HOMEWORK 4: SHADING

So far this quarter we have focused on contour line drawings, and it's finally time to start SHADING! One of the most challenging things to do in drawing is make subtle changes in value from light to dark that are believable, that make the object look round. There is a fancy word for this subtle shading: chiaroscuro.

The "chiaroscuro sphere" is a quintessential lesson in most basic drawing classes. You start with a perfect circle, then slowly add value to that circle until the flat circle looks like a round ball. That's your homework for next week... look at the chiaroscuro ball below and copy it as closely as possible. Start by tracing something round that fills up most of your sketchbook page (a big cup? a saucer?) Use your graphite pencils for this -- play with them on a scrap piece of paper to figure out the difference between 2B, HB, 4H, etc. Then apply the graphite to the page very carefully. You can blend with your finger or a smudger if you need to, but try to do most of the blending with the pencil only. You can also erase into the graphite to add highlights. Include the dark cast shadow -- that helps make it look three-dimensional. And notice how the lower edge of the ball next to the dark cast shadow is light... that's called "reflected light", which bounces up from the light colored surface onto the ball. Look very carefully for all those subtle shifts in value, and don't rush.

You should probably spend 30 minutes to an hour on this. Make it look like a photograph! There are lots of YouTube videos on shading with graphite, so if you don't know where to start, do some research.

Due February 4. 

HOMEWORK 3: CELTIC KNOT

This one will be FUN! Watch this short video tutorial and follow the instructions to make a celtic knot in your sketchbook. The overall size should be about 5"x5" minimum. Please note that the video starts out with a marker -- do NOT use marker, just use a regular graphite pencil. And if your lines aren't correct, erase them and redraw. Your finished product should look neat and clean with smooth curves (yours should actually look neater and more precise than the one in the video since you'll be using pencil). Add shading in your own style to make it look three-dimensional.

Why the celtic knot? It will help you with eye/hand coordination, and it should help you become more comfortable drawing curves. Plus they look cool!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzYtOG-1wug

Due January 28.

HOMEWORK 2: CONTOUR

Statistically, when people draw from observation, most people naturally look at their drawing 90% of the time, and spend only 10% of their time looking at the object they're drawing. If you're drawing a bowl of fruit, you need to look at the bowl of fruit, and look at it a lot. Otherwise, your drawing won't be an exact likeness of the bowl of fruit.

In an effort to try to restructure the tendency toward looking at our own drawing paper too dang much (and not enough time studying our object), we are going to do an exercise called "blind contour" drawing...

Look at these three drawings: a chair, a face, a hand.

They're pretty awful, right? Well, not for blind contours. See, the artists didn't look at their own drawings AT ALL. They just looked at the objects the entire time. This exercise forces you to slow down and really study the object, without concern for what the final product looks like. The end result will look silly, but it's all for the greater purpose of training yourself to focus on truly seeing the object.

Your homework:

In your sketchbook, in PEN, draw 5 blind contour drawings, one each of the following: 
1) your own hand
2) a chair
3) a lamp
4) keys on a key ring
5) a bottle of your favorite beverage

The rules:

- Spend about 5 to 10 minutes on each one.
- Go SLOWLY.
- Try to draw surface details like bumps and dips and creases.
- It's easiest if you don't lift your pen (if you do, just put it back down without looking and keep drawing).
- pen = can't erase! yikes!
- Don't look at your drawing until you're finished!

Due Wednesday, January 21.

HOMEWORK 1: ANGLES

In your sketchbook, with a regular graphite pencil (mechanical or traditional), draw this sculpture as accurately as possible. Just draw outlines, do not add shading. Due Wednesday, January 14.

WELCOME!

Hi Students! Welcome to the Drawing I blog. This is where all of your sketchbook homework assignments will be posted, as well as art department announcements and other important class information.