PEN AND INK: Tondo

Brandon

Diana

Jill

Rachel

Ryan

Last night the class made drawings within a circular format (aka Tondo). The tondo introduces a number of effects on compositional balance. 1. It changes the speed and flow around the border. 2. It creates interesting negative areas. 3. It has the potential to draw the viewer into the space or suggest a "zoomed in" effect. And lastly, it sets up a pleasing contrast to vertical subjects. This is evident in Brandon's drawing. His hatching is very meditated and even. The grid, tile-like background adds to the stability of the image.
Diana's drawing illustrates an exploration in technique. Each object has been rendered with a different method adding to the individuality of the forms as well as a textural element.
The tondo format has created a very focused composition in Jill's drawing. It seems to highlight the small water pale in the foreground.
Rachel's drawing has soft light with smooth transitions in tonality indicative of the "stipple" technique.
Ryan has created a tonally rich image with a full range of values and mark-making that addresses light and form.

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.

INK: Clay Sculptures Drawn

Today the class made mini sculptures out of clay and then drew them.

Ari McCool

David Covarrubias

Georgia Bourdens

Luke Mello

The drawings here represent a wide range of mark-making. Ari's drawing is very textural employing very fine line work flowing over the surface of the driftwood. David has used a generalized hatching technique throughout focusing his attention on the volume of the forms. Georgia again has focused on a combination of light, form and atmosphere with a variety of mark-making. Lastly, Luke has taken a very graphic approach with a cleanly illustrated figure addressing light and form through a variety of short and long hatch marks.

INK: Tondo Compositions and Subjective/ Space

Jim Paschal

Sabin Thapa

Friday morning began with ink drawings applied to a tondo composition. Jim's drawing above exhibits a strong, crisp light rendered with hatching and cross-hatching. Sabin's drawing, below it, is a very focused and zoomed-in composition. The negative areas are especially participatory in the arrangement. Again the drawing illustrates hatching techniques with a full range of values. Notice the repetition of the half moon or quarter round shapes throughout.

Apollonio Fontanilla

Lyric Croxford

In the afternoon, the class drew from a large still life arrangement. Apo's drawing (top) is rendered in  cartoonish contours with organic, wavy hatches addressing the wrinkles and surface variations of the objects. Lyric's drawing (bottom) is an illustrative and objective approach to addressing the light patterns and various textures. The side view of the still life allowed for a deeper rendering of the space and the ability to apply atmospheric perspective.

INK: The Subjective and Space

Amy Harris

Randall Little

Last Wednesday the class drew from a large still life arrangement. The objective was to employ a more subjective style and address the space.  Amy has focused on the contours with minimal hatching and stippling to render the surface of the objects and the background. Her attention to the space is frontal, stable and direct. Randall's drawing in contrast has more depth and dynamics because of the  diagonals and high contrasting values.

INK: Tondo Compositions

Crysta Maguire

Gretta Collaso

Martin Little

Last night the class made still life drawings within a circular format aka the "Tondo." The circular format creates a very focused and zoomed in appearance. The movement around the format is fluid in comparison to the abrupt turns of the standard rectangle or square. This creates for interesting contrasts against vertical and horizontal lines within the image. In addition, it forces the artist to make new considerations of the negative areas.

INDIA INK: The Exquisite Corpse and Bones

Last Friday began with a game of the "Exquisite Corpse." The class explored the various mark-making techniques using pen and ink. Notice in the drawings below the techniques of hatching, cross-hatiching and the use of patterns. In addition, the middle section of the top drawing is drawn with a brush.

In the afternoon, the class made drawings from bones. Ruth's drawing of an antler illustrates the hatching and cross-hatching techniques. She has very skillfully used light and dark rhythms to address the peaks and valleys of the surface. Notice the importance of the cast shadow to create the bend in the antler.

Ruth Hickman

INK: Bones

Benjamin Farren

Elijah Schwarz

Joanna Alvarez

Last night the class made pen and ink drawings from bones. Ben has very keenly observed the volumes and details of the bone with a very "objective" eye. The placement of the bone penetrating or receding into space is particularly effective and dynamic. Elijah's drawing of the skull is more "expressive" in his mark-making and use of tone. The contrasting lines and tonalities accentuate the volumes while adding a dramatic intensity to the light. Joanna's drawing is more "subjective" with her stylization of the thick and thin contours. The wavy, organic lines are very complementary to the form and add a sense of texture.

INK: The Exquisite Corpse

Now that we've returned from Spring Break, the class will begin working with India ink. As an introduction we played a round of the "Exquisite Corpse." This is a great way to explore the possibilities of image development as well as exploring the various techniques of hatching, stippling and invented mark-making or patterns. The top drawing in particular illustrates a wide variety of techniques. The bird head is mostly parallel lines and hatches with cross-hatching for greater value contrast. The fish torso employs hatching and stippling techniques and the squid legs add pattern for a simulated texture.

INK: Wash Drawing

Megan Svendsen

Ray Colby

Last night the class began working with wash. When new to this technique it is best to choose a subject with clearly defined planes, like blocks, boxes, paper bags, etc. The approach is simple. 1. Mix a solution of ink and water for the lightest gray tone (mixing ink is like all other mediums, "dark into light", in other words it is preferable to add ink to water, not the other way around). Apply this wash to the entire surface except the areas you wish to be white. Allow to dry (a hair dryer will speed things up.) 2. Using the same wash or with a bit more ink added, apply the next wash to everything except what is to remain white and the first gray. 3. Continue layering washes until you reach the desired tonalities. Note: It is important to allow the washes to dry completely between layers for the utmost clarity and definition of tone.

INK: Tondo or Circular Formats

Ashley Garr

Ian Moon-Wainwright

Megan Svendsen

Last Wednesday students had the option of working within a circular format (tondo) or a rectangle. The circular format creates a more intense focus on the objects as well as changing the dynamics of the negative space. Notice how the approach of touching or activating two to three sides of a format still applies. Ashley's drawing at the top is rich with contrasting values as well as exhibiting strong attention to the local values. Ian has opted for the rectangle and emphasizing the light patterns instead of the volumes of the forms. And Megan has applied the hatching technique at various lengths achieving even gradations. Of particular note in her drawing is the background pattern complete with a gradation.

INDIA INK: Wash drawings

Eduardo Arango Lopez

Friday morning began with small scale drawings in wash. Eduardo's drawings are tonally rich exhibiting a broad range of wash and line techniques. The objects are heavy and ground.

Eduardo Arango Lopez

You Nara

In the afternoon the class made full sheet drawings from a large scale still life. Again, Eduardo created a powerful image rich with texture and value. His marks are fluid and expressive perfectly complementing the subject and adding an air of Old West.
You's drawing in contrast presents a ghostly vision of the still life with high key valued objects and  reserving the dark values for the negative space. The composition has been compartmentalized isolating and organizing the forms as though they were placed on a shelf in a curio shop.

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.

INDIA INK: Wash drawings

Techi Brant

Jack Ryan

Last night the class began working with India Ink and wash techniques. Techi's drawing above is rich in value exhibiting good volume and a strong sense of light. The vertical brush strokes in the background suggest an outdoor environment and a perfect contrast to the horizontal strokes predominant in the objects.
Jack's drawing is from last week. He has successfully rendered the light and volumes with the stipple technique. This too is a perfect contrast to the cross-hatch technique in the background and the rhythmic hatches within the shadows.

INDIA INK: Exquisite Corpse and Still Life

Friday morning began with a game of the Exquisite Corpse. This is one of the strongest group displays I've seen yet. All of the work exhibits strong use of value techniques and line quality. Well done and a fun game.

Dorothy Fast

In the afternoon, students practiced the various techniques of value and mark-making on a still life. Dorothy's drawing illustrates the strength and graphic qualities of working with pen and ink. The contours swell and the values are rich. She has effectively used darker forms to recede allowing the objects in the foreground to advance. Her attention to the negative areas between the forms and in the background enhances the contours of the forms as well as re-enforcing depth and space.

INDIA INK: The Exquisite Corpse

Monday night students began working with India ink. To become familiar with the medium and explore the various techniques, the class played a round of the Surrealist game "The Exquisite Corpse".  The drawings above illustrate the techniques of parallel and cross hatching, short hatching, scribble, stippling and drawing with a brush.

LINE: Contour and Extended contour drawings

Here's an example of a contour from my sketchbook. You don't have to draw only single objects but rendering a space or room is a good challenge as well, as in the R. Crumb example shown in class. My drawing started on the right with the corner of the countertop. I progressed to the left rendering the end table. I bounced back and forth a bit when rendering the couch and the baby activity box thing in the bottom left corner.

ballpoint pen

This next drawing has contour studies in ballpoint pen layered below the India ink pen. I tend to draw on the same page in layers. I almost did with the drawing above but resisted so I could show an example of "true" contour.The drawing of the utensils (below) is mostly contour with a few areas of solid, flat tone added for clarity and balance. Feel free to try something like this in your homework as well.

Faber Castell Pitt pens and ballpoint (with some marker from my 5 yr. old)

INDIA INK: Large Scale Wash Drawings

Joe Mulcaire

Last night the class continued working with ink wash. The large still life was rendered on full sheets of paper (18 x 24 in.). Joe's drawing above is very well composed. Bold rectangles and vertical stripes divide the top of the composition in the negative areas while smaller groupings of rectangles divide the lower portion. Although the drawing primarily exhibits a high key value range, it is still very complete.

INDIA INK: wash drawings

Erin Deacon

Last night the class made wash drawings. The approach was to work in layers allowing the ink to dry between applications. Erin's drawing above exhibits rich, distinctive values within a well balanced composition. Rather than having one object dominate the center, she has opted for a grouping of three. The variations in the background are achieved by working wet into wet.