COMPOSITION: Cropping

Jill

Rio

Last night we made a series of studies exploring different ways of "cropping" a single object. Students then chose the best one to develop into a finished drawing. One of the issues raised last night was the use of verticals and horizontals vs. diagonals. Vertical and horizontal compositions, like Jill's at the top, establish stability. Think about architecture. Diagonals as in Rio's drawing, are more dynamic. Placing an object on a diagonal introduces triangular negative areas into the rectangular frame. Cropping, in general, may enclose and/or divide the space resulting in more interesting and active negative areas.

ACTIVATING THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE: cropping

Joy Montague

Shiho Nakagawa

Last Wednesday we started discussing the topic of Composition, specifically different strategies for activating and engaging with the negative areas. Both of the drawings above are "cropped" views of tools emphasizing the most interesting parts rather than trying to fit the whole object on the page. By cropping the objects, the negative areas are isolated playing a more important role in the balance and visual interest of the composition.

COMPOSITION: Positive and Negative Balance / Diebenkorn Studies

Ellen Cox

Ever Arango Lopez

Last Friday morning began with a series of drawings addressing positive and negative balance. Each student drew a single item with the objective of activating the negative areas of the composition. Ellen has employed "cropping" to isolate the negative areas. Her composition spirals outward from the upper right hand corner. The keys also establish a strong bottom left to upper right diagonal with the negative areas between the keys reinforcing this push upward.
Ever's drawing has a strong downward push emanating from the upper left to the lower right. The dynamic foreshortening and directional mark-making add to the velocity of the movement.

Rainey Hoaglin

You Nara

In the afternoon, students drew from individual still life arrangements. Rainey has effectively employed atmospheric perspective in her drawing. We enter the composition at the doorknob and wander back towards the bottle. You has also established a close grouping of objects drawing us in along the backscratcher then allowing us to orbit the objects. Both objects exhibit a strong attention to the location of the objects and balance with the negative areas.

COMPOSITION: Balancing the Positive and Negative Areas

Mika Embroden

Tatiana Guberman

Last night the class made drawings exploring the distribution and division of the positive and negative areas within a composition. Mika has successfully divided the composition into three areas of various sizes (not including the areas within the handles). The location of the handles seems to arc rather than moving in straight diagonals. In contrast, Tatiana's drawing exhibits bold diagonal or triangular shapes within the negative areas. In addition, both drawings illustrate rich textures and values adding to the volume, light and mood.

INDIA INK: Still Life

Erin Currie

Last night the class applied the various techniques introduced on Monday to still life arrangements. Erin's drawing above has a uniform and consistent application of mark-making across the composition. Her observations fall between addressing the light, volumes and textures of the objects and the space. The cropped composition emphasizes the role of the gourd adding a hint of narrative which is complemented by the expressive yet illustrative rendering of the image.

TEXTURE AND COMPOSITION

Diane Toso

Yesterday students made drawings of one textured object in the morning and small still life compositions in the afternoon. Diane's drawing above is one from the afternoon. The objective was to employ "cropping" in order to activate the negative areas strengthening the dynamics of the composition. The pod in the lower left balances the dark negative shape in the upper right. In addition, she has engaged all sides of the composition by isolating all the negative areas of the table top thus elevating their importance.

COMPOSITION continued

Morgan Caricchio

Once again, students made small arrangements of 3 to 5 objects to draw. Morgan has very effectively employed "cropping" within the composition above. The forms and shapes all work as interlocking elements of the "whole." In particular, notice how the black areas establish a rhythm moving from positive (the dots) to negative (cast shadows and background).

COMPOSITION: Balance and Cropping

Grantt Miksis

Last night, students continued with compositional studies exploring balance and cropping in preparation for the final project. Grantt's drawing above has effectively activated the negative areas by cropping the wooden forms. We enter the drawing on the left and follow the overlapping forms to the right. This rhythm is reenforced by the repeating circle motif seen in the two central circles followed by the open circle in the bottom right. The drawing is strengthened by the full range of values and textural elements.

COMPOSITION: Cropping

Brandon O'rourke

Last Wednesday, students made drawings of skulls and employing "cropping", (allowing the subject to go outside the edge of the paper). The objective was to engage the negative areas of the composition. In Brandon's drawing above the black areas of the composition is divided by the antlers creating a series of triangular shapes.