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: Dramatic Effect

Last night the class made value drawings with the objective of exaggerating the lighting conditions for a more dramatic impact. Kayla's drawing exhibits very dramatic contrasts in value. Rich, dark values have been used to increase the strength of the negative areas between the objects as well as push the background. In addition, she has very effectively used atmospheric perspective which sharpens the objects in the foreground and merges the distant objects with the background.

PROPORTIONS AND PERSPECTIVE

Morgan Caricchio

Last night we continued working on proportions with the aid of one and two-point linear perspective. Linear perspective creates the illusion of depth by establishing a consistent horizon line (a.k.a. eye-level) for all objects. The parallel, diagonal edges of these objects will appear to diminish as they recede and converge meeting at vanishing points located on the horizon line. These were "free-hand" drawings. The objective was not perfect perspective but to establish a consistent "eye-level" and to accurately render the blocks as they approach the horizon line (eye-level). Just to be clear, eye-level and horizon line are the same thing.

THURS. 2/2 IDEAL SOLIDS: Creating Spatial Depth

Nemea Laessig

Thursday night began with a slide lecture on "distal ques"; see previous post for more info. Nemea's drawing above exhibits a moderately deep sense of space with a bottom left to upper right movement (cube to cone). It's as if the objects are lined up in diagonal rows. Note how the repetition of forms pulls the "eye" around the composition: remember the "eye" is looking for similarity in form, shape, value and texture. Regarding texture notice that the ground appears to be a different material than the objects.  In addition, all the objects illustrate a strong sense of the "categories of light."

WED. 2/1 IDEAL SOLIDS: Creating Spatial Depth

Dayana Leon

Wednesday night began with a discussion on Distal Ques; a series of strategies for creating depth within the field. The list contains 1. Atmospheric Perspective: objects in the foreground exhibit sharp, crisp edges and details, vibrant, rich colors and values all of which diminish as the objects recede into the background. 2. Proportion and Scale: objects become smaller as they recede towards the horizon line. 3. Location: objects lower on the picture plane appear to be closer where objects higher up appear to be farther away. 4. Overlap and Diagonals: when one form is behind another foreground and background have been established; diagonals suggest depth due to "location", point A is lower, point B is higher. 5. Value: dark values recede; light values advance.

Tues. and Wed. Feb. 1 & 2 COMPOSING W/ IDEAL SOLIDS

Students made drawings using the Ideal Solids developed in the previous evening's sessions.  The objective was to create a sense of deep space by placing the horizon line outside of the image area, place the objects on distant baselines and employ overlapping and atmospheric perspective.
Avi Scheuenstuhl's drawing (top, above) exhibits smooth, warm tones and a strong triangular design.  The warm tones are achieved by only using soft whites.  The triangular design is implied by the placement of the objects.
Donna Holbrook's drawing (middle, above) has a much colder temperature due to her use of high contrasting whites. She has also embarked on a path of separating textures. Notice how course the objects are in relation to the ground plane.
Jennifer Green's drawing (bottom, above) has also created rich textures but here she uses the eraser to push the material around instead of using the grain created by the pencil as in Donna's drawing. The exaggerated contours bring a sense of character to the objects - note the point on the cone in particular.  And lastly, the reductive drawing applied to the ground plane has created a strong sense of atmosphere and environment suggesting a wind swept desert.
Below (top) we have a great composition from Brennon Hedman.  We are drawn into the space by the large, cropped sphere and pushed along over the other forms then pulled to the left by the small open cylinder in the corner.  This drawing also exhibits strong use of line and texture not only in the objects but on the ground plane as well.
Lorelle Ross's (below, middle) drawing also exhibits strong use of line and textural qualities. There is a true sense of character and mass to all of the forms achieved through additive and reductive drawing techniques.
Patrick Kirven's drawing (below, bottom) could use a bit more emphasis in the core shadow but the strength of the piece lies within its composition. We are drawn in from the lower right corner and led through the space in a snake like wiggle up to the upper right corner.  Furthermore, Patrick has strategically balanced the left corner by placing a dark mass moving in towards the center.

HOMEWORK #10: Atmospheric Perspective

Make a drawing exhibiting the qualities of Atmospheric Perspective.  Your subject may be anything from a room or outdoor space to the surface arrangement of objects on a table.  Furthermore, your drawing may be imagined, observed or even better a combination of the two.  You may use any media on 18 x 24 in. drawing paper. The two student drawings above are excellent examples of the potential uses of atmospheric perspective.  In the medical box drawing, note how the clarity and intensity fades moving towards the upper right corner.  In the wheels and pipes drawing, the student observed the objects in reality but rearranged and multiplied them to create a design of stacked objects moving back in space.

11/17 Atmospheric Perspective and Developing Space

Wednesday we revisited the concept of Atmospheric Perspective.  Previously, we had applied the concept to the still life.  Wednesday we addressed its application to create a sense of space.  If you remember, the basic qualities of atmospheric perspective are the separation of foreground, middle ground and background.  Values, textures and colors are rich, sharp and detailed in the foreground and progressively diminishing as you move towards the background.  The assignment was to draw the hallways of Analy Hall but rather than merely illustrate linear perspective, the students were instructed to be more subjective with the space and lighting conditions.  Tyler Martinez's drawing above exhibits a deep sense of space while his use of concave, contour lines evokes a more animated and surreal hallway rather than the sterile, bathroom like environment that exists in reality.

6/21 Composing Ideal Solids

Today Art 7A continued to work with Ideal Solids.  This time the project was to place the various forms within a composition addressing spatial relationships as well as the categories of light.  Here are two examples by Lexi Mason-Davis (above) and Katelyn Ashby (below). Both of these compositions are playful and inventive.  The extreme change of scale in Lexi's drawing creates a stage complete with balancing act for the various forms while the tilted cones and repetition of the spheres in Kaitlin's drawing not only establishes directional movement throughout the composition but also creates a carnival like environment.

5/5 & 5/6 Division of the Field

Students completed their large scale drawings investigating the Division of the Field. This drawing by Stephanie Mezzanato exhibits a left to right dominance and repeating squares and rectangles.  The pictures in the display case establish a "grouping" while relating to the extinguisher and the walls even with the diagonal bottom. In addition, the textural rendering on the back wall is very nicely done.

Xoe Huffman's drawing is texturally rich combining a mix of patterns and shapes while maintaining a more abstracted rendering of the space.  The tonalities and depth in the frieze are beautifully achieved. This composition also exhibits a left to right movement with the left side establishing foreground moving back into the right.

This stunning drawing from Kate Picchi exhibits a right to left movement back in space.  This is reinforced by the diagonal suggested through the garbage can to the hinges on the door and finally leading up the stairs by way of the railing.  In addition to the strong composition, the line quality and tonalities are very complementary both adding dimension and atmosphere to the image.  This drawing also makes use of atmospheric perspective by leading us from the classroom (foreground) to the hallway (middle ground) and finally up the stairs (background).

HOMEWORK # 11 Atmospheric Perspective

Make a drawing employing atmospheric perspective.  Your subject may be an interior or exterior view or the surface of a table top.  Be creative and inventive with this project but be sure to establish foreground, middle ground and background with the appropriate effects of atmospheric perspective.  You may use any medium. Paper size 18x24 in.  The drawings from class posted below are all good examples as well as the two posted here.

4/27 Two from Tuesday

Here are two drawings from the T/Th class.  (Above) Stan Mishanetz has approached this drawing with distortion and a surrealist/ outsider sensibility.  The drawing has broken away from straight forward linear perspective and in effect has created a more dynamic and intriguing composition.  The space is basically broken down into three sections. 1. A large ground plane. 2. A medium sized shape on the left. 3. The busy compartmentalized shape of the lockers on the right.
(Below) James Conrad has also taken some liberties with his rendering of the space at Analy Hall.  By arcing his converging lines, he has created a push back into the hall that creates a rolling sensation.  It makes for a more animated sense of the space, as if we were moving through it.  He has employed atmospheric perspective by giving more clarity and richness to the lines and tonalities of the objects in the foreground while lessening the intensity and allowing the shapes to fade as they recede into space.  Both of these drawings are perfect examples of "Making Something Out of Nothing".  In other words, their drawings are infinitely more interesting than the actual space they reference.

4/26 and 4/27 Atmospheric Perspective

Atmospheric Perspective takes into consideration the atmospheric conditions when rendering deep space.  There is more to rendering the atmosphere than just fog, smog, or rain.  Even clean, clear air has an effect on the way we observe space.   The concept of Atmospheric Perspective divides a space into three levels: 1. foreground 2. middle ground 3. background.  Objects in the foreground have sharper details and textures, richer values and brilliant colors.  As objects recede into a space details and textures diminish while values and colors lose their intensity.
The drawing above by Alan DeMarche uses a combination of concepts. The space is rendered in One-Point Linear Perspective.  He also uses the element of atmospheric perspective that diminishes details as they recede into space. The use of dark values also aids in pushing the space back as the lighter values in the foreground advance.

2/1 Composing Ideal Solids

Monday night we made drawings composing with the Ideal Solids from the previous week.  The brief lecture introduced four concepts for creating depth: 1.) overlapping forms 2.) diminishing scale of objects as the recede into the distance 3.) value; dark values recede, light values advance and lastly 4.) atmospheric perspective: the influence of atmospheric conditions on the forms within a composition.  Atmospheric perspective (a.k.a. aerial perspective) breaks the composition into three levels; foreground, middle ground and background.  Objects in the foreground have crisp, sharp details with rich, intense values and colors.  As objects recede into the distance, their size diminishes, their edges and details become fuzzy or blurred and the values and colors lose their intensity. Drawing by Kate Picchi.