Today's Class- Today the focus was on value, which is the official term for use of light and dark in art. I started with a few dozen examples of historical art, showing some of the uses of value in art over time, such as showing form and volume, implying space and weight, directing attention, and declaring time of day. Also showed a few examples of student charcoal drawings, since that was our medium of the day.
How to make this up- Drape a low table with a white or very light colored cloth, and then arrange on and around it, four or more white or very light colored objects. Shine a directional light on the set up to create a variety of light and shadow in the still life. Then use a full page in your 18"x 24" pad to depict a view of the set up. You should include at least two objects, whatever parts of the cloth are between and around them, all using charcoal and attempting to match the relative light and dark of the still life. Here are some examples of student drawings from previous semesters.
In value drawings, lines should be eliminated when possible in favor of edges of shapes. You may start the drawings with contour lines, but as the value shapes are established, the lines should become edges of shape, either hard or gradated. Background tones are optional. In the above cases, the students chose to put in a dark background, which helps to offset and contain light shapes, and makes the light areas feel lighter in comparison. The best erasers for charcoal are the kneaded eraser (stretchy kind) and it can be blended with fingers, paper towels, or anything else you find useful.
Spend up to 45 minutes on the drawing. For a second drawing, either replace some objects or rearrange them in the set up. You are required to do at least one, but in class everyone did two and the practice can be helpful.
This is a portfolio exercise and can be made up for full credit any time before the end of the semester.
Homework- Still no new homework, but a reminder that the first draft of the museum assignment is due in class on March 29, 2019.
For next class 2/22/19- We will get our first taste of color with a portfolio exercise based on the traditional medium of mosaic. The mosaic has been a part of the art world in many cultures going back thousands of years. Flat images are created by attaching numerous small bits of stone, tiles, glass, etc to a flat surface, such as walls, ceilings, or floors. Since the color pieces tend to be solid, the colors are permanent and the artworks can last indefinitely. What we will do is use small pieces of colored paper and attach them to paper, using a design based on a color photograph of something real. I showed a few examples from last semester in class, and here are a few other past examples:
In each case we have the original source photo, and the student mosaic style copy. You must bring in a source photo, something you feel comfortable drawing (if digital, you will eventually need to have a printed copy), your 18"x24" pad, pencil and eraser, scissors, and a glue suitable for attaching paper to paper (glue stick, white glue, rubber cement, etc). I will have a supply of old magazines that can be used for colors, but if you wish to bring in some for the class to use, they will be welcome.
