9/28/11 Drawing I

Today's Class- Today we focused on perspective in drawing. We looked at a few slides of how perspective evolved in western art, then did two portfolio exercises that made use of different aspects of perspective.

How to make this up- For each of the following exercises, use one full 18" x 24" page, and draw with the pencil of your choice, line only- no shading.

Two Point Perspective
I discussed different aspects of two point perspective with the class. I used the chalkboard to quickly demonstrate how the process is used to show the exterior corner of a building or similar rectilinear solid. Then I had students return to their seats and distributed a handout with an example of how two point perspective can be used to draw an interior corner of a room and objects within. I had everyone choose a corner of the room to render in two point perspective. At the top of this post is a photo of one corner of our classroom, and below that is a student drawing of that same corner in perspective.

If you are familiar with the process, you can make this up by choosing a corner of a room where you live and draw it in two point perspective. The corner should include a door, a window or other large shape on a wall (framed picture/mirror/poster/etc) and one piece of rectilinear furniture by one of the walls. If you have never drawn in two point perspective before, I suggest you wait to make this up until after I give you the handout and go over the process with you.

Natural Perspective
After the lunch break I put together a couple of still life groupings like the one shown in the photo above. Each had a table, a few rectangular boxes and a variety of cylindrical forms, all at different eye levels. Instead of using two vanishing points, I just asked everyone to draw the set up accurately, paying close attention to the shape and proportions of each object, the relative position of each object (using negative space to find this), and to the specific angles of the box sides and shapes of the cylinder tops. Without a perspective system, it's up to the artist to make sure every line and shape are correct.

To make this up on your own, place a large box on a table, and put two smaller boxes and two cylinders (cans work well) on and around the large box. Draw the whole set up, including the table. Draw exactly what you see, paying attention to the exact shapes of each box surface (top and sides), the shapes around each object, and the relative position of each part of the objects to the other objects.

Both of today's drawings are portfolio exercises that must be made up by the midterm portfolio collection (October 26th) to receive credit, but I recommend completing the box and can drawing before next week as practice for our graded still life project next week.

Homework- Put a box (such as a cereal box, cracker box, or something of similar size) on a table, place two cans on it, and two around it. Draw the set up with pencil line on a full page in your sketchbook, paying special attention to the exact shapes of the box and curves of the cans. Draw the set up from two additional angles (you may rearrange the cans if you like) two more times, for a total of 3 drawings of the set up.

For next class 10/5/11- We will do the first graded project of the semester, a line still life with a variety of objects. Bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencils, and eraser.

9/26/11 2D Design

Today's Class- Today we started our study of line. We began by looking at slides from the history of art, seeing how artists have used line for various purposes. Then the class did a series of portfolio exercises related to contour lines and negative space.

How to make this up- The class did the following exercises. These should all be done in your 18"x 24" pad using the pencil of your choice. You may put multiple shoes on a page, as in the examples shown here.

Contour Line
The morning was spent drawing from shoes as a way of exploring different aspects of contour lines. The full details of the assignment and student examples can be found here.

Negative Space
After lunch we did a few exercises relating to negative space, the common term for the space around and between the shapes of drawn objects, figures, etc. For the full details and additional student examples, click here.

All of today's drawings were portfolio exercises, which must be made up by the last day of the semester to receive credit.

Homework- the stipple drawings (dots) begun in class last week are due at the beginning of class on October 3, 2011.

For next class 10/3/11- Bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencils, and eraser. We will be doing a graded still life project involving line. Also bring the completed stipple drawing and the original photo that it was based on.

9/21/11 Drawing I

Today's Class- Today we continued our work with line, doing a series of portfolio exercises dealing with gesture, reductive drawing, and negative space.

How to make this up-

Gesture/Reductive
I set up a still life in the form of a freshly cut stalk of bamboo, complete with leaves. If you don't have that exact thing, you can substitute another type of plant, a small tree, or a part of a full size tree.

For the first exercise, divide a sheet of your 18" x 24" paper into 8 equal sized boxes. Carefully observe your subject, and draw it in pencil using exactly 32 lines. With those lines, try to sum up the overall movement and the character of the smaller branches, leaves, etc. In the remaining 7 boxes, redraw the same branch, with all the most essential information, but with an ever smaller number of lines- 28, 20, 16, 12, 8, 4, 1. Above is an example from today. About an hour was spent on this exercise.

Next, on another sheet of paper, using pencil line, draw a portion of your branch, this time at life size scale (if a leaf is 3 inches long on the plant, it should be about 3 inches long on the paper), filling the page. Spend about an hour on it. Above is a student example from today.

Negative Space

After the lunch break the class did two more portfolio exercises related to negative space. To learn the specifics and see student examples, click here.

All of today's drawings are portfolio exercises, which must be made up by the midterm portfolio grading to receive credit.

Homework- Set up a grouping of 4 similarly sized bottles (all wine bottles, soda bottles, salad dressing bottles, perfume bottles, etc) on a tray or something else easily moved. Draw the still life using pencil line only, paying attention to sizes and shapes of each individual bottle, along with relative size and location of each bottle compared to the others. Rotate the tray or change your viewing position 3 times (so that the bottles remain in the same relative position to each other, but you see it from different angles) and draw it each time in your sketchbook, one view per page. Total of 4 pages, with 4 bottles per page.

For next class 9/28/11- We will continue our study of line, with an emphasis on perspective. Bring your 18"x 24" pad, pencils, and eraser. A ruler or other straight edge will be helpful.

9/19/11 2D Design

Today's Class- Today we began our study of two dimensional art with the most basic unit of mark making- the point or dot. We did one portfolio exercise and started the first graded project of the semester.

Wallpaper Exercise-

Students were asked to mark a sheet of their 18" x 24" paper into thirds with a pencil. In each of the three sections students created patterns made from dots, using various sizes of black markers. The patterns could be pure geometry, or form recognizable images. Like wallpaper, the dot patterns must repeat at least once from top to bottom. The class spent about 45 minutes on it. Above is a student example. This is a portfolio exercise, and must be made up by the end of the semester to receive credit.

Stipple Drawing

We also started a graded project, a drawing made from nothing but tiny dots, also known as a stipple drawing. Each student chose a black and white photograph of a three dimensional scene (person/landscape/interior/etc). The composition was first sketched in pencil, then dots from the ultra fine point marker are used to carefully match the values (light and dark) from the original photo. In the above student example, the original is on the right, and the drawing on the left. The drawing can be reproduced at exactly the same scale as the original photo, or a small piece of the photo can be enlarged. For full details of the project and further examples, click here.

Homework- The completed stipple drawing project, along with the original photo, is due at the beginning of class on October 3, 2011.

For next class 9/26/11- We will begin our study of line. Bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencils and eraser. Part of the day will be spent drawing from shoes. Since we don't have enough to give one to everyone, each student will be responsible for providing his or her own shoe to draw. You may bring an extra one with you or be prepared to remove on from your own foot.

9/14/11 Drawing I

Today's Class- Today we started our study of line, dealing with various aspects and applications of contour lines. We did a series of portfolio exercises involving shoes and hands.

How to make this up:

A) Shoe exercises

The class did a series of exercises involving contour line drawings of shoes, as in the photo above. For the full directions and additional examples of the assignment, click here. Complete all the exercises there as directed.

B) Hand exercises:

Students spent the last part of the class doing a series of drawings of their own hands, as shown in photos above and below. Do the following line drawings on a sheet of paper in your 18"x 24" pad. Use the pencil of your choice, and draw the hand that you're not using to hold your pencil. Spend about 15 minutes on each one. Carefully consider all the proportions, spaces between your fingers, and significant surface features (nails, creases, etc) and try to make it look as much like your exact hand as possible.

1) a drawing of the back of your hand, held upright with the fingers slightly spread.

2) a drawing of the front of your hand, held upright with the fingers slightly spread.

3) a drawing of your hand from the side, hand slightly closed.

All the drawings done in class were portfolio exercises, which must be made up by the mid semester portfolio review.

Homework- In your small sketchbook, do the following line drawings in pencil, one per page, at a size that generally fills the page. Just line, no shading.

5 drawings of a shoe (can be all the same shoe or different ones), using exterior contour lines, and include the basic structures visible on the surface. As with the ones done in class, pay attention to overall proportions, as well as relationships of height to length, relative position of structural elements, etc).

1 drawing of a hand holding a shoe, any position you want, with the same level of detail as the hands done in class.

For next class 9/21/11- Bring your 18"x 24" pad, pencils, and eraser. We will continue our study of line, with a special emphasis on negative space.

9/12/11 2D Design

Today's Class- Today was the first meeting of our 2D Design class. The syllabus was distributed and reviewed with the class. I also distributed and explained a museum based assignment that students will do on their own time before the end of the semester. Then I had students fill out a survey about their artistic interests and past experiences, which we discussed as a class.

Homework- none

For next class 9/19/11- We will start our study of 2D art with the most basic mark, the point or dot. Bring your 18"x 24" pad of drawing paper, pencil and eraser, and both the ultra fine point black markers and the larger permanent marker. One of the projects will be based on a photograph, so students are asked to bring in a black and white photograph to base a work on. The photo should have a wide range of light, medium, and dark values, and a subject that you feel comfortable drawing. I will have a pile of magazines with some suitable photos in them, but you'll save a lot of time if you bring your own.

9/7/11 Drawing I

Today's Class- Today was our first class meeting. The syllabus was distributed and reviewed. We also went over the museum assignment for the class, including the Feldman analysis. Then the students filled out a survey of their artistic interest and past experiences, which we discussed as a class.

Homework- none

For next class 9/14/11- We will start our study of contour line. Bring your 18"x24" pad, assorted pencils, and eraser. Part of the time will be spent drawing from shoes. Since I don't have enough for the whole class, I suggest you bring an extra shoe to draw from, or be prepared to remove one that you are wearing.

Welcome to the Fall 2011 Semester

This is the blog that I have set up for the use of my classes at Kean University. To keep things from getting confused, information specific for my Two Dimensional Design class (FA 1100-02, Mon 9:30 to 3:15) will be posted in blue text, while information for my Drawing I class (FA 1230-01 Wed 10:10 to 3:55) will be posted in green text. Information that applies to both classes (such as this introduction) will be in black text.

After each class meeting (usually in the evening) I will post information about the class. That will include details about what was done in class, including a description of the project and photos of student examples if available and applicable. I will also include due dates for any homework, as well as a list of materials required for the following week. The post for each day will include the name of the class and the date in its title. About a month's worth of postings will be seen on the main page, but entries from earlier in the semester will be available through the archives on the right.

The blog was created specifically for those who miss a class for whatever reason- you can see what went on and maybe even catch up before you return to class. But even those who never miss a class find it useful, to get a reminder of when a project is due or what to bring to class. It's available 24/7, without having to wait for a reply e-mail from me. Of course, if you have any questions that can't be answered by what you see here, you are welcome to e-mail me and I will usually get back to you within 24 hours.