Today's Class- Today we started a new graded project related to the idea of relief sculpture. We opened with a critique of the first graded project, the Make 100 project, which were graded and returned by the end of the day. After looking at some slides of relief based art (sculpture, relief prints), we moved on to the new project, which started with images of skeletons, human and/or animal. Students chose one to reproduce as a low relief sculpture, then came up with a companion relief piece.
How to make this up- Find a realistic image of a skeleton, human or animal. Skeletons are one of nature's perfect structures, designed to support, protect vital organs, and make it possible for us to move around, thus including an ideal relation of positive and negative space. Select a portion to reproduce using a 12" x 12" piece of foam core, blowing it up to fill the square. You will cut out the design using an x-acto knife (the skeleton is a positive shape, and space around and between becoming the negative space) and glue it to another piece of 12" x 12" foam core, the skeleton becoming the raised portion of a low relief sculpture. Above is demonstration example adapted from the drawing at the top of the post.
The next step is to produce a second foam core relief piece, with the subject being an image based on any real life 3D object or scene. The second piece should have a visual relationship to the first one, sharing a similar ratio of positive and negative space, and similar types of shapes. In the above example, the frog includes similar shapes to some of the larger bones from the skeleton, while the long curved pieces of grass are meant to echo the long curving bones of the rib cage.
Below are some student examples from previous semesters, skeleton on the left, and related piece on the right. In the last one the student mixes white and black foam core, using the former for the positive shapes, and the latter for the backing piece.
Homework- The completed pair of foam core relief panels are due at the beginning of class on October 6, 2015.
Anyone who still owes me the module piece due today can still turn it in for partial credit, with the points going down each week that it is late.
For next class 9/29/15- We will be doing a portfolio exercise on the topic of planes (surfaces), using cars as the subject. Bring photos from multiple angles of an automobile that you particularly like just because of its appearance. Can be any style or vintage. Also bring foam core and bristol board (enough to make two 8" three dimensional models of the car, scissors and x-acto knife, glue, pencil and eraser, and a sketchbook or loose paper should you need to work out ideas that way.
