HOMEWORK 8: Reflections

In graphite pencil, copy this photograph of a glass of water as realistically as possible. Include the cast shadow. Be sure to make the ellipse (rim) perfectly symmetrical, and notice that the bottom edge of the glass and the water line both follow the same curve as the bottom half of the ellipse.

Due Wednesday, March 4.

HOMEWORK 7: DRAPERY

In graphite pencil, try to emulate this photograph of silk. Your goal is to create smooth, seamless transitions between dark and light. You can blend if you want, or just use your pencil lead to blend. Make it look photorealistic, not sketchy.

Due Wednesday, Feb. 25

OUT-OF-CLASS OPTION FOR FINAL PORTFOLIO

Your Final Portfolio of four drawings is due on Wednesday, March 11. If you are unhappy with the work you are doing in class, you may do this assignment to be submitted for a grade in lieu of one that we work on in class.

Below is a classical statue of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, a Roman general and architect. Do a faithful and accurate drawing of the statue using either charcoal or graphite. You may choose to tone the paper or not... there is no right or wrong way to approach this drawing, but if you choose to do it you will be graded on:

1) Composition (don't crop! Fit the whole figure on the page)
2) Value (no dark outlines, use only value to define the shapes and edges)
3) Proportions (your figure should be as accurate as possible, including all minor details)
4) Presentation (cleanliness of paper, condition of paper)

And for inspiration, here are some examples of a similar project from Thomas More College:

NEED EXTRA CREDIT?

Students,

Here are some options for you to do extra credit work to boost your course grade. Extra credit is due by 5pm the very last day we meet on March 16 (exam week).

1) GALLERY/MUSEUM VISIT

Choose a gallery or museum to visit on your own time and write about your experience. You might write about works of art that you love or works that you don’t like at all. Give me an honest response. Let me know why you chose to go to that gallery/museum, and give me specifics on what’s there so I’ll know that you really did go. And/or bring a brochure that proves that you were there. Your response should be typed, 12 pt font, single spaced, minimum of one page, with no grammatical errors.

*Up to 40 points for final average

2) ART MOVIE REVIEW

Watch a movie about art and/or artists or designers. Have fun with the format -- pretend that you are a film critic working for the L.A. Times. Write a complete and thorough response to the film, and tell me whether I should see it or not. Give it a critic’s rating (Like thumbs up, 3 stars, or whatever method of rating that you come up with.) Your review should be typed, 12 pt font, single spaced, with no grammatical errors.

Some suggestions (but there are plenty more out there):

FRIDA                                     

BASQUIAT                                          

VINCENT & THEO                     

SURVIVING PICASSO                

POLLOCK                                

I SHOT ANDY WARHOL            
CRUMB

ARTEMESIA

GOYA EN BORDEAUX

BEAUTY IS EMBARASSING

FUR

EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP

HELVETICA

*Up to 40 points for final average

3) FIND A DRAWER (Drawer = someone who draws. Not the thing you put socks in.)

Look in art magazines (print or online) and find a contemporary artist who DRAWS. Research that artist and find multiple examples of their work. Then write about how YOU respond to their work. Do not write a biography of the artist – it doesn’t matter when they were born or where they went to school. Just look at their drawings and write what YOU think about them, purely opinion. Include a list of sources, where you went to see the images. If you quote any facts, you must use proper endnote/footnote citation. But you shouldn’t quote facts. Because this is your opinion. Your response should be typed, 12 pt font, single spaced, minimum of one page, with no grammatical errors.

*Up to 40 points for final average

HOMEWORK 6: GESTURE

Look at the following sketches of animals:

These are examples of quick sketches called "gesture drawings". Gesture drawings are created by making fast, loose, searching lines. The objective is to capture the essential information of the subject quickly and efficiently, and they typically show motion, like a snapshot of an instant in time. The examples above all capture the animals during action, not when they are lying still. Notice how most of them start with circles or ovals for the main body shape? That's a good way to start, then you add the legs, arms, and head. Draw with loose, fluid lines. A gesture drawing can be completed in as little as a few seconds, or it can be sustained for longer periods of time. Many artists do gesture drawings as preliminary sketches to help plan out major works of art. Some artists do gesture drawings as warm-ups for longer drawing sessions, much like an athlete stretches or warms-up before working out. Even though gestures are drawn quickly, try your best to maintain proper proportions -- don't let the size or shapes get wildly out of hand. Draw what you see, and draw it fast.

Your task is to do gesture drawings of the following five animals. Do THREE gestures of each animal. Yes, that means draw the same animal multiple times. Each time you draw should take about two minutes, no more. So your homework should be completed in about 30 minutes or less.

5 animals, 3 times each, 2 minutes each time.

Due Wednesday Feb. 18

HOMEWORK 5: SHAPES IN SPACE

How can you show the illusion of depth on a flat surface? One way is through shading. But angles can also create the illusion of depth. For your next homework assignment, do a contour line drawing of this chess board photograph. You do not need to add any shading. Use a pencil so you can erase, and try to keep your lines straight (use a ruler or straight edge to make long straight lines). Due Wednesday February 11.

Optional Midterm Out-of-Class Drawing

Hi Students!

At this point, if you have attended all classes, you should have at least one of each of the following drawings we worked on in class:

Boxes
Complex contour
Curved still life
Paper Airplanes (in class Feb. 2 & 4)

On Monday, February 9, I will take up FOUR drawings to grade. The four drawings you submit are your choice from the ones above. The grading criteria:

25% proportions (accuracy of height/width/length)
25% line quality and/or shading (lines should be elegant and fluid; shading should be gradual with a range of light and dark values)
25% composition (size and placement on the page)
25% presentation (condition of the paper, cleanliness, professionalism)

If you don't have four drawings that you are happy with, you may do this optional assignment to substitute for one of the above.

OPTIONAL OUT-OF-CLASS ASSIGNMENT:
Look at this Leonardo da Vinci drawing of drapery. On your good drawing paper, in either charcoal or graphite, make a realistic copy of that drawing. Your drawing should have accurate proportions and the shading should match the photo -- this is NOT a contour line drawing, so no heavy outlines. Yes, this will be challenging, so budget your time and go slowly.