LINE

Last night the class made drawings exploring line quality and gesture techniques.

Chelsie Crily

Chelsie's drawing is an example of the cross-contour approach. Lines move across the frontal contours wrapping the form. There are no outside contours. Notice how she has established a light source by darkening the lines on the left side of the gourd.

Ian Moon-wainwright

Ian's drawing illustrates the continuous-contour method. Lines follow the contours wrapping the form in a cage-like structure. Notice how he has rephrased the outside contours searching and correcting as he moves around the form.

Dalton James

Dalton's drawing is a scribble gesture. Lines fill the form in a tangled web capturing the mass of the form as well as the light. In addition, scribble gestures tend to exhibit textural qualities too. Depending on the mark-making, some are course whereas others may appear soft like lamb's wool.

Michelle Brazis

Michelle has made a drawing that focuses on the negative areas within the still life arrangement. By using the mass technique of drawing with the broad side of compressed charcoal, she addresses the shadows, pockets and valleys around and within the forms. The objective is to "suggest" the forms. Her composition is very well balanced with an wide range of values addressing form as well as space.

DISTAL CUES: Composing with the Ideal Solids

Alondra Maravilla

Ashley Garr

Last night we continued working with the Ideal Solids and arranging them within a composition. First we discussed the Distal Cues (see tab above for more info) as well as "cropping" and engaging the negative areas and the edge of the composition by touching 2 to 3 sides of the paper. Alonda's drawing at the top, touches two sides. The objects are well placed and balanced across the composition. Her light source is consistent and the objects are proportional exhibiting a sense of volume and weight.
 The objects of Ashley's drawing are also well proportioned and placed well on the paper. In addition, she has very effectively used value for volume, light and texture. A very powerful and dramatic image.

IDEAL SOLIDS

Last night the class made drawings of the five Ideal Solids. We explored the various applications of the charcoal medium and erasers for creating light and form as well as a sense of texture. Click on the menu tab above for more info on these standard, geometric forms.

Bret Hardesty

 Bret has created an ambiguous cube by joining one of the planes on both. The shared plane is simultaneously addressing the top of one as well as the bottom of the other. The patches of tone in the negative areas helps balance the dark values on the cube as well as suggesting a sense of atmosphere and depth.

Drew Horton

 Drew has skillfully rendered the volumes of a cylinder with even gradations addressing the categories of light. (Click the menu tab above for more info on the categories of light). The strong contrasting values are complementary to the dark environment of the negative space.

Gavino Baccei

 Gavino's drawing illustrates a more subjective approach to rendering the categories of light and texture.  The dark, wavy edge of the shadow is reminiscent of an alligator's mouth which is further enhanced by the reptilian texture.

Kendra Juul

Kendra's drawing exhibits a soft and ethereal quality. The light application of tonalities and the absence of a cast shadow allows the form to float as if the viewer is in a dreamy, trance-like state.

TEXTURE: Detail Study

Michelle Reardon

Techi Brant

Last night the class made detail studies of textures. The objective was to draw the texture of the object without revealing the subject's form. Michelle's drawing above has taken a subjective approach to rendering driftwood. The image reads more like an abstract, surrealist drawing rather than trying to simulate the wood grain. Techi's drawing of animal teeth is a more objective view of the forms, values and textures.

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.

PORTFOLIOS ARE DUE

Portfolios are due for the Monday/ Wed. class this Wed. 5/6.
Portfolios are due for the Friday class this Fri. 5/8.

The List is above.
All portfolios are due at the beginning of class. Portfolios must be prepared before class and enclosed in a tote style portfolio or between two pieces of cardboard duct taped on one end. No clips. Taping your drawing pad together is an unacceptable portfolio.

PORTRAITS

Celindrea Debuck

Ezra Barbour

Last Friday the class continued working with portraits. Celindrea's drawing at the top exhibits strong handling of the materials addressing both the volumes of the face as well as the light patterns. The hair in particular is well rendered. The shape of the hair is dense and volumetric. Ezra's drawings below exhibit a more a "unfinished" quality yet are equally resolved as the drawing by Celindrea. Ezra has employed a line and tone method of drawing the portrait. The images are less about light and volume and more concerned with the essence and intensity of the expressions of the two models.