TEXTURE: Single Object

Grace Burroughs

Travis Templeman

Last night the class began their investigations in Texture. Two things to keep in mind when making texture drawings 1. You are essentially drawing values and 2. You don't need to draw every single detail. Like all observational drawing, one should capture the elements that are most important to them rather than merely trying to copy the subject. This is the case for Travis' drawing. His subject is a pine cone but he created an interpretation of the pine cone instead of copying it. The solid shapes of value establish a well balanced design. The surface of the drawing has a simulated textural quality representing the end grain of wood or the rings of a tree.
Grace has employed a layering method with her materials. First establishing a base tone with both additive and reductive techniques. Secondly, developing the details with lines and hatch marks.

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.

TEXTURE: Detail Study

Margaux Fallon

Last night students turned in portfolios and worked on texture drawings. The majority of class made detail studies of textures. The objective was to draw the texture without revealing the outer contours or identity of the object. Margaux's drawing above illustrates the amoebic-like patterns of the inside of an abalone shell. Notice how the image is divided into four arcing sections with varying amounts of detail and mark-making. The values are rich and varied in size sustaining rhythms that are complementary to the arcing flow into the upper right-hand corner.

TEXTURE: Single Object

Meghann Lyon

Last night the class made drawings addressing the values and textures applied to a single object. Meghann's drawing above exhibits rich values and inventive textures created by stamping with the kneaded eraser as well as reductive drawing in general. Observe how the soft, flowing contours are rendered more with contrasting values and less with hard contour lines.

PORTFOLIOS ARE DUE TOMORROW WED. 3

see the list above

ADDITIVE AND REDUCTIVE DRAWING: Erasers vs. Charcoal

Stevie Young

In addition to everything covered to date, the objective last night was to explore use of the "eraser" as a drawing tool. The white eraser is your "work horse". It can remove or at least diminish bold, dark areas of value. The kneaded eraser may be shaped but more importantly you may "stamp" with it lightening tonal areas. In the drawing above, Stevie has very effectively used both of these erasers to create the highlights but even more impressive is the textural qualities. The values of this drawing are rich and contrasting illustrating a great sense of volume and dimension. She has accurately addressed the categories of light and local values of the two objects. In addition, the two objects exhibit different textural compositions of wood and metal achieved primarily with the eraser complemented with additive charcoal.

TEXTURE: Simulated Texture

Alex Gabriel

Last night students made drawings of textural objects (i.e. bark, leaves, pine cones, feathers, etc.) Alex's drawing above is rich with value and mark-making. Swirling and flowing marks capture the fluidity of the wood grain. Texture drawings are essentially value drawings so contrast is key to capturing the subtle variations of color and volume. Furthermore, the success of Alex's drawing is due in part to his use of additive as well as reductive drawing techniques. Notice how the light areas "pop" through the marks and darker tonalities.

HOMEWORK #8 TEXTURE: Continuous Field

Mike Koonce

In a 4 x 5 in. frame, in your sketchbook, using graphite pencils, draw a continuous field composition of an actual texture (from a real object observed). Your image should only exhibit the details of the texture not the edges of the object. In the image above, the edge of the leaf is out of the image area. It may help to light your subject with a single light source to cast shadows from all the peaks and valleys of the texture. Remember, texture drawings are essentially value drawings. Contrast and gradations are very important for establishing visual interest as well as depth.

5/10 TEXTURE: Single Subject, Continuous Field and Portfolios

Philip Elias

Class began with a lecture on the categories of Texture: 1. Actual 2. Simulated 3. Symbolic 4. Invented. From there the class made single subject studies of variously textured objects. The goal was to render the texture but to also capture the physical character of the form. For instance, Philips drawing of an oyster shell exhibits the hard and rough nature of the shell surface and structure. Throughout the drawing are subtle, hair-line contours and tonalities illustrating the surface and light patterns.

Shae Hudson

In the afternoon, we discussed the compositional strategy of Continuous Field. A continuous field composition is one where the image extends out of the format on all four sides. Shae's drawing of drift wood has taken on a life of its own totally removed from its source. He has created an abstract and distorted image of organic forms sunken into and stretching across a dune-like landscape. The soft touch and subtle transitions in value bring a delicacy to the drawing that is complemented by its 4 x 5 inch dimensions.

5/8 TEXTURE: Continuous Field

Stephany Valencia

Students continued with texture drawings. We discussed the concept of a continuous field composition. A continuous field composition has no horizon line; the image extends outside the format on all four sides. Although the drawing above is not a continuous field it is an intriguing and surreal rendering of a magnolia seed pod. The combination of tone and cross-contour lines addresses the texture while adding volume and depth as well.

Homework #5 Texture Detail

In a 4 x 5 in. format, in your sketchbook, using graphite pencils draw a continuous field composition of a texture. Your image should only exhibit the details of the texture. This is basically a value assignment. In order to rendering texture in an interesting and believable way, the values must be fully developed.
Do not draw the shape of the object. The drawing above is a sponge and notice that the edges of the sponge are outside of the image area.

MON. 3/26 SIMULATED TEXTURE: The Jungle

Patrick Maxwell: drawing in progress

Students began drawings addressing light and dark value rhythms and simulated textures. Light and dark rhythms create directional movement through a composition by employing similar values and textures. Simulated textures are an artisit's interpretation of actual textures. Patrick's drawing above has yet to address the values though even at this stage a rhythm has been establish by repeating similar forms and textures. Notice how your eye wanders through the composition following a path the the sunflowers.