicative of pen and ink drawings. Notice that each technique addresses light and form while also suggesting texture.

WET MEDIA: Pen and Ink

Last night the class began working with pen and ink. As an introduction to the materials and techniques we played the Surrealist game "The Exquisite Corpse." The techniques addressed in class were: 1. hatching and cross-hatching 2. stippling 3. scribble 4. pattern.

MIDTERM

Diana

Emily

Jennifer

All this week the class was working on their Midterm Drawings during portfolio review. The still life consisted of all white objects. The objective was to create a balanced composition addressing light and form. Diana's drawing is well balanced illustrating soft, even values of a high key range. The dark areas are very well balanced against the lighter areas adding support to central forms.
Emily has also employed a high key value range. The placement of the forms encloses the negative areas allowing the gradation in the background to support the still life.
Jen has managed to engage with all four sides of the picture plane. The values are rich, skillfully addressing the light and form. The full value range is complemented with energetic and dynamic mark-making.

COMPOSITION: Atmospheric Perspective

Leslie

Rio

Last night the class made drawings employing the Distal Cues specifically addressing atmospheric perspective. Both compositions above exhibit strong attention to the negative areas as well as the edge of the paper. Notice that the objects touch all four sides of the paper. Leslie's drawing exhibits a high horizon line, located in the top third of the paper. The objects are very well proportioned to the paper. The horizon line in Rio's drawing is off the page, above the image area. Again the forms are large with boldly rendered values. Both drawings have very well balanced compositions illustrating the importance of paying attention to the relationship between positive and negative areas. In addition, the two drawings have successfully divided the space into foreground, middleground and background, a key component of using atmospheric perspective.

VALUE: Still Life

Jennifer

Last night the class continued with the concepts introduced last week. Instead of imagining the ideal solids the class drew from a still life. The objective was to touch at least two sides of the picture plan and to start the process of developing values by addressing one at a time throughout the composition. In other words, place all the white areas, then light gray, dark gray and lastly black. Once a base value had been established throughout, the values were then modeled to add volume.

COMPOSITION: The Distal Cues

Dylan

Jennifer

Ryan

Last night the class made drawings employing the Distal Cues (more info on that in the tab above). The objective for these drawings was to create a composition addressing the Distal Cues and touching 3 to 4 edges of the paper. Notice in Dylan's drawing the absence of pure white and black. Working primarily with a midtone value range creates a very unified and calming, somewhat somber atmosphere.
In contrast to Dylan's, Jennifer's drawing is very dynamic with a full range of values and energized and active mark-making accentuating the volume of the forms and suggesting turbulence in the background.
Ryan has very effectively used value for dramatic effect. The objects appear as if they are about to be pushed forward by an incoming dark mass. The dynamics of the values is increased by using extreme contrasts of white and black juxtaposed against each other. The forward thrust is enhanced by the tilt of the cube.