Mon. Feb. 7 PROPORTIONS: Planar Analysis and Organizing Lines

Brian Vance's drawing above illustrates the properties of Organizing Lines and Planar Structure.  Both approaches add volume and structure which leads to greater three dimensionality and proportional accuracy respectively.  Organizational lines provide a scaffolding like system of lines that encloses and unites the positive and negative areas. It is essential in relating the proportions of one object to another and accurately capturing the distance between objects.  The planar lines above are the repeating verticals.  Identifying the planes is most beneficial when applying tonalities.  Combined with the categories of light, the planar compartments dictate how gradations of light to dark should be applied.

Martin Gilbertson's drawing is an excellent example of the Organizational Line technique. Note how the lines create boxes or compartments that isolate positive and negative areas (at base of lantern). He has also initiated the drawing with a central axis line then moving to the edges as well as referring to the Ideal Solids most notably evident with the implied sphere inside the glass.

Thurs. Feb. 3 PROPORTIONS: Simple Forms within Complex Shapes

Thursday 7A  focused on developing accurate proportions. When drawing a shape such as a wine bottle, it helps to draw all the individual forms that make up that shape.  Looking closely at Andrew Robles' drawing above, we can see that a bottle is a cylinder (body), a cone (shoulders) and another cylinder for the neck.  Defining these parts will make proportions more accurate as well as revealing to the artist how the tonalities are to play across the surface of an object.

Avi Scheuenstuhl's drawing is an example of planar analysis. By flattening the curvature of a round object, one can see the planes more clearly.  This is important because placement of values is determined by the planar structure of an object.

Tony Topacio's drawing expands on both of these themes to make an organizational line drawing.  Organizational lines, enclose the positive and negative areas allowing the artist to organize and visualize the parts and their relationships to one another.  Looking closely, one can see the interior structure of this object revealing top and bottom ellipses, the planes around the cylindrical body and the cone on top.