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.

VALUE: Local Value 3

Emily

Jennifer

Ryan

Last night we continued with Value. The objective was to render three objects with three different local values; dark, medium and light. Emily's drawing clearly illustrates the three different local values. Furthermore, she has rendered each object with volume and light without employing contour lines. The edges are defined with contrasting values. Volume and light is illustrated with smooth, even gradations.
The objects are very well proportioned to the paper's dimensions in Jennifer's drawing. She has emphasized the light patterns. This is most evident in the reflections of the dark vase. In addition, the negative space is divided into two rectangles with the inclusion of the horizontal line suggesting the table edge.
Ryan, too, has divided the negative space with a horizontal line. His drawing is different in that he has used line and tone together. The two elements are very complementary, neither over powering the other, both striving to address form and volume. Like Emily's drawing, the bold values and smooth gradations illustrate the light and volume of the forms.

VALUE: Seeing the Light in White

Last night we started discussing Value: the gradations between light and dark. The objective was to render the categories of light observed on white objects. Emily has very skillfully rendered the value and light patterns with soft, even and gradual transitions from light to dark. In addition, she has energized the form with a zig-zag pattern, indicative of wavelengths or wood grain, in the negative areas.
Jennifer's drawing is more expressive with rapid cross-hatched marks to address the light and value patterns. The tonal shapes are bold and lively adding weight to the cast shadow and propelling the light value of the object forward. Where Emily's drawing is more symbolic or iconic exhibited in an open and undetermined space, Jennifer's drawing, with a background that is more about light than pattern or texture and with the inclusion of the table edge,  presents a sense of the environment surrounding the object.

IDEAL SOLIDS

Dylan

Jessica

Last night we discussed the Ideal Solids; standard geometric forms found in most manufactured items. We also rendered the forms with value illustrating volume and the categories of light with atmosphere. First we drew each individual form: cone, cylinder, open cylinder, cube and sphere. We concluded the evening with a demo on materials and their application. Everyone then chose one of the Ideal Solids to draw exploring the materials and techniques. (Click the tabs above for more info on the Ideal Solids and the Categories of Light).
In the drawings above, the form was sketched out with vine charcoal. Then a base tone was applied with compressed charcoal and smeared into the surface with a paper towel. Next light areas were erased (this is called reductive drawing). From there values were readdressed with compressed charcoal and charcoal pencil.

FINAL PROJECT: The Jungle

All this week students will be working on their final projects, "The Jungle." The objective is to create an image of shallow depth with attention to texture and the categories of light. Here are some examples from previous semesters for reference.

TEXTURE:Still Life

Luke Mello

Yesterday the class continued addressing texture. A still life was arranged with objects of various local values and textures (i.e. wood, metal, organic). Students were allowed to use any medium and to render the still life in the style of their choosing.
Luke has rendered the still life in a traditional manner addressing the local values, categories of light as well as the individual textures of each object. The composition is well balanced with strong attention to the negative areas. Furthermore, the values are rich, rendered in a variety of additive and reductive techniques.

MIDTERM

Georgia Bourdens

Luke Mello

Last Thursday, the class finished the midterm drawings. The two drawings above exhibit well balanced compositions, strong attention to light and form as well as the negative areas.
Georgia's drawing exhibits bold, contrasting values and surface variations that makes the image "pop." Whereas Luke's drawing exhibits a more uniform approach to rendering the light patterns and atmosphere which creates a "cooler," more calming light. Of particular note is the difference in drawing the background and the way the negative space has been addressed.
Luke has invented a textural background with a negative area that emphasizes the still life moving upward. Georgia has focused on the table edge and ground plane moving downward.

VALUE

Georgia Bourdens

On Tuesday, the class made drawings of a single subject addressing local values and the categories of light. Georgia's drawing illustrates the weathered, textural variations in value as well as light and form.

VALUE: Rendering Light

Jessica Baumann

Savannah Church

We've discussed in class how an artist may emphasize light over volume but can't have one without the other. This is due to the fact that light patterns or values are located where they are because of the structure or volume of an object. By applying marks that ignore or even contradict the cross-contours of an object emphasis is placed on the light patterns. The drawings above emphasize the light over volume. Students chose one of two techniques to employ; scribble gesture or a single directional, diagonal hatch. Both drawings have used dark values in the background to contrast against the lighter tonalities within the objects. In addition, take special note of the manner in which gradations are applied to the forms addressing the subtlety of volume.

VALUE: Local Value and the Categories of Light

Angela Bald

Georgia Bourdens

Yesterday the class began working with graphite pencils to address the categories of light observed on all white objects. A gray scale was used to help with the comparison of values. In Angela's drawing at the top,  the exaggeration of the vase texture, the ghostly cast shadow and the shroud-like negative space create a surreal and haunting atmosphere. Georgia's drawing is a more objective rendering of the still life. She has placed great attention to the surface character of the objects as well as the light patterns. Her rendering of the negative space accentuates the lighter areas of the vase.

IDEAL SOLIDS

Desiree Torres

Miguel Jimenez Ochoa

Last Thursday the class made drawings of the five Ideal Solids (see tab above) exploring materials and the techniques for rendering light and form. Desiree's drawing is a realist rendering of the cube form and the light striking it. Notice the absence of bold contour lines. Edges are established by juxtaposing contrasting values.
Miguel has used subtle contours as well. The gradation across the cone is smooth and gradual. In addition, he has implied a horizon line and created a strong sense of atmosphere around the form.

FINAL PROJECT: The Jungle

Here are some highlights of the final projects from Spring 2016. A major difference from previous semesters is the employment of mixed mediums. All previous classes used charcoal materials only.

Shiho Nakagawa

Crysta Maguire

Elijah Schwarz

Graham Metcalfe

Gretta Collaso

Joy Montague

Jesus Cornejo

VALUE: Categories of Light (white objects)

Apollonio Fontanilla

Devin Marshall

Ray Albor Villagomez

Last Friday began with  drawings of white objects. The goal was to address the categories of light. You can see from the examples the techniques range from the expressive and subjective (Apo and Devon) to the objective and tightly rendered (Ray). Notice the combination of tonalities and how they relate to the value scales.

Jim Paschal

In the afternoon, the class drew small still life arrangements with the objective of illustrating three differently valued items (light, medium, and dark). Jim's drawing lies somewhere between the objective and the subjective. He has keenly observed the local values and light patterns of each form and rendered them with even gradations employing the cross-hatch technique.

LOCAL VALUE

Gretta Collaso

 Last night the class made drawings addressing Local Value. The objective was to illustrate the three individual values of each object. The objects in Gretta's drawing are well proportioned to the scale of the paper and all the values are skillfully rendered. Note the way the dark values recede and the lighter values advance. The dark vase is particularly well drawn. She has keenly observed the various highlights and reflected light from the table.

Sam Wingfield

Sam's drawing too is well proportioned. The values are rich and well balanced. The composition is slightly heavier on the left but this is easily remedied by extending the table edge towards the right.

VALUE: Seeing the Light in White (Local Value)

Mikayla Steele

Randall Little

Last night we began working with graphite pencils. Our subjects were white objects. Notice in Mikayla's drawing (top) how the darkened negative space accentuates the form increasing the contrast and strengthening the sense of light. In Randall's drawing the tonalities are very even throughout yet as in Mikayla's drawing the background accentuates the form unifying the positive and negative areas.

VALUE: Still Life

Joy Montague

Natalie Miranda

Monday night the class made value drawings trying to engage with 3 to 4 edges of the paper and employing the Distal Cues. Joy's drawing (top) is well composed with forms as well as values. Notice how she has balanced the dark glove with a dark area in the upper right background. In addition, all of the objects are rendered with strong attention to the categories of light.
Natalie's drawing exhibits large forms and contrasting values complemented with bold contour lines. The location of the values moves the "eye" easily throughout the composition. The turbulent background is a dynamic contrast to the strength and stability of the still life.

VALUE: Distal Cues and Subjective Use of Value

Linda Fleming

Priyesh Shrestha

Last Friday morning began with a discussion on the Distal Cues (see info above). Linda's drawing, top, illustrates overlapping forms, cropped to engage with the edges of the composition and rich values addressing the cross-contours and light.
Priyesh's drawing illustrates a low-key value range as opposed to Linda's high-key values. Again, the forms are overlapping and engaging with all four sides of the composition strengthening the negative areas.

Beni Rodriguez

Devon Ste. Marie-Rubin

In the afternoon, we discussed the various applications of the element Value. The project was to use value subjectively. Beni's dynamic composition is rich in value with advancing lights and receding darks. Notice how he has accented some of the darkest elements with a white line along the contours.
In contrast, Devon's drawing is very fluid, like viewing a rolling landscape on an afternoon drive. The values are well balanced and complimentary to the rhythms of the shapes. In addition, some of the tonalities are combined with a short hatch adding an increased textural element.

INDIA INK: Wash Drawings (Large Still Life)

Techi Brant

Last night students continued drawing with ink wash. Techi's drawing above is well balanced rich with values and mark-making. She has effectively activated all edges of the composition as well as the interspace negative areas. The light and dark values move the "eye" from foreground to back. The dark values support the forms and establish passages for rhythm and movement.