Images and Ideas

Series Spectacular!

2011-06-22T06:06:00.000-07:00

The series projects were unveiled over the past two days during two critiques. Even though we've had glimpses of each one in-progress, the finished groups are pretty amazing for the most part. Unlike the past times when I posted examples from each series, I am posting each entire group of images. I do apologize for some minor cropping and color changes, but for the most part it's a pretty good representation of the works. If you want to see a closer view of the work, just click on the drawing.

Veronica Greenwell's series explored the connections and relationships between art and science. Using the brain as motif, Veronica utilized string, wire, encyclopedia and thesaurus pages to create intimate and complex representations of left brain/right brain influences on our needs for linear reasoning and creative expression.

Todd Brewer's group explored the landscape from his back porch. He originally planned to create drawings of different times of day or seasons of the same place, but later changed to the same time of day but interpreted through a variety of media. Each drawing is roughly 18"x24", and utilizes oil pastel, Prisma Color Art Stiks, soft pastel, and graphite.

Stephanie Smith's three drawings are created on layered vellum with imagery drawn on all sides. She wanted to bring to her images the effects of being deaf in her right ear, hence the more faded part of the image represented on her right side. She was attracted to a run down, dilapidated building that served as the space for both the calmness and the chaos of hearing from only one side.

Shawn McPheron's 4' x 12' panoramic view of the Ohio River is a very ambitious set of panels executed with oil pastels. This site is one of his favorite places to draw and he would often haul one panel at a time there to catch a detail that slipped by his on previous trips. It is a remarkable piece in that the space is so vast and so well observed.

Phil Lawrence's three drawings in charcoal and graphite examined the juxtaposition of environment and emotion and the idea that we are, or are not, products of our environments. The influence of place and how we acquiesce or contest its impact on the individual. Each panel is roughly 22" x 30".

Philip Carlton's four graphite drawings, each 23" x30", are deftly drawn episodes of the mundane experiences that can often be defining experiences in our lives. He used a teddy bear as the star of each episode, adjusting its scale to fit the space and activity. The sense of humanity in each image is very compelling, as they are rife with the wit, compassion, melancholy, and introspection.

Miri Phelps created this three-panel installation as a sequential examination of time, moments in and a continuum of, by utilizing photographic sources of water being poured over the heads of her friends. Executed with charcoal and acrylic paint, each panel measures 26" x 20".

Lori Richie, often attracted to creating images of nature, instead explored nature's effect on her physically as manifested in her severe allergies. Each image is drawn on paper with soft pastels, then framed, and then the drawing is continued on the plexiglass glazing with markers, setting up an interesting contrast in color and line quality. The top image has light reflecting off the plexi (sorry about that). Each panel is 24" x 36"

Joy Wilson utilized graphite in these three panels that explored gender issues and perceptions. Using the same female model for each image, she morphed from the more "girly" to the androgynous, finally to the masculine.

Dani Maudlin's five panels used the skeleton and its posings as a metaphor for the various physical and emotional pains she has endured over the past few months. Each panel is 29" x 41", and started with a black and white monotype on which she pulled the skeleton out of the visually textured surface using oil pastels.

Alex Strach began this series by asking "old" people on the street if she could take their pictures, and then she asked them about their aging process. Some of those responses are included in the negative areas of the images. She combined charcoal and graphite in each 22" x 30" panel.

Aberlyn Sweetland May created these four compelling images by drawing, painting, tearing, collaging, sanding, scoring, and screaming at these 21" x 30" photographs that originally served her as sources for her paintings. The process that unfolded over the past six weeks is an exciting one to see in her work, and once she let go of the photo-reality to create one less pretty, the new reality became very beautiful.

It has been a very fast and compressed six weeks summer session, and one unlike any session I've ever experienced. We had four very engaging visiting artists in who discussed their work and taught us something new about the drawing process. One of those visiting artists, Emily Sheehan, will be joining the faculty starting the fall semester. She will be bringing new ideas and approaches to our drawing curriculum, and we're very excited to have her.

Also unlike any previous summer session, we didn't have even one day of landscape drawing and only one week of the figure. Changes happened almost daily with our schedule. However, everyone endured and made the best of the situation, for which I'm both thankful and grateful.

Our critiques and discussions about the work that was developing during the session took many different directions, especially toward the end as the intent and purpose of the series projects were more fully embraced. The discussions that last few days were often enlightening, entertaining, challenging, and rewarding. Nicely done, all.

Have a great summer.

Critique Time

2011-06-20T07:32:00.000-07:00

We're going to spend the next two days critiquing the series projects, 200 level today and 300/400 levels tomorrow. I've already seen three of the upper level projects-in-progress and feel very confident that the individual explorations and expressions from those groups will inspire some very engaging discussions. The 200 level group has been more candid about their projects and only during the progress critiques have we seen glimpses of their directions in-progress. Today's critique with them will be exciting, not only to see the entire groups of finished drawings, but to also participate in those discussions. Check back in a few days to see the results of their labors.

Last Drawing Session

2011-06-16T06:52:00.001-07:00

This summer session seems to have flown by amazingly fast. Today will be our last actual drawing session, the end of our figure studies. In spite of only having three sessions with the model, there have been some nice improvements getting at the gesture and the dynamic of the figure in the space. I strolled through the studio to get some shots and most of the long poses from Tuesday had already been removed, but I did catch Aberlyn's and Philip's still resting on their drawing boards. I shot a few more but the amount of coffee this morning resulted in blurry shots, and only the two below were passable.

Philip had a side view that allowed him to really take advantage of the space and the reclined pose. The figure almost appears to have been sculpted by the way he used his charcoal and the continuous tones between the light and the darks.

Aberlyn's point of view was a pretty extreme foreshortening which starts to describe the figure in more abstract terms, stacking and abbreviating form on top of form, which affects the figure's normal symmetry and proportions.

Today, we'll get a bit more involved in composition and breaking up the pictorial space, maintaining our objectivity in analyzing the figure and focusing on physically observable things, such as the play of light, the structural relationships of form, and the model's spatial position and relationship to its environment. See you soon.

One more time!

2011-06-09T08:22:00.001-07:00

With the current heat and humidity, it looks as though we'll not have an outdoor outing this session, and there aren't enough windows for everyone to find a good 'window-scape' to draw, so we're going to spend one more day with light and dark values, color, gravity, shape, texture, line, and composition. Although as a prelude to our work next week with the figure, this might be a good place to start putting a little more emphasis on gesture. I can see this subject developing quickly with both line and mass gesture. We'll experiment and see what happens.

The Figure

2011-06-08T10:09:00.000-07:00

We'll be spending our final week of the summer session with the figure, so next Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday make sure you have plenty of newsprint. Given the short amount of time we have with the figure, our time will be spent exploring some of the basic vocabulary and concepts necessary to begin drawing the human form and then progress to more analytical study of proportions. Line and mass gesture will get us started.

Life drawing provides an essential foundation for all other forms of creative expression, and has been a part of our art program for a really long time. However, a course devoted to Life drawing would be the ideal, but for now we'll at least have some experience drawing the figure as a discipline and for further honing our visual skills.

The Series Thread

2011-05-31T07:11:00.000-07:00

Connie has asked several times for a series arena in which to discuss what's happening with everyone's work, so here it is, start discussing. Remember that our next series crit/discussion is now on June 6, when we will get to see actual work from everyone. Aberlyn and Dani were the only two that had images to sink our teeth into last time, so this next go-around will be a much more chewy discussion with works-in-progress from everyone. Also, don't forget how the series will be assessed: the average of the two highest progress reports. I'm, of course, assuming those will be the last two. OK, Connie, you're on....

New Drawings Feast

2011-05-27T10:22:00.000-07:00

Here are the rainy day drawings in lieu of the landscapes we had hope to get started on last week. Theses are pretty sweet though. It would have been good to see some get a bit more focused time, but it wasn't in the cards for us this week. And it probably won't next week either with the visiting artists coming into the studio.

Veronica's juxtaposition of the broken pot and the deep and dark red drapery is pretty dramatic. Including that cooler space creates an almost surreal quality to the image.

Todd only had about a day to work on this due to the weather standing him at home for the first day, but the start is a good one, and we're going to work on those ellipses, make them go all the way around.

Stephanie's drawing has a stage presence, and her mark-making seems to be getting stronger with the oil pastels. That might be worth more exploration.

Shawn explored one the the hidden worlds of the still life and the mysteriousness of the space starts to suggest an interesting narrative.

Philip's intuitive use of color is very strong in this image, and the layering of space and light pulls into the image nicely.

Phil moved with more confidence in this image, perhaps due to the faster sketching medium. The transparency of the large vessel works very well.

Miri's painterly approach to drawing is pretty remarkable and she maintains a sense of energy throughout the entire process and resulting image.

Lori made a positive step with this drawing. She may start getting into activating her surface with marks instead of pushing her pastels into the paper. The drapery has a good sense of volume to it.

Joy took this drawing on an interesting journey with oil pastels, mineral spirits, and then finishing with soft pastels. It also feels very painterly.

Dani also captured the mystery of two hidden spaces, the broken vase and the cool recesses of the underneath. She did this with colored pencil, so the surface markings are very much involved with cross contours and subtle textures.

Connie also had a shorted drawing session on this and started to get the forms positioned the way she wanted them. A little more time defining details would have worked well

Alex did some pretty interesting things with the grapes and the light on the small vessel. However, the vessel itself could use a bit more focus on proportion. The light on that corner almost pushes it out of the picture plane.

3rd Still Life

2011-05-24T07:53:00.000-07:00

The weather is being very uncooperative and we're stuck inside extending our two week still life exploration into a third week. It's a good thing, though, since a still life drawing can function on may levels and have many purposes. Working in color on the current one will help us understand how color acts in real life, how light moves around the space an forms, lending and barrowing colors throughout. Still lifes can teach us how an arrangement of colors and values can bring a special mood to the drawing. In the case of black and white drawings, used by the majority of us in the last still life, the purpose is different. A still life pencil or charcoal drawing can help us study shapes more closely and see how they interact on our eyes, we learn how to measure correct proportions, and we pay more attention to the details because we're not making the same kinds of decisions as we do with color. In either case, though, how we see the subject and respond to our media can make the difference between a good drawing and a remarkable drawing.

Still lifes are the most available subjects in the world, and while some people may consider still life drawing boring, the fact is they teach us a lot. When you have no idea of what to draw in your journals, just make an arrangement of things you have at home and start drawing. If you keep practicing on drawing still life subjects you will find out that you have a much better understanding on how light works, and how objects relate to each other within a particular space and within a composition.

Below are a few points of view of our current creative problem.

2011-05-20T08:38:00.000-07:00

Here are the images from our two day, a little into the third day, anti-gravity, tension, wrapped boxes, missiles, cones, and spheres still life. There are some pretty cool drawings here and I think everyone very much enjoyed this process.

Veronica has a very delicate touch with her pencil and built the image with a pretty unique marking system. It may present more challenge to crop into a composition that allows a closer observation.

Todd got very involved in pushing the graphite around and then erasing into the image. In fact, he may have gotten too caught up in that and never made it to the white forms. Let's try charcoal and see if things move a little faster, or crop into the subject a little tighter.

Stephanie got into charcoal with her drawing and did some abbreviating on some of the folds in the fabric. It's a pretty good range of values on the white forms, let's push to see an equal range on things that are not white.

Shawn used the prisma color stiks and got some pretty nice color layers to move the space around, nicely composed as well.

Philip used graphite here and really did some nice spatial things with the negative area by bringing in the skeleton. That drapery looks great.

Phil moved along slowly with his initial process, but once he found where he was going, the image almost appeared in one afternoon. It would be good to see the detail focus on all of the areas.

Miri painted with charcoal and created a really strong image of contrasts and movement. Beautifully composed.

Lori got into her pastels, and got the local colors of the form down and started to work in the other color shifts before the session ended. It would be good to see more of the details and the effects of colors lending to one another.

Joy used charcoal, pushing it around and then pulling it back out until the abstract elements started to take hold. Keep pushing to see the in-between value range.

Dani built her image one piece at a time. It would be good to see how the negative area might be built so that top plane could have some more drama. Nicely drawn.

Connie confessed that she never uses black...hmmmm...maybe this is the image to give it another chance. Very painterly oil pastels, but needs some darker areas.

Alex's perspective sort of denied the gravity issue creating a fabric encased totem pole. Let's see if some of the finer nuances of the subject can make it into some subsequent works.

Aberlyn move around the form in a one-step-at-a-time approach that created a very strong composition. Very Stephen Posen-esque.

Two-Day Still life

2011-05-16T09:27:00.000-07:00

We'll explore the above still life for two sessions which should result in some pretty amazing work. I think the elements of gravity and tension will provide for some pretty unique interpretations. Check back in a few days to see some of the creations.

Stripes and Stuff

2011-05-13T10:23:00.000-07:00

I though the still life for yesterday's drawing session was pretty inspiring based on the drawings we saw at the end. The 200 level line exploration I thought went fairly well, although I hope there will be additional efforts in your sketchbooks. Such a deliberate approach is one of the most expedient ways of training the eye to observe accurately, which is a huge benefit to anyone who wants to represent perceived reality. Drawing from close observation eventually prepares us to visualize things that exist only in our imaginations, such as the cloud drawing series I passed out the first day of class. You can clearly see that Brace had a strong visual vocabulary to draw from in her work, she has spent a lot of time looking and drawing.

The value work of the 300 and 400 levels also went well. In our brief discussion, there was a point made about perhaps reducing the scale of the format to insure a more resolved, or finished work by the end of the session. In those cases, it may also be a good plan to try to bring up the composition as a whole rather than piece by piece.

Another point in the discussion had to do with abbreviating. Not saying it's bad, but when the focus is to communicate what you see, there might be too much essential information being filtered out.

So, we'll move on with a new still life next week. Maybe extending it over two classes and using paper worthy of a six hour drawing, I'll see what I have on hand. We'll also take a look at more drawing candidate portfolios, and discuss some series ideas.

Hope the sketchbooks are cooking. Hope your ideas are cooking. See you Monday.

Drawing Visual Pretest

2011-05-11T07:32:00.001-07:00

After going over the syllabus and skimming along through other materials, an hour was devoted to our first drawing exercise. Everyone was given a 10" x 11" piece of 2-ply bristol and a No. 2 pencil. A clear glass lantern was place on a draped cube. The instructions were to draw exactly what was seen with no erasing. Moving from top left to right, and each is numbered (you may click on the image for a more detailed view):

1.Well done utilizing the space with a pretty delicate but wide range of values. Seeing more of that textural surface would add more interest to the image and perhaps redirect some of the attention away from the lantern wick housing.

2. Unified and detailed, although chopping off the top puts a lot of emphasis on the bottom third of the image where the drawing process seems to have lost some interest. No.2 pencils are limiting, but pushing for a wider range of value would be good.

3. Good range of value, but perhaps a bit too generalized, especially given the amount of texture and pattern that was on the lower part of the lantern. Where the lantern wick resides is the best observed, other parts become too abstract for direct observation.

4. Same as 3. above, perhaps too generalized, but well drawn and the scale holds the space well. Abstract qualities are stronger than the observed qualities. The challenge was to draw exactly what you see.

5. Interesting how the values on the right negate the space between the lantern and the back wall. Other details are well handled, but try not to get too smudgy with your values. Keep them clean and crisp on subject where they need to be clean and crisp.

6. Careful with placement, proportions handled pretty well, but the line work is a bit hesitant and fuzzy, making the image feel nervous. Practice in your sketchbook drawing forms from observation, start simple then work to more complex to develop a confident line.

7. Although a No.2 pencil is not very versatile, a wider range of value would be good here, also try to expand seeing from the general to the specific. You suggest the textures, now try to represent them.

8. The lantern is well drawn, but so tiny that the drapery dominates, try to expand the scale and move visually into the space. Watch the surfaces that are perpendicular to you, their shapes will hint at the perspective.

9. Like 9. above, the lantern is tiny, even tinier, so tiny it would be hard to say its a drawing of a lantern. Look harder, expand your space, avoid the unnecessary. There's almost more emphasis on everything but the lantern.

10. This one moved in pretty tight so one would expect to really see the detail. Try to see all of the essentials. Those dark areas on the edges become something other than passages of value, maybe there should be more transition in them to relate to the space.

11. Shape, proportion, and detail need some closer observation, but a good range of value. Careful with composition as well. Back ground marks aren't saying too much other than space fill. Be sensitive to your mark making.

12. Try not to get too smudgy with values and watch your proportion and scale, also be aware of how your composing. Practice in your sketchbook drawing symmetrical forms.

13. General shapes are close, but detail is too generalized, values in lantern suggest colored class rather than clear. What makes the class dark..would that be background? The darer side panels adds an interesting element to the composition.

14. Consider your composition, why run it off the bottom? The use of texture adds an interesting element to the image, but the back ground marks aren't saying too much other than space filler. Be sensitive to your mark making.

For an hour long drawing on a small scale, there are some pretty good responses. My responses above are not biased by the expectations of the various levels of drawing, but rather how the image works relative to direct observation - draw exactly what you see - and the formal considerations of line, value, texture, shape, and composition. Of course the 200 level is reinvestigating those elements, while the 300 and 400 levels should be well versed in those areas by now, and maybe only need some 'getting back on the bike' practice. In all of these drawings, if I were to see such images in sketchbooks, I would consider them substantive.

Later.

Summer Session 1

2011-05-10T06:01:00.000-07:00

Another summer drawing session begins today. It'll be fun to see everyone eager to spend the next six weeks immersed in the creative process of looking, drawing, thinking, seeing, experimenting, sketching, talking, considering, empathizing. As in past semesters, we will explore the process of creating a series of images. There's lots of reference to that process in past posts on this blog, and examples of some series highlights, such as the ones below.

Alex Kennedy's Madonna and Child image that led to the beautiful exhibition that is currently in the Barr Gallery. If you haven't checked our the current graduating BFA senior exhibition, do so before it closes.

Danny Palafox's magnifications of nuts and bolts were beautifully done drawings, rich in texture and color.

Louise Clausen's figures in water was a two semester exploration that eventually led her to new ways of considering the drawing process where she combined liquid and dry media.

Greg Truesdel's series was close-up examinations of bugs. Greg's is also currently exhibiting a series of 'Circus Posters' he created for his BFA thesis, complete with a circus tent he constructed for the installation. Very dramatic. Go check it out.

Aberlyn May's series of three portraits were connected into an alteresque type triptych that explored familial connections and identity.

It's exciting anticipating the new work that will be created during this first summer session. Several new series, all allowing us to see things a little differently, to think differently about what we see, and to find out something new about the artists and their process.

See you soon.

End of the 2010 Semester

2010-12-10T07:57:00.000-08:00

My last post on Images and Ideas was back in October. I had gotten to a place where I felt like I was blogging to myself - or is that flogging? In any case, it would have been good to have had on-going dialogue, discussion, interaction, debate...hello, is there anyone there?

I thought that I'd finish this semester with a few drawing highlights from the final portfolios. Maybe even throw in some commentary to see if I get any bites. Here goes:

David Jones has a passion for basketball, and he extended that passion into his series of drawings. Various athletic poses n the way to the basket.

Daniel Marshall's passion is music. Here is one of the drawings he created that was inspired by his musical instruments and equipment.

Alex Stotts did a series of drawn hands depicting the drawing of hands, cut from their context and placed into shadow boxes. Two are represented above.

This is a digital image of a digital image, so I apologize for the reflections. This was Sam Chumley's series project, creating a 'graffiti'-esque image on the basement wall of a friend's home. It was documented via photos and video. The video, some fifty hours worth, went through a collaborative editing and refining process between Sam and Chris Little. The result was a little more than two minutes of fast-forwarding of the process from beginning to end. Maybe Sam will get this posted on Youtube.

Daniel Frank is a skater, and this drawing was one of six he created this semester that explored the dynamic poses of skaters without their boards. He had explored some the Robert Longo images of Men in the Cities.

Wende Cudmore has been experimenting and exploring the production of vegetable papyrus. She's not only creating hand-made papers from the pulps of the vegetables, but she's also pressing the vegetables into thin sheets. In the bottom piece above, the center panel is actually parsnip cut and pressed into a thin, almost transparent sheet, stitched and mounted between plexiglass.

Shane Doebler created a fifteen foot tableaux of psychological narrative that hinted at so many possibilities that it was a little frightening. The image above was conceptually part of that bigger image, but it was on a single panel.

Patrick Berry created a series of images exploring the effects of a mirror in landscapes. In some the reflected image was part of the environment, and in others the reflection pulled information that was out beyond the subjects of his drawings.

Marie Tingle's series was about a pair of dragons. She explored them through four drawings that eventually focused on the textures and colorations. That focus was, in part, inspired by a shift in her medium, from soft pastels to pastel pencils.

Louise Clausen started her series as she left off this summer (check back there to see those images), with figures in water. Only this time an intense experience she had moved her priority and process into a new direction, where gravity and expression took over the representation.

Lori Ritchie did a series of flowers, mostly focusing on the blossoms, except in this one where she got more involved with the space as much as the flowers.

Kristin Thompson created four large-scaled (30" x 40") drawings of a brick in different settings with oil pastels. The surfaces are energetic and the lights and darks very compelling. The scale of each also adds a great deal to the images. Kristin's process is very aggressive, so she needed that much space to be able to move around with her response.

Kim Salaices also created four large scaled images that were more psychologically charged, based on porno addictions. She chose to represent this idea by creating images of bound women with accompanying text, some of which is legible, and other parts not.

Jessica Elam responded to the ephemeral and hypnotic qualities of smoke. She started using pastels and eventually switched to bleach on black Arches that allowed the illusory layering transparencies of smoke to move across the surface.

Fran Dietl's series allowed her to continue investigating fantasy via computer illustration. Although the image above does not do justice to this particular piece, it is clearly an other worldly character that she made hints of in a series she created last summer.

Danny Palafox found some inspiration in some Jim Dine tool images. Here is an example of the three drawings of 'still-life' nuts and bolts, created with pastels and prisma color pencils.

Alex Kennedy's appropriated Madonna and Child images, this one with gold leafing, are intriguing responses to religious representation in the history of art and his own Catholic upbringing.

TUESDAY'S CRITIQUE/DISCUSSION

2010-10-09T11:41:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, October 11, we will have a mid-semester critique over the series in-progress. A group critique for the series will be different than ones for other kinds of projects, because of the individual work on unique ideas and that each person will be presenting his or her work to the rest of the group. It's a good idea to be prepared to talk about your ideas, how the series has progressed or changed, and what you think the next step might be. The following are some things to think about in preparation for discussion of your work.

Are enough time and commitment being put into the work?

Remember, at least six hours per week should be devoted to this.

Is a clear direction emerging, or do you sense several different possible directions?

If several, what are they? Which one makes the most sense to you and why?

Does the size of the work and the media being used seem to be working with the ideas?

The scale of the works should speak volumes about your idea.

Are there signs of a breakthrough or are surprising new directions emerging?

Are these good surprises (possible potential for development) or bad surprises (unforeseen problems or contradictions)?

Is the work invigorating, that is, dos it excite you?

Do you feel fully engaged with it? Would you rather be working on your series than just about anything else? Does the work interest other people (your audience)?

State of the Series

2010-09-21T11:38:00.000-07:00

Last week we had a long discussion about the many ideas that were being considered for the semester-long series project. The ideas were, for the most part, the result of thinking, "What am I going to draw for my series?" Perhaps a better approach would be to start drawing, anything, from anywhere...from observation, from imagination, from experimentation. Also beneficial would be defining the problem in your own vernacular, "What is a series?" Perhaps a collection of related images created in succession. Maybe they relate conceptually, maybe by process, maybe by subject. Look at the examples that were distributed at the beginning of the semester, look at the examples from our blog, research artists who work in series (that's probably going to be almost all of the ones you find).

The summer classes that responded to the same project, albeit compressed, generally had 3-6 drawings by the end of the summer session. Six weeks as opposed to sixteen weeks. Makes me curious to see what a ten week difference makes to the evolution of such an ambitious project.

As each series begins to develop, there will likely be changes made, media explored, ideas adjusted. You may end up with ten drawings, with four of them constituting a resolved series. Be open to that possibility. In the end, it will be far better to show and discuss the four that are related in succession, than the ten that jump from one idea to another, or one media to another. Not that the entire exploration of ten drawings couldn't be included in final portfolios, but for the presentation of the final series, the four may be the cream of the crop and worthy of saying "this is the culmination of my creative investigations."

New Drawings

2010-09-12T10:21:00.000-07:00

Again, one of benefits of having a dedicated studio for drawing students is being able to work on still-life arrangements for longer than just a few hours during one session. The following drawings were the result, for the most part, of two sessions, although a couple were finished in one. The still-life was composed of several unifying white geometric forms, illuminated with colored lights, and the contrasted with a black chord woven through the forms.

Shane's response focused in tightly on the forms and he improvised on the wire to create what almost appears to be tomb stones and ivy.

Patrick's approach was a tighter and more carefully blended range of values and colors with a stronger sense of external rather than internal light.

Marie's handling of the pastels feels very painterly and adds another unifying element to the image.

Kristin's process demonstrates a lot of spontaneity, giving the white plaster forms a strong sense of energy.

AlexS barely opens the composition which gives the space a very compact feel. His use of pastels and layering of color also creates a very painterly surface.

AlexK captured a strong sense of space through the dramatic use of light and dark. He also has a spontaneous approach to his work that imbues the image with a lot of energy.

Where we are....

2010-09-02T13:46:00.001-07:00

Having the drawing studio designated for the S200, S301, S401, and S405 classes is proving to be very positive change for that part of the program for students in those upper level classes. Today we were able to look at all the work that each person created so far this semester, all hung on the walls at the same time. And although we are still relatively early in the semester, seeing three in-class images from each one in the class was enlightening, and inspiring. It allowed us all to see with a better perspective the approaches to balancing process, media, and idea. It allowed us to see how ideas are formed and how ideas come from the drawing process.

This was one of Shane Doebler's drawings that was created during an off-campus visit to the Falls of the Ohio State Park. He took advantage of the rock formations and the spatial distancing, one of the beautiful qualities of the Falls, to push his process from soft and atmospheric, almost abstract, to distinct and informed. (Click on any of the images to see a larger version)

Sam Chumley's response to the project, "create a drawing based on the element of wind", utilized a heavy rag paper and fine tipped markers to suggest the energy of wind on the landscape. The combination of the marker-marks and the paper texture resulted in a line quality that in some places lacked visibility, but in concept felt windy.

Louise Clausen found a great tree to draw, a mighty Sycamore sensuously rooted into the rocks at its feet. The patches of white under the shedding bark almost appeared fleshy, and Louise capitalized on that characteristic.

Kristin Thompson has an aggressive mark-making approach to her work that is clearly identifiable in any subject she approaches. In this response to "wind", the butterflies almost appear animated by the balance between her subject and her process.

Jessica Elam sat on the edge of a rock slab at the Falls of the Ohio and took in an expanse of the environment, pushing color into color and value into value, until she found this response to that situation. The pastels were initially aggressive, but eventually found a quietness to the execution.

I found Alex Stotts sitting in a valley of rocks looking out toward the river, his hand moving as fast as he was looking, as sensitively as he was seeing. He layered colors and values and was very open to incorporating additional approaches. I can feel that space.

Alex Kennedy's response to wind takes the character, tension, and gesture of line and creates wind. When I asked the class if there was a drawing that truely expressed the element of wind, one person immediately responded to this drawing. I felt that everyone had a similar response.

Tuesday at the Falls of the Ohio

2010-08-28T11:17:00.000-07:00

Here are a few shots from a previous trip to the Falls of the Ohio. The locks at that time were open, and now they're closed. The expanse of water in this image is now an expanse of fossil beds and rock formations. (See weather information below)

This is just below the railroad bridge on the dam. You can see lots of driftwood around the park along the river. In fact, if you have some time tomorrow (Sunday) to go down there to explore, you might find the very spot you'd like to draw on Tuesday.

This is one of the more jungle-like areas with sandy paths that run along the river just before you get to the rocks and fossil beds.

This was a group from that drawing session about to wrap things up. Again, you can see how high the water was. Now you can roam around out in that area without fearing that you'll be swept away.

Directions from IUS:

Grant Line Road to 265E heading toward 65 S, exit onto 65 south, take exit 0 just before the Kennedy bridge. Exit right onto w. Market street and follow that, it will merge onto E. Riverside Dr.. Riverside drive goes to the Falls of the Ohio State Park.

I will park as close as I can to the rail road bridge that you would have to drive under to go on to the falls, so stop there first to get paper and to turn in your 'Wind' drawings. You can also do some car pooling there so it will be more affordable to actually go into the Interpretive center parking lot. If you click on this it will take you to the web site for the park. That will fill you in on some more of the visual features that you'll see there.

So on Tuesday, I will remain at the rail road bridge until 1:30 for those who have any problems with traffic. It's about a 15 minute drive from campus, so to be safe, if those of you who like to car pool can meet at the drawing studio between 12:30 and 12:45, that should get you to the river in time. It'll be warmer, so dress for success. You might also bring water with you, or something to drink. You can work with pastels and/or charcoal, the paper is not so great with graphite.

In case of rain please come to campus instead.

See you Tuesday.

Fall 2010 - DRAWING

2010-08-22T10:58:00.000-07:00

Drawing is closely connected to personal ideas and expressions; creativity directly connected to our experiences. Nurturing our 'artists-within' has much to do with freeing our hands to follow our hearts and minds and freeing our eyes to respond to the world around us, and there's a lot happening in this world that warrants our responses. Each of us is immersed in this world, we're caught in the wake of stimuli that is visual, emotional, social, and cultural. That information is constant and often unrelenting. This massive accumulation of experiences and the energy and excitement of being alive While it's happening are valid as material for our art. Learning how to translate your perceptions into an art form, such as drawing, is the essence of becoming an artist. An essential aspect of this process is learning to respond sensitively and knowledgeably to artworks, those made by others and your own work during the act of creation. We'll be spending a lot of time in that arena.

Drawing has changed in form and purpose relative to the role art and artists have played in various societies over the past several centuries. Such as that illustrated in the cave drawing above, did it represent the day's hunt or animals that were revered? The REnaissance was a huge changing period for drawing, as it was vital to the spirit of investigation and cultural rebirth. Look at the drawings of DaVinci or Michelangelo, their expressions are vastly different from the folks living in the caves. In the late 19th century, innovation played a big part of the drawing process with the addition of collage, layered pastel work, and monotype. Today drawing has reached a new height of independent status. Drawing can be enormous and richly textured. The format and vocabulary of drawing have been extended into room-filling environments with the addition of found objects, printed materials, and even video animations.

Drawing today is about the importance of individual expression and originality, and by means of its flexibility of form and processes, it's directness of execution, drawing is ideally suited to communicate the artist's touch and thought to the viewer. Let's start drawing toward our discoveries.

Summer Series

2010-06-24T10:18:00.000-07:00

Another summer session is finished, and now the assessing of six weeks of development in the practice of drawing, seeing, interpreting, expressing, and feeling is well under way. Still a few more hours of considering the surprises, decisions, expectations, and directions that have manifested before I have to get on line and send in final grades.

Again, similar to last summer, I think there were some amazing things that happened in this short period of time, and many of those amazing things came in the form of the series projects. I'm including examples from each below. In cases where it was logistically easy given the time element of when I have to have my work completed, and the work was small enough in scale to shoot the entire series, I did so. However, in many cases, I have only included one of the series to at least allow a glimpse of the varied directions everyone took in the process.

Allison did a series of eyes, each one confronting the viewer with a gaze of confidence and subtle expressions. They were executed in graphite and colored pencil.

Will's series was a four panel segmented Macaw, the head, then the torso and wings, and then the feet. Done in pastels, charcoal, and colored pencil. He called upon his experience in Florida when his family raised these beautiful birds.

Sue completed three mixed media quilts, in which she drew with thread and colored markers, exploring some of the plants from her garden.

Shawn explored a variety of ideas but then settled on landscape. This one, done from direct observation in Cave Hill, was the cream of the crop. Not only was I in that particular place, but I can imagine being back there just by looking at this drawing.

Randilyn created four exquisite pastel drawings inspired from her own experience with the "sounds of silence". Each panel is loaded with color, texture, and maturity of expression.

Miri created four large scaled graphite drawings expressing the abnormalities in the perception and expression of reality.

Michelle's series of five panels looked at the vegetables that are in her garden that are, in part, based on her personal experience in the food industry.

Louise continued the series she began in the spring with water and how light reflects and refracts in combination with the figure, perhaps moving a little more toward the abstraction of the inspiration.

Kim took a cathartic journey through a tough part of her past with three large scaled graphite drawings.

Katie was a bit lighter in subject with a series of four dog portraits, with each showing the unique personality of each puppy.

Greg did four bugs, each in tight detail and beautifully rendered. You could feel the prickly crustiness of each one. He worked in Water color, charcoal, colored pencil.

Elle took the political route with her three panels, exploring the predominance of media representation of Bush, Clinton, and Obama.

Connie was in her garden and inspired by the flowers and the element of nostalgia inherent in polaroid photographs.

Brittany captures the personalities of three friends from Facebook photos, using charcoal and pastel.

Aberlyn had three panels that explored the relationship dynamic that exists between she and her parents. Functioning both as triptych and as individual pieces, they are loaded with content, expressed with a variety of media, iconography, and construction.

The Final two days

2010-06-18T11:23:00.000-07:00

Monday will be individual critiques over your series. That group of drawings should be in pretty good shape for our discussions. Any fine tuning will be considered at that time, and then there are essentially 24 hours to make it happen before our group critique on Tuesday. Your post-test will also be after your individual sessions.

Tuesday will be final critique, the format of which will be decided after I have a sense of the number of drawings we'll be seeing. It could be a groups discussion similar to our 'midterm', or it could take on a whole new approach. We'll see what happens.

Final portfolios will come in after the final critique. Your final portfolio should include two still life drawings, two figure drawings, three landscapes, and your series. Pick your strongest of these groups.

Your work should be presented in a portfolio, either bought or hand-made out of durable material, and large enough to safely contain your work. For protection of the work, no paper should extend outside the portfolio. If you have drawings that don’t fit in the commercially made portfolios, make a cardboard ‘sandwich” for the oversized pieces.

All work done on spiral bound paper should be trimmed of spiral fuzz. Edges and/or borders should be cleaned to the extent possible. The back of the works should also be relatively clean. All work should be presented in approximate chronological order, with the beginning of the session (still life drawings) presented on top, the end of the session (landscapes) on the bottom; the series will be the last pieces in the portfolio after the landscapes unless they are presented in separate portfolio. Drawings done in soft graphite, charcoal, or soft pastel should be leafed (newsprint may be used for temporary purposes) and spray fixed so as to protect them from smearing and/or transferring to the back of other works.

The assessment of final portfolios will be based on individual development from the beginning to the end of this summer session. I will be looking for a developing comprehension of form/composition, variety and uses of line, seeing and representing shape and space, both positive and negative, and the roles they play in your image development; functions of value and texture, and a personal approach to idea development through your in-class sessions and your series. I will be looking to see the kind of process you are developing in drawing and the confidence you’ve developed in that process during the course of the session.

The degree of comprehension of these issues will be considered along with your individual and group critiques, post-test, participation, series, and sketchbook. If there are obvious weaknesses in your portfolio, I will review individual attendance records and/or attitudes toward the subject to ascertain the reasons for the weaknesses, and will report them to you in a written evaluation, with your final grade, contained in your returned portfolio. You may pick up your portfolio after noon on Friday, June 25.

Questions?

Last Cave Hill Day

2010-06-17T14:42:00.000-07:00

Our last day in Cave Hill was a bit frustrating for me since everyone relocated to new territory. I may have put 50 miles on the car searching and only found eight or nine of you, so those of you I could not find, I hope your day went well. Check back tomorrow for details about portfolios, sketchbooks, post-test, and any other details I can come up with.

A final thought about the past few days on a more personal, yet creative level. This year, my wife Cynthia and I endowed a scholarship for Fine Arts majors at IUS, and the first recipient was Ashley Bell, a BFA ceramics major. We set up the scholarship in memory of our daughter, Kate. Who knows, one of you could be next year's recipient.

Kate was an art and technical theater major at Millikin University. She was very creative and very talented, and enjoying a full ride scholarship. Of course, we enjoyed that too. Her boyfriend, Matt, was at the University of Illinois. The two campuses are fairly close to each other so Kate and Matt were able visit one another fairly often. They had finished their freshman years and were on a journey to Colorado for a much anticipated camping trip when we tragically lost them both. That was almost ten years ago, but as you can imagine, it is still a tough loss.

Before they left to begin their college careers, Kate took a photograph of the two of them by setting up the camera on auto-delay, and then ran and jumped into Matt's arms right as the camera took the shot. That photo, a special one to us, was used to commission the above sculpture that marks their adjacent places in Cave Hill. The words at the base are lyrics from a Dave Matthews Band song, one of their favorites.

So, while I think Cave Hill is a great resource for artists, it is also a magical place for contemplation, reflection, and ultimately appreciation. I hope it served you well on those and many other levels, especially of seeing, both physically and metaphorically, your own creative potentials.

Cave Hill tomorrow (or today if you're reading this tomorrow)

2010-06-16T20:11:00.000-07:00

We'll be doing our last day of landscapes, again, in Cave Hill. The Falls of the Ohio is under water, which I know Connie would not like. So I'll see you at the same place at the same time.

Sue was at the Scattering Garden drawing the lake and the constant swan. A very peaceful location, but a struggle for her to get the oil pastels to do what she wanted. As I told Connie, do a Google search of "oil pastel drawings" an then click on "videos," it will take you to many 'how to' videos that show the many creative approaches to oil pastel. Some are quite amazing.

This is the tree that Louise is using for her inspiration. I'm looking forward to seeing her final expression.

Kim moved on to a shadier spot today, yet still hidden away. She was using graphite, a more challenging medium for the time and location. It was going quite well and maybe she'll be able to more fully develop it with another day.

Final crit's coming up, make sure all your ducks (or geese) are in a row.

Aberlyn parked her easel out side the cemetery, just inside the entrance, and got to a very engaging place. The negative shapes were pretty interesting, and the marks worked with the form really well.

Cave Hill Tuesday

2010-06-15T06:37:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Shawn for lending me his camera yesterday. I got a few more shots of works-in-progress. Yesterday seemed a bit more focused and the majority of the drawings I saw were going very well. Some of those were continuations of the previous day and some were new beginnings that will likely be continuations today.

Michelle took on the actual "cave hill." There was a focus on the cave entrance and she began working in the landscape around it, keeping the textures active. It was a good start that might benefit from another day to build up the darker areas and to further push those textural passages.

Kim was harder to find than the rest, but I finally located her in the eastern side of the cemetery. She had gravitated to a particular tree that was loaded with bright yellow tassels, and she was taking advantage of the intense contrast of her paper and those fiery colors.

Greg found a more panoramic point-of-view down by the lake. He was using the prisma color sticks that he found a little frustrating on the black paper as the colors are not opaque enough to to bring out a lot of contrast. At the very end of the day he started working white over the colors and that seemed to give the image some punch. Maybe he'll continue with that today.

It looks like the weather is going to be cooperative today, but you might stay fairly close to your cars in case one of those out-of-no-where storms show up. It'll be warm again so I'm bringing some cold beverages...no, not Bud Light, water. This will be out last venture into Cave Hill so make the best of it. Two finished drawings out of the three cemetery days will be an excellent showing for having braved the heat. It mentioned int he paper this morning that the average temp for this time of year is 83, and we've been drawing in 10 degree hotter weather. Use this last day to pull your work together.

See you soon.

Cave Hill Monday

2010-06-14T06:58:00.000-07:00

It looks like it'll be warm today so dress for success. I'll see you at the same place between 1:00 and 1:15.

Cave Hill: Day Two (forecast)

2010-06-13T17:46:00.000-07:00

Sunday evening, too early to forecast tomorrow's weather. The 'official' forecast for tomorrow says: "Scattered thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe, High 91F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%." It also said about the same thing for today, but I didn't run into any raindrops, although it was pretty hot. I'll post tomorrow morning after looking at the satellite forecast.

However, one thing to consider is that it will be very warm tomorrow. So if we are not derailed by thunderstorms, please dress for warm weather and bring a bottled water or two with you.

Check back in the a.m.

Our First Cave Hill Day

2010-06-10T14:04:00.000-07:00

Our first Cave Hill day was fairly productive and I think there were some pretty interesting starts on many of the drawings I saw. I missed many folks today during the session although I found many cars. Sorry I couldn't find the bodies that went with the cars.

There were some challenging issues that came up during the session that need to be considered, and some of them will be further individually addressed on Monday during our next session in Cave Hill. A few folks exclaimed, "I can't draw (fill in the blank)." For example (I know that Connie won't mind me using her as that example), she said, "I can't draw water." There are two misconceptions to that statement. One, the word "can't." That one word holds more people back from their creative potential than any other word. PLEASE, erase that word from your vocabulary, it is a tremendous detriment to your growth. The other, in the case of this example, is "water." Drawing water is no more difficult than drawing a sphere. It is about looking and seeing. We all interpret what we see through the art elements: line, value, shape, texture, and color. When I look at water, I see the same visual ingredients that I see on the sphere, all the art elements. No subject is more challenging than any other subject, it's imply how well we see it and how we arrange the elements.

I was talking to Cynthia (my wife) about it this evening (she did the cigarette drawing that hangs in the drawing studio), and she told me that she could actually remember when she changed from the left-brain way of looking at "water" to the right-brain point of view that was about line, value, shape, texture, and color. It was an epiphany that changed the way she saw the world. And I suppose on some level, it is an epiphany, to switch from seeing "water" to one that is about the art elements that we manipulate on a daily basis, and getting those elements to say 'water.' It goes beyond epiphany, it becomes the basis for an aesthetic philosophy that permeates our work.

So think about changing your way of thinking about your subject, let your process 'describe' what you see instead of letting a definition hold you back. Think about "how can I achieve that" rather than "I can't."

On a final note, the Cave Hill experience should yield two finished drawings. How you focus that work is up to you, so be open to visiting your favorite places at Cave Hill during the weekend and even next Wednesday. Here are some images from today:

Once Will got settled, he began his drawing looking down through a slight valley and across the lake to where Shawn was working. He objected somewhat, as only Will can do, to the difficulty of getting his oil pastels to "cover the paper." Of course, working on colored pastel paper is so the color of the paper can be incorporated into the drawing. The blue of his paper and the fact that its texture made it difficult to cover only enhanced the overall quality of the drawing. The blue sparkles through in many of the areas thus providing a unifying feel.

Shawn was on the opposite side of the lake taking in a great deal of space which will bring him all the way to his immediate foreground. He's also using oil pastels, and after I stopped back by around 4:00, I was pretty impressed with the 'painterly' quality of the image. He had blocked in some colored shapes and was blending in lights, darks, cools and warms.

Randilynn was positioned with a point of view that intersected Shawn's and Will's, so we'll have some nice lake drawings after they spend another day on the ones they started today. Randilynn was having a little bit of struggle getting the leaves to look "right," so I told her not to think of them as leaves but as clusters of texture, working light colors over the darker colors to get the sense of form and space.

Rachel put her focus on the plant life on the hillside next to the lake, and although I didn't see it in the later stages of the day, she had a pretty good start, although she may move on in her next effort.

Louise and Rachel found a shady spot to work from. Louise was focused on the circular fountain out it the lake. Both were working fairly small scaled so I'm meeting with them for a chunk of time on Monday to work through some stuff that they'd like to address.

Connie was out in the sun (impressive) working on one of the mausoleums because she had decided not to work by the lake. She said of the drawing on Monday that had I been around I would have heard her cussing me for my requirement that water be included in the 8" x 10" drawing. She said, "I don't know how to draw water!" That'll change soon.

Allison was close by to Connie's drawing site but worked on a different mausoleum, she was very focused on her drawing in spite of the impromtu visit by Jerrye from last summer's drawing class (it was good to see you, Jerrye).

Have a productive weekend and I'll see you Monday. Be sure the check the blog or ONCOURSE for any last minute changes.

Cave Hill Tomorrow Afternoon

2010-06-09T17:02:00.000-07:00

The forecast for tomorrow is partly cloudy and 87 degrees, humidity about 60% so it'll be warm. Bring a garbage bag to sit on as the ground may be wet, or if you have a little folding chair. See you tomorrow between 1:00 and 1:15 on the main avenue of Cave Hill.

Please don't think that because we're meeting in a cemetery that you have to do drawings with monuments, you can just focus on the landscapes. If you choose to incorporate a monument, look for ones that have figurative elements instead of the "expected" graveyard stuff.

See you tomorrow.

On to Landscape

2010-06-08T06:51:00.000-07:00

We're going to be exploring landscape for the final five drawing sessions. The landscape brings in a whole new range of complexities that are quite different from still life and figure drawing. Ultimately, though, its commonality is observation. Some tips that might be helpful:

Try not to use your eraser unless you're using it to draw with, such as controlling light. Every line you draw in a landscape is important. Your mark-making process is the basis for a unique creative development.
Try to incorporate blind contour drawing, looking at your subject and letting your pencil follow the lines of your subject. Sometimes trees will look more natural if you don't get caught up in drawing what you think you know about trees, but rather drawing waht you see.
Drawing negative spaces can make landscape drawing a little less complex than following the lines of positive forms. It also helps to develop stronger observations skills.
Squint your eyes to see the light and dark patterns.
Us your pencil to take measurements such as what you did with still life and figure drawings.
Find ways to respond to the textures of the landscape instead of trying to draw all of those leaves.

Over the next five sessions, be sure to check in with our blog and with ONCOURSE to see if there are changes in the calendar. On those days when we are meeting at an off campus site, if there is a strong chance of rain, I will notify you through both portals, so be sure to check prior to the session.

Mid-Session Critique

2010-06-03T14:14:00.001-07:00

Just a few comments about our critique before it gets too far away from this past Tuesday. The grouping format worked well and seemed to generate a lot of constructive and instructive comments to which everyone seemed receptive. I think posing some pre-critique questions for consideration was also helpful. Based on that experience (a few more questions):

From the response of others, are people seeing what was intended, or are you seeing one thing while everyone else sees another?
Can you resist pressure to be pushed in a direction you are not interested in, but remain open to other's ideas at the same time?
When you hear constructive criticism, can you listen without feeling defensive?

At this halfway point, it is now important to budget time, set priorities, and move toward a cohesive group of completed drawings that inform, inspire, engage, educate, and move us. Looking forward to the 22nd!

Shawn, Allison, Sue, Kim, and Greg the secretary, discuss their responses to Miri's drawings of distorted and skewed points-of-view.

Connie, Elle, Aberlyn, Will, and Randilyn discuss Shawn's diptychs of psychological narratives.

Series of Interest

2010-05-28T08:34:00.000-07:00

This is an installation view of a series of charcoal drawings by a drawing student named Anna Claire Shapiro. I don't know where she is a student, but I thought her series was pretty impressive. She began the series with drawings of coral on 18" x 24" paper. Her goal was to do 50 quick drawings from observation in order to get to know the coral and its visual potential. She engaged in a process of toning, erasing, toning, erasing, pulling form forward and pushing it back. The installation if made up of several finished drawings 22" x 30" and up to 40" x 60" that were not part of the 50 sketches. Of course this is a very ambitious project and one that is the result of a full 16 week semester, but take a look at how it evolved.

This is one of the more finished drawing included in the installation. Each drawing has it's own strength and stands on it's own. The installation was an after thought, and not part of her original intention. Be open to those possibilities.

This is another of the finished series and you can see how she took the forms and responded to the lights and darks to create these surreal and abstract images.

This drawing also grew out of the 50 quick sketches and remains more closely connected to both the coral and the abstraction of the coral.

This is one of the original 50 sketches when Shapiro was "learning" about her subject. You can see how the finished pieces above grew out of these sketches.

This is the first of the 50 sketches, now look back at the installation to see how it grew into something much stronger and much more engaging. Shapiro left open the possibilities for the unexpected. This is a good example of the artist "listening" to the drawings, letting one drawing lead to the next, a sort of "let me start here and see where it takes me." Scroll back up the page so you can see the development.

The forms modeled with strong lights and darks and the skilled creation of space show a strong grounding in basic drawing methods, but Shapiro also pushed much further toward a personal statement. They are not just drawings of coral. She built an imaginative world where the coral forms became a metaphor for skeletons and suggestions of images appear in the abstraction.

It'll be interesting to see where we are on Tuesday and hear about the potentials that are evolving your series.

Happy Memorial Day.

Drawing From Life

2010-05-25T07:30:00.000-07:00

We had our first session with the model yesterday, and for the most part, there were some positive results. It is a building process, so please be patient. As mentioned, drawing from the human figure has been going on for centuries, and it gives us the tools, or vocabulary, for creating drawings, paintings, sculptures, or prints, from Renaissance classical to contemporary abstraction. It's because drawing from life provides such an essential foundation for all other creative expressions that we spend some time with the subject every semester. Of course a summer session compresses the experience considerably so you have to utilize your sketchbooks for additional experience.

One cannot learn how to draw simply by having someone describe the process or explain how it's done, as we did with gesture yesterday. Just like learning to play a musical instrument, learning to draw requires an investment of time spent in diligent practice, and looking at the drawings of other artists who are exploring the same subject. Check out this website for a lot of information and examples by many artists who use the figure. Be sure to hit the "Figure Drawing" and "Life Drawing" buttons as well as the "How to..." buttons. It will help you to see many possibilities.

Mid-Session Critique

2010-05-24T13:55:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, June 1, we will have a mid-session critique over the series in-progress. A group critique for the series will be different than ones for specified assignments. Because individual work on unique ideas and each person will be presenting his or her work to the group. It's a good idea to be prepared to talk about your ideas, how the series has progressed or changed, and what you think the next step might be. The following are some things to think about in preparation for discussion of your work.

Are enough time and commitment being put into the work?

Remember, at least seven hours per week should be devoted to this.

Is a clear direction emerging, or do you sense several different possible directions?

If several, what are they? Which one makes the most sense to you and why?

Does the size of the work and the media being used seem to be working with the ideas?

The scale of the works should speak volumes about your idea.

Are there signs of a breakthrough or are surprising new directions emerging?

Are these good surprises (possible potential for development) or bad surprises (unforeseen problems or contradictions)?

Is the work invigorating, that is, dos it excite you?

Do you feel fully engaged with it? Would you rather be working on your series than just about anything else? Does the work interest other people (your audience)?

Summer Series

2010-05-14T07:59:00.000-07:00

I hope you're all giving your series some thought over the weekend. Please don't procrastinate on this, it's not the kind of project that can be hammered out the weekend before it's due. Basing the process on your previous drawing experience is important, and focusing on an idea for your series will take some time and effort and involve decisions on many levels. The information I've passed out to you along with the examples of some past bodies of work should help you in your journey.

Why do you think it's important to work in a series of related drawings? First, staying with an idea or theme over a period of time helps us to establish a definite and considered attitude in our work as possibilities in the subject are discovered. It is that attitude and the possibilities that are pursued that distinguishes one artist's work from another. Look at the examples again, the differences between Hillary Brace's Clouds and Nate Stormer's still life drawings on one of the handouts. Both have a remarkably contrasting attitudes, and they are both powerful bodies of work.

Work that remains on the surface of an idea only goes where many other artists have been before. If you're considering portraits, for example, look at other contemporary artists who explore that idea, such as John Currin, or Zak Smith, (be careful with Smith's web site, he gets a little saucy at times) or even the modern painter, Alice Neel. There are very distinct attitude about the same subject. However, if you push your ideas in a focused direction, you will get to a place in your work that you didn't realize existed.

In short, working in a series often will lead you to drawings that you never would have created otherwise. Drawings that will communicate your ideas, insights, feelings, your gut responses in greater depth. With this level of involvement it stands to reason that you ill have more invested in your series that in the three days per week class sessions because you will determine the direction. So don't just remain on the surface of your idea.

Some other interesting series to look at and consider, Stephen Talisnik, and Mark Milloff's Moby Dick series.

It is important to look at an artist's work as a body of related pieces in order to discover the influences, sources materials, processes, expressions, and use of media. Whatever your idea, spend some time looking (Google it) and see how other artists, especially contemporary artists, have dealt with the same subject. It will help you to find your way, the honest way of your expression.

Have a good weekend.

Summer I Drawing

2010-05-07T08:11:00.000-07:00

The first summer session begins on Tuesday, six weeks of intensive drawing. Like last summer's very successful 'series' project, we will again work on developing individual serial images based on individual ideas, and the only themes are commitment and imagination.

The four images above are by Hilary Brace. They are each created with charcoal on frosted mylar, with the largest dimensions being roughly 3.5" x 9". Although they are all small in scale, the sensation of space is immense. The drawings have a sense of the real, capturing the forms of nature. However, they are invented images and the compositions were built from imagination. Even if these views had been drawn from specific places, the shifting formations of clouds would never look the same for long; each scene would ultimately be clarified in the mind's eye of the artist.

Brace drew skies, mist, and clouds; nevertheless, the real subject is invented light, dramatized with chiaroscuro and atmospheric perspective. Light and dark values compose each image. They are created reductively by erasing into the darks of the charcoal.

Some issues and ideas concerning a series:

Artists work with the ideas that have meaning for them on a personal and/or societal level.

The time period in which the work was done often determines relevant social issues that influence the artistss attitude in their drawings.

As an artist you must move beyond exercises, connecting your drawings with personal concern and stylistic approach.

It's a Wrap!

2010-05-06T08:47:00.000-07:00

The final critique consisted of four groups evaluating the drawings of four drawing enthusiasts with no group critiquing their own members. This is the second time I have employed this process in a group critique and it was, again, successful. Each member of each group was a designated spokes person and presented a brief analysis of one of the drawings. It presents a creatively healthy situation in which the person being critiqued listens to comments, responds to those comments, and then the whole group briefly discusses their reaction to that interaction. They all seemed to be very honest and constructive in their impressions, and the use of the studio vocabulary was honed even further. It also allowed those who tend to be more reserved to feel comfortable, maybe empowered, to stand up before everyone else and present their group's impressions and suggestions. Below are a few of the final projects. My photographic abilities were severely hampered by defected batteries, so please bear with the under/over exposures. Trust me, they really look much better than what is represented here, but at least you'll get an idea.

Sadie's drawing was based on the "worm's eye view" of orchids and some drapery and furnishings. She executed it in graphite and really pushed the value range into a convincing illusory space.

Natasha did a self-portrait with mask, also with graphite. This shot, as well as Sadie's, is darker that the actual piece, but she did a fine job capturing the mystery inherent with this particular project.

Jennifer also took the idea of a self-portrait with mask by using a camera as the mast. It was an inventive approach to the idea of a mask, and well executed.

Adam took the worm's eye view of a curio cabinet, looking up through the glass shelves and the objects sitting on those shelves. Adam's approach is very soft due to his process of pushing graphite and then refining details.

So the spring semester is now over and we're about to head into first summer session. A condensed six weeks session of in- and out-of-class beginning to advanced drawing projects that I hope will prepare everyone for continued study in drawing as well as the other creative avenues they wish to explore. Drawing is about design and composition, it's about ideational fluency and expanding critical thinking, it's the essence of most art forms. See you soon.

Fine Arts Open House

2010-04-19T14:18:00.000-07:00

The Dirt Bags Art Club is hosting the 2nd annual IUS Fine Arts Department open house on Friday evening from 6:00-8:00. Please bring in a few drawings to hang in the drawing studio, your out-of-class projects would be great for this. Bring your friends and family. It was a blast last year going from studio to studio seeing what everyone was creating. Good music and food, and creative fellowship. Hope you can make it. Click on the image above to see the particulars of the event.

BFA Graduating Senior Exhibition

2010-04-06T13:05:00.001-07:00

Rob Woolley and Sara Jones have been "immersed" in preparing for their BFA Thesis exhibition. It opens on Thursday in the Barr Gallery from 5:00 - 7:00. We will be meeting at the gallery instead of the studio for the first 45 minutes or so. Anyone else out there not in class at that time should also come check out this excellent exhibition. It continues until May 26.

The Alternative Self-Portrait

2010-04-01T09:36:00.000-07:00

Below are some examples of the spring 2010 Basic Drawing class's Alternative Self-Portraits. A variety of interpretations exploring self identity.

In Stephanie's drawing, she uses black charcoal with some white added in for detail and textural differences. She place the objects that had "sentimental" value to her under a bed, crammed into a tight space and then shot a photo from which to work. Although she still has a few more details to add, the composition works well for a "worm's-eye" view of the situation.

Sadie also incorporated books into her drawing, and once the suggestion of the book's titles are added to the spines, the concept of identity will become even stronger, as they will relate to Sadie's connection to the earth, spirituality, and creativity.

Natahsa's drawing captures the more flamboyant side of her personality by including vintage clothing that she likes to wear on occasion. She used pastels and colored pencils, and the layering of the colors and marks make for a very energetic surface.

Jennifer's drawing shows a "woman on the go" as someone stated during our critique. A still-life of personal objects that relate to her life and family, all situated on the passenger seat of her automobile. She used graphite and a very creative approach to replicating textures by embossing into the paper and then drawing over those textures.

Adam's drawing evoked a sense of mystery as he peered into a 'junk-drawer' filled with things he didn't even remember having. Part of the mystery of the drawing is the absence of some detail and an abbreviation of observation relative to some forms, and acute focus on others.

We're going to finish up our critique tonight with a new batch of drawings that weren't able to make it through the haze of spring break. Stay tuned....

Alternative Self-Portrait

2010-03-18T12:42:00.000-07:00

The below images are three more examples of past responses to the Alternative Self-Portrait project.

In this one a student opened her purse and shot a photo of the contents. It created a very engaging image that has a full range of value and a wide range of information about her as an individual. A excellent response to the project.

In this image, a student who confessed to having a strong attraction to shoes, took a photo of some of her shoes pouring out of her closet.

In this drawing another student also elaborated on some of the things in her purse by arranging the contents in relation to the purse. She also added some embellishments, such as the decorative border.
Similar to the food magnification, this project will also be demanding of time and focus. However, it should move a little quicker since your drawing skills have sharpened from that previous experience. Also, particular to the project concept, some of the evolving processes should imbue the project with a stronger sense of identity, a stronger sense of self-identity. Have fun with it and if anyone wants to have a pre-crit, give me a holler.

Happy spring break!

COLOR

2010-03-12T07:55:00.001-08:00

We got into color last night that I think produced some pretty engaging drawings. We started by just reviewing some basic terms and color theory, exploring the three characteristics of color: hue, value, and intensity, discussing the ways one can alter a colors value and intensity by adding neutrals and complements. We looked at the primaries, secondaries, and intermediate colors and how they're produced, and we talked about how cool colors recede and warm colors advance. We looked at the form above, a box covered with a lot of colorful pieces of drapery, and made note of the ways the colors shared with one another, lending and borrowing from their neighbors. Then we drew.

Andrew's drawing, sitting on top of his drawing horse, opened up some strong potentials as far as form and color, and the textural mark-making added a lot of vitality to the image.

Stephanie and Evan displayed very different approaches. Stephanie was very much about blending with soft pastels while Evan explored more aggressive layers of mark-making with oil pastels. I found all of the different approaches pretty exciting, and even though this was our first foray into color, the individual approaches that have been developing this semester manifested a wide variety of styles and processes.

Sadie's drawing was looking like a focused magnification of the form we were drawing, an interesting segment that created an intriguing composition.

Spending some time with color, with the pastels, will encourage those of you who want to explore the Alterantive Self-portrait through this art element, to push that experience and knowledge to some pretty remarkable drawings. Have fun!

Project # 3 Alternative Self-Portrait

2010-03-11T08:43:00.000-08:00

Tonight we'll discuss our next out of class project. This project will be unique in that no two drawings will be alike, such as the food or the perspective. We'll be exploring alternative self-portraits, not to be confused with a self-portrait that involves a likeness of your physical appearance. This will involve creating a drawing of the things in your life that address something about who you are, your likes, dislikes, passions, fetishes. It may involve memorabilia or things that you've collected over the years.

Tana Tidd is very much involved with horses, and is particularly passionate about riding. She did this drawing of the "tackle" hanging on the side of a barn.

Jessica Hagedorn was a student athlete in high school and created this drawing of some of the memorabilia from those experiences.

This response was by Gilbert Garcilazo, who was very much involved with on-line gaming. He brought into class the things that he used in that activity and we shot photos, such as the one below. I though he did a very good job with the project, and especially seeing the subtle refections in the computer screen.

So you see from the above examples, there are many ways to visually express something about who we are without saying what we look like (we'll be getting into that soon enough). Alternative self-portraits can be both fun and challenging at the same time, especially when you think about the parts of your life that can be expressed through images. Our critique will be 19 days from today, plenty of time to say, "this is me."

CROSS-HATCHING

2010-03-10T08:28:00.000-08:00

Cross-hatching is a method of drawing that describes light and shadow. The representation of light utilizes the white of the paper, while the shadow is created by the density of crossed lines. As we experienced in class last evening, cross-hatching is also very much an attitude about drawing and understanding what you see. The lines and marks we made described the forms in the still life and in some cases followed some of those forms like a cross contour, such as in Stephanie's drawing, where the lines wrapped around the large blue vase. Cross-hatching also makes you become more sensitive to mark-making. Practice in your sketchbooks by direct observation, and look at some work on-line by searching cross-hatch drawings.

Hungry, anyone?

2010-03-08T07:59:00.000-08:00

We had our midterm critique last week, which led to many engaging insights into the drawings and the artists who created them. The large group broke into four smaller groups and wrote critiques of another group's drawings. Then we regathered as a group and discussed each of the drawings, with each group starting the discussion by sharing their observations. I found them to be very honest and giving in their assessments and I hope everyone was able to find new ways of seeing their own work to make subsequent efforts even stronger.

Jennifer, Carlotta, Natasha, and Ashley were discussing some of the many points of consideration in developing their constructive critique of four drawings from another group.

Natasha and Ashley still reviewing their group's drawings, while Evan makes a point to Melissa, Sadie, and Stephanie. Kat was reviewing with another group.

Sadie's "trail mix" is a well composed and executed drawing, capturing the textures and local colors of the various forms.

Natasha's "skittles" has a very strong mark-making process that clearly defines each skittle and its relationship with all the other skittles.

Jennifer's "strawberries" has a very subtle mark-making process going on that adds an interesting texture of skin to the berries.

Jeffrey's "chip mix" creates a complex abstraction of textures and values,some with very aggressive mark-making.

Adam's 'cheezits" have many subtle variations in value and texture that convincingly suggest the surfaces of the crackers.

Frottage

2010-02-18T11:45:00.000-08:00

Hands engaged in Frottage:

Frottage (from French frotter, "to rub") is a surrealist and "automatic" method of creative production. The artist takes a pencil, graphite stick, charcoal stick, or some other drawing tool and makes a rubbing over a textured surface. It was developed in 1925 by Max Ernst. He was inspired by an ancient wooden floor where the grain of the planks had been accentuated by many years of scrubbing. The patterns of the graining suggested strange images to him and he captured them by laying sheets of paper on the floor and then rubbing over them with a soft pencil. Think what he would have done with a stick of graphite!

Food Magnification

2010-02-18T09:18:00.000-08:00

The next out-of-class project was assigned on Tuesday and there are fourteen days until we have our midterm critique over the finished pieces. This project is one of the more challenging because it requires a lot of looking, a lot of seeing, and a lot of drawing. But the final piece is almost always extremely rewarding. Not only does it strengthen our powers of observation, but our drawing skills get sharper at the same time. It requires commitment to being the best you can be at a process that is still new to many of you, but rewards will be huge.

Some tips we discussed the other evening include: make sure your grids are composed of verticals and horizontals, and that they are 1" on the photo and 3" on the paper; draw your grids lightly on your drawing paper so the system doesn't interfere with your finished piece; chamois and blending stumps can be used but do not rely on them entirely, use your mark-making to create an active and engaging surface; study and duplicate the values you see, maybe even check it with your value scale; budget your time well during the next two weeks for the project since it constitutes home work.

Individual critiques of the drawing in progress will be conducted on Thursday, February 25. I will have a sign-up schedule in class tonight. See you then

Exhibit Opportunity

2010-02-10T07:52:00.000-08:00

If anyone has some art they'd like to enter in a show in Jeffersonville, go to:

www.springintoart.org

I'll be serving as the awards judge. I'm not sure how or who will be jurying, but it would be good to see some stuff from IUS.

Lots-O-Snow

2010-02-09T11:33:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone is enjoying the day off, playing in the snow. I think I'm over the shoveling though. I'm also a little bummed that we won't get to have a drawing session tonight, but that's nature. This is the kind of snowfall that inspires charcoal drawings, and so maybe you'll get out your drawing materials, pull a chair up to a window, look outside and start sketching. I played a little with photoshop to create a little "charcoal" sketch of some snow covered pines (click on images to enlarge). Enjoy.

See you on Thursday, I hope. Don't forget to bring in your reworked perspective drawings and the evaluation sheets as well. We'll get into some textural stuff then.

City Scapes

2010-02-04T08:42:00.000-08:00

Below are some examples of two-point perspective drawings from F100 Basic Drawing. In some cases, very light pencil work was lost in the digitizing process, and some of the camera/lens distortions rendered some verticals less that vertical. However, what is evident in these drawings is an illusion of space created through rules and principles of Linear Perspective, and a grasp of how to utilize those tools. You can click on the drawings for a larger version.

Jerry's view of a corner pub is loaded with detail and the perspective is effective in communicating the receding spaces down both intersecting streets.

Jennifer's drawing combines three corners and an abundance of perspective details, cornices, windows, doors, balconies, even a curved glass atrium. The space works very well.

As I sit here at my MAC writing and loading this post, I am struck by the way that Jason managed to put the apple logo into perspective. It would be fun to see some computers in the windows.

Dustin has also taken a corner view that sweeps down two streets, yet he manages to keep us on the sidewalks. The perspective is effective in suggesting those spaces.

Adam has created a maze of buildings with alleys cutting in and out between them, the brick work on the left adds some interesting spaces to the drawing.

The first round of out-of-class projects have been submitted, and we'll talk about them a little this evening so that my written comments, which often aren't legible (so I've been told), will be clear. I want to insure that anyone who wants to resubmit next week will know the direction they need to take.

There were fourteen days from the time the project was first discussed until Tuesday when they were submitted. I also devoted one of our in-class sessions for the planning phase of this out-of-class project. So, if you factor in the amount of out-of-class study required per week for a three credit hour class, my expectations of effort were satisfied if I was looking at a drawing that appeared to exhibit at least nine hours of linear perspective study (drawing). Several satisfied that expectation. According to Greg Roberts, Arts and Letters Academic advisor, for every hour you spend in a class per week, you should devote three hours outside of that class for study. Studio classes are not like regular standard classes, we meet six hours per week instead of three, so I don't expect eighteen hours of study (drawing) per week beyond the six in-class hours, but expecting six hours in a two week period is not unreasonable.

Anyway, we'll hit a few areas of discussion this evening to become more clear about such projects and the efforts needed to be the best we can be in that regard. See you later.

The value of value.

2010-02-02T12:37:00.000-08:00

The term chiaroscuro has its roots in Italian, where it literally means the combination of light (chiaro) and dark (scuro). In our drawing class it refers to the technique of applying subtly blended shades of gray to imitate the varying intensities of light and shadow that occur when light is directed toward and reflected off three-dimensional forms, such as the white plaster forms we've been working with during drawing sessions. Chiaroscuro is a powerful too for defining the mass and volume of individual forms, for describing surface texture, and for establishing and clarifying the space that exists between objects. The value scales you created over this past weekend should help you in seeing and representing some of the subtle values that most people overlook is objects under a direct light.

When you think about creating a drawing that has a wide range of value, you have to consider that he white of our drawing paper is the brightest white that we have at our disposal for describing the highest level of illumination in a drawing. It's important to identify those areas of our drawing that will remain white. Once these are identified, we can proceed to push everything else back to an appropriate level of "nonwhiteness". If you squint your eyes at the subject, the lightest lights and the darkest darks should become evident.

Rarely do shadows appear as solid black, they usually reflect some light, and they usually have a subtle gradation that changes throughout the shadow area, be on the lookout for that.It is usually slightly darker near the edges of the shadow where it comes into direct contact with the lighter areas (remember simultaneous contrast) and lighter toward the center of the shadow.

We really can't duplicate the intensity of a brightly lit still life by relying on the white of our paper, but we can come close to the dramatic effect of that by exaggerating the darks. Pushing the values down a step or two on the value scale will allow the highlights in your drawing to appear to glow with the same intensity and clarity as your perceptual experience.

We'll get a bit more complicated and challenging this evening and see how our drawing experiences are helping us to see better. Please refer to the post of September 22, 2009 for additional stuff about value.

See you tonight.

Teri Frame Lecture

2010-01-28T08:58:00.000-08:00

Tonight is Teri Frame's lecture in the Clay studio, KV035, at 6:00, so that's where we'll meet first. I wasn't able to get back to campus in time to see her performance last evening, but all reports are that it was totally fascinating. It was tapped, so we may get a chance to see it if it gets posted somewhere. See you this evening in the clay studio, afterwards we'll continue exploring composition and value. See you soon.

Project #1 Perspective

2010-01-20T07:11:00.000-08:00

Last night we discussed the first out-of-class project and did some preliminary studies. Please review the earlier post that I mentioned so that you can visit the perspective sites. The project will be a two-point perspective cityscape. I recommended that you look through magazines and web searches for cityscapes that might provide inspiration. Of course you'll be creating this city scape based on your knowledge and experience with linear perspective rather than drawing one from observation. Your city can be anything that you imagine it to be as long as your perspective is accurate. We will begin the process during class on Thursday after the 6:00 gallery talk by Valerie Fuchs, who will be opening an exhibition in our gallery. Do a Google search for "cityscapes drawings" to see some various examples of how artists have handled this subject. We'll go into all the intricacies of this project and what to avoid on Thursday.

Don't forget that the gallery talk begins at 6:00 in the gallery, just down the hall from our studio off of the Ogle lobby. Try to get there a few minutes before 6:00 so you'll be there when she starts.

See you tomorrow evening.

Perspective, as in LINEAR...

2010-01-14T08:03:00.000-08:00

Hey drawers, if you look back through the blog to August 28, 2009, under the post titled "PERSPECTIVE", there are a few links that will take you to some places for a pretty good introduction to, explanation of, and visual examples of Linear Perspective. I think the information is pretty good and should help you to get a pretty quick grasp of some of the principles we'll be exploring this evening in class. It'll also allow you to travel around the blog to previous semesters and see some examples of previous work that has come out of this class, including some perspective drawings. See you this evening.

Spring 2010

2010-01-07T15:19:00.000-08:00

We're about to start another semester exploring the drawing process and its supporting foundation of the basics, although it seems like we just finished the fall semester. Gosh, I guess we did. I've posted the syllabus on ONCOURSE so that you can have early access to the supply list and the class calendar. There have been a few changes since last semester, which we'll discuss on Tuesday evening during our first meeting. Between now and then, please peruse our blog over the past few semesters to see and read what some of the previous F100 classes did with projects and how they responded to some of the discussions. I think you'll enjoy it. See you Tuesday evening.

Final Projects

2009-12-15T08:25:00.000-08:00

The group critique started with groups of four critiquing four other drawings from another group. We had tried this process before, but this time all the kinks got worked out before hand and the discussion process was very productive and constructive.

After the group critique, Kirsten, Craig, and Lori kept going after everyone else had left the studio.

Tana Tidd's horse gear.

Sam Chumley's self portrait with mask.

Lacy Crouthamel's self portrait with mask.

Jessica Hagedorn's autobiographical still life.

Craig Banks' worm's eye view still life.

We got the things wrapped up on December 8 with our best critique of the semester. Unlike previous sessions, this one was engaging until the very end, and then there were a few who stayed longer to continue discussing the drawings. It was pretty amazing to see how much growth there had been in every one's work, and for many this was a first time experience with drawing.

Once I started to review the portfolios that growth became even more evident, and there seemed to be a direct correlation between the development of drawing skills and activity in the sketchbooks. To those who used their sketchbooks to increase observation and manual skills, I hope you too can see the improvements.

Good job everyone and hope to see you next semester.

Drawing toward the final project...

2009-11-21T08:52:00.000-08:00

Tana Tidd

Richelle Greenblat

Jessica Hagedorn

Gilbert Garcilazo

First, I didn't get the chance to get examples shot of the alternative self portaits, so I'm including a few here that were submitted a little later that I still had in my office.

The final project has been assigned so everyone is on their way to getting fully absorbed in the details of that. Options include a "worms-eye" or a "bird's-eye" view of a still life, no horizon line or back edge; an additive and reductive drawing of a still life with interesting and engaging forms; a self-portrait with a mask, and finally an open-ended option that was to be presented as a proposal with to-scale sketches. I had one of those, but the plan has since changed back to one of the other options. So we'll essentially be looking at a group of drawings based on option #1, #2, or #3. I'm sure there may be variations on those, but as long as the gist of those ideas is there, then the only surprises will be in the strength of the executions of the images. I anticipate a group of drawings that will clearly exhibit strong developments in the skills and comprehension of composition, effective use of the art elements, critical thinking skills to resolve the creative problems that manifest during the execution, ideas that are well considered and unique, and well crafted final projects.

We won't be meeting until after the Thanksgiving break on December 1, so I am hopeful that everyone will utilize whatever time they can grab over the holiday to explore this final project. Have a great Thanksgiving!

Alternative Self Portraits

2009-10-27T07:26:00.000-07:00

The next out-of-class project has been assigned and everyone is well on their way to having a new "best effort" for our November 5 critique. Some examples of this project from last spring can be found by going back to April 8, 2009 to the "Hidden Places" post. In fact there are a few of those shooting into the purse images that are also subjects this go-around. I know there was some frustration with the previous project because there was so much of the same thing (i.e., popcorn, grapes, goldfish, sunflower seeds, etc.), but this time I expect you'll enjoy the process more since you are doing more self-exploration with the images. The critique will be more engaging as well since there will have to be some discussion about "who" we are in those drawings. Hope they're going well, there are ten more days for this self exploration, make the quality of time good.

The last Course

2009-10-23T08:24:00.000-07:00

Kevin's grapes.

Heather's Goldfish.

Gilbert's Popcorn.

Craig's Pineapple.

Brittany's Sushi.

Here are some of the food drawings that came in this week after some revisions based on critique comments. They look pretty yummy!

Yum, yum!

2009-10-15T07:26:00.000-07:00

Will Goolsby's Sunflower Seeds

Tana Tidd's Chex Mix

Sam Chumley's Saltines

Lori Richie's Nutter Butter

Kirsten Goodman's European Waffers

Grace Stetenbenz's Animal Crackers

The midterm drawing projects of food magnification have arrived on the table and there are several tasty images. This was, of course, a big project and took considerable time and effort, lots of looking and lots of mark-making, but I think it's a project that always indicates a considerable level of development in the working process of beginning drawing students. If for nothing else but to recognize that the effort will expand skills significantly, skills in drawing and skills in seeing and recognizing the subtleties of our world. Commitment to be the best you can be in any project, in any studio class, is always the ultimate goal, and there were many fine examples of that in this group of images. I have included a few with this post that were at a stage of finishedness (is that a word?). I'll look forward to seeing how they all get finished and resolved by next Thursday.

FOOD MAGNIFICATION

2009-10-07T09:46:00.002-07:00

Tomorrow will be an in-class working day for the food project. While you're working on your drawings, I'll meet with each of you for a brief look and discussion about where the drawing is, where it's going, and what needs to happen to get it there. Again, this is a time intensive project, so investing a few hours a day is a really good plan.

A good test to measure how your drawing is going is to take two pieces of white paper, cut a one inch square in one and a three inch square in the other. Then place the one inch square over one of the gridded sections of your image, and the three inch square over the corresponding square of your drawing. Now squint your eyes and see if the drawing matches the value range of the image you're working from. If they match, you're in good shape.

See you tomorrow.

FOOD MAGNIFICATION

2009-09-29T09:36:00.001-07:00

The next project has been assigned and I trust everyone is on their way to 'cook' up ideas for their food drawings. It might be a good idea to look back at past posts about the project from last winter's F100 class. Look at Thursday, March 5, 2009 and Tuesday February 17, 2009. There are a few images from that class, plus the pdf I sent you yesterday should provide you with a lot of inspiration. Mmmmm, can't wait to see your ideas.

Drapery Studies

2009-09-25T07:55:00.000-07:00

Sam Chumley's drawing breaks the various surfaces down into fairly aggressive marks that accumulate into a wide range of value. The effectiveness of the open composition creates some strong diagonals of lights and darks.

Gilbert Garcilazo's marks are much more subtle and suggestive of the reality of the space and the gravity of the drapery.

Coby Vaughan's drawing has an energetic approach to mark-making that adds a sense of urgency to the image allowing her point of view to be expressed.

Camille Stettenbenz's drawing explores the abstract qualities of the light and dark patterns of the fabric, setting up a strong sense of repetition and rhythm.

Jessica Hagedorn's drawing is a strong open composition that is enhanced by the way she explored her marks relative to the surfaces she was viewing.

So we exercised our seeing and mark-making skills with drapery as subject, hanging on the wall with a strong light coming from one direction. I thought there was some good progress in many of the pieces. Developing a sensitivity to the touch of the pencil on the drawing surface and the ability to discriminate subtle changes in the marks of the pencil, or any drawing tool, on that surface are some of the most important parts of the drawing process. Developing our powers of observation is also hugely important, not only as human beings, but also for many in our F100 class who are growing and emerging artists.

These are very basic sensitivities but ones that, because of the refinement and energy they require, are both sophisticated and challenging. It is challenging to invest extraordinary concentration in an activity that is generally perceived as utilitarian. Focusing attention on something as routine as using a hand-held tool to make marks on paper requires that we temporarily detach ourselves from the distractions of our over-stimulating environment and devote our attention to the simple experience of direct sensory awareness. That actually may be one of the biggest challenges. Drawing demands active and purposeful participation.

Drapery Study by Leonardo Da Vinci

2009-09-23T11:49:00.000-07:00

The value of value.

2009-09-22T13:49:00.001-07:00

Our exercise today involved white forms on green drapery (or at least I was told it was green), and to work with the values as they described the forms and the spaces. There was a lot to deal with and, in turn, there was a lot of frustration expressed. So we're going to simplify on Thursday and try to get more involved with drawing from observation and developing a mark-making approach to building up values.

Drawings with value compositions allow us to take all kinds of visual journeys. Each of our processes set up different rhythms in our work as we discussed at the end of class and the most expeditious means to an end doesn't necessarily teach us very much. But those rhythms are important. Some of us draw with a fast tempo and others may be slower; some of us are precise and others may wander. However, as our eyes move around our subject, like the one depicted above, we tend to look for groupings and patterns to organize so that our values and shapes make sense in the final image. Value needs to describe those volumes and spaces in our work, and it needs to move our eyes around the image, it needs to engage us on all kinds of levels.

We all understand now, I think, that an important use of value in drawing is the development of compositions based on light and dark. Chiaroscuro (chiaro=light, scuro=dark) creates the illusion of solid form in a believable space. One of the best ways to learn that is to draw drapery strongly lit from one side. We'll explore that on Thursday.

GUIDE TO STUDIO FOUNDATION BASICS

2009-09-22T07:32:00.000-07:00

The on-line text for foundation courses (F100, F101, F102) is now available through our class Oncourse site. It's gone through a lot of improvements and is much more user-friendly. Remember that this is the text that your pretest was based on, and will also be used for your post-test at the end of the semester. Start spending some time with it. You'll be glad you did.

See you shortly.

COMPOSITION

2009-09-08T06:49:00.000-07:00

Hey, everyone, check out the PowerPoint about composition on Debra's blog, yourmindseyes.blogspot.com, it's pretty good and a good introduction to our next ventures. It's located on the left side of the page under PowerPoints (for class). See you soon.

Also, check out Shawn's comment, he has a link to a short video about composition.

LINEAR PERSPECTIVE

2009-08-28T15:47:00.000-07:00

For those of you who might need a refresher while working on your drawings, try THIS. It's a pretty good explanation in a pinch. And try some youtube videos, there are a couple that are fun to watch as the drawings develop, just search for "linear perspective". And actually, this site is pretty good as well.

Enjoy.

Wanted to add to this that Professor Debra Clem has a powerpoint on her class blog about perspective. If you click HERE and then on the left side of the page click on Perspective under PowerPoints (for class), you can go through all of the images and read the text. It covers the stuff we discussed about the flatness of art before the Renaissance.

A New Semester: FALL 2009

2009-08-21T10:52:00.000-07:00

Welcome to a new semester of drawing. There are many postings on this blog that began last winter. There are a number of examples of projects from previous F100 Basic Drawing Students through advanced level students. Many of the out-of-class and in-class projects you'll be exploring this semester are showcased with examples, so you may want to review some of the past entries to see how other members of the drawing community interpreted and expressed themselves with those projects. If you want to see a larger version of any of the drawings, just click on them. Also, when you get to the bottom of each page be sure to click on "older posts". There is a syllabus for the course located on our ONCOURSE site and I will have hard copies for you to review and discuss on Tuesday during our first class session. Enjoy the blog, the drawings, and the discussions and I'll see you Tuesday, August 25.

8th Annual Art Car Weekend

2009-07-21T19:32:00.000-07:00

The IUSARTCAR will b e featured during the art car weekend, August 6 - 8, including first Friday on the 7th, and parade on the 8th. We'll have some exposure on WHAS this Saturday and throughout the next two weeks leading up to the weekend, and on August 6 on FOX 41. The IUSARTCAR book, created by Steve, has received attention from the KMAC and they have expressed interest in having the book for sale in the KMAC Gift Shop. Stay tuned for more info.

Summer Session I Portfolios

2009-06-29T11:48:00.000-07:00

I have condensed all the remaining portfolios from Summer Session I into the drawing studio. There are several still to be picked up. That studio will be cleaned soon, so you'd better get your things before they become "examples" for the beginning classes, and free portfolios for the newby's .

Summer Session I: Drawing (wrap-up)

2009-06-25T08:29:00.001-07:00

Portfolios are ready to be picked up. Make sure you also get your series.

It was good to look through the portfolios and see some of the surprises from our Cave Hill and Falls of the Ohio trips, especially since there had not been an opportunity to see some of them before. The finished quality many of them possessed was, indeed, a welcome sight.

This was a fast, furious, and enjoyable six week session, and the dynamic I thought was inspiring. I appreciated the amount of sharing that went on with this blog and hope that you'll check back from time to time just to see what's happening with our drawing community. I also hope that regardless of your concentration and/or major, that you'll continue to exercise the development of your skills, both manual and conceptual, in your sketchbooks. And as Fine Arts majors, I hope you will continue to explore the contemporary world of art and become familiar with the vast range of contemporary theories and the artists who practice them.

Be sure to check out the series post just below this one, and have a wonderful summer. I hope to see you in the fall.

The Series:

2009-06-24T09:15:00.000-07:00

Below are examples of the series project from the Summer I drawing class. In some cases, because of scale or presentation, I was not able to include the entire series on a few. This was a very involved project for a summer session, and there were many very rewarding results. The expectation of seven hours per week involvement is clearly evident in many of the groupings, and the uniqueness of each series made for an informative final critique.

Fran did a series based on dreams with beautifully drawn sleepers surrounded by very creative dream images that have a "concept art" influence. They are each roughly 22" x 30" with graphite and acrylic washes.

Aberlyn referred to herself as a "Jesus Hippie" in one of our critiques and based this series on her religious beliefs while at the same time allowing viewers to explore the abstract qualities in order to make their own associations. Each panel is about 30" x 21".

Sam explored clouds and their temporary amorphous shapes. They're about 4" x 7" done in graphite.

Trista developed a series also based on her response to the sky and it's contrast to landscape. These images are roughly 6" x 9".

Tiffany developed a group based on the gestation of a flower with the final image in full bloom. Each image is roughly 9" x 7".

Tatum continued her close up examination of flowers through oil pastels and mark making. Each image is approximately 15" x 20".

Shawn's series was four panels about 10" x 40" with mixed media. It represents a traveling point of view to a metaphorical point of view.

These two panels are parts of Nate's series of four that explore contemporary Vanitas, a type of symbolic still life common during the 16th and 17th centuries. The word, Vanitas, is latin, meaning emptiness, and loosely translated corresponds to the meaninglessness of earthly life and the transient nature of vanity. Each panel is roughly 40" x 60" done in charcoal.

Khara created a series about waves that was influenced by her participation in the surf culture. There are four different sized panels, about 16" x 10", in mixed media.

Katie did this three paneled series based on a project that she very much enjoyed from her experience in 2-D design, cubist influenced images of a guitar. Cubism was an art movement pioneered by Picasso and Braque in the early 20th century. In cubist artworks, objects are broken up and reassembled in abstract form, depicting the subject from a multitude of viewpoints. Each panel is about 16" x 8" and done with chalk pastel.

Jessica developed a three paneled series of plant forms, these two are 11" x 9"' in mixed media.

Jerrye had a series of three drawings in graphite, about 18" x 24" also of plant forms in different containers.

Daphne did these nine small drawings of flowers with pastels, they're only a few inches by a few inches in dimension, and she mounted them as 'photos' like one would find in a scrapbook.

Connie did this large piece that incorporates her series of tents into a large piece made from an old tent. She also drew the accoutrement of period reenactment encampments and essentially collaged those into the image. it's roughly 47" square in mixed media.

These are two of Beth's six panels that take the idea of postcards created about some of Louisville's landmarks, removing sections of the photographic images, and then draws those sections back into the image. They are each about 5" x 7" done with colored pencil. Around each image she has inscribed the latitude and longitude coordinates of each location and then mounted with onto a black surface with photo mounts.

Ashley did a series of nine, 9" x 12" Vogue magazine covers with prominent women in the covers. They are mixed media and collage.

Sketchbooks

2009-06-19T10:36:00.000-07:00

This was one of the pages from Jessica's sketchbook, and by the time she had exceeded the 20 page minimum, her approach and process with charcoal was starting to have a unified consistency and style.

This is one of Fran's pages, clearly showing a commitment to observation and mark making.

This page is from Aberlyn's sketchbook in which she explored a variety of approaches and media. This particular image was almost like a sustained gesture of a tea kettle sitting on a stove.

Daphne's sketchbook also had a variety of media explorations, and this collage was especially intricate in the way she assembled the page.

Katie had several pages of media and form explorations. This particular page (which I unfortunately had to crop on the scanner) did some interesting things with composition and design.

The examples above demonstrate "substantive pages" from those sketchbooks. In same cases there were 19 more pages of equal substance, in others there may have been only a few more. However, when the sketchbook was utilized to accelerate progress in drawing, I felt they were very successful.

This is from the syllabus:

Keeping a sketchbook can accelerate your progress in drawing, and given that this summer course is only six weeks long, use your sketchbook as often as possible. It will constitute, in part, 20% of your final grade. Your sketchbook should have at least 20 substantive pages by the end of the session. It can (and should) be used for practicing observational drawing outside the studio or for recording notes on ideas or visual observations in written form. It can function like a scrapbook or diary (provided you don’t mind me reading it) or a combination of all of the above. It is the best place to work out ideas visually because it is always at hand, but only if you make the commitment to carry it around with you. Our Blog has a link to Artists’ Sketchbooks Online (Posted January 09) an amazing web site with hundreds of sketchbooks. The site should be visited as frequently as possible. There’s lots of inspiration there. The first page of your sketchbook should be used to catalogue your blog entry times and dates.

Sketchbook entries ranged from quick sketches to labored renderings, from collages to media experiements, from observational studies to imagination. If they were "substantive", then they were awarded credit, if they weren't "substantive", then they didn't receive credit. I looked for 20 substantive pages (I usually require 40 pages during a full semester). 20 pages = A, 19 pages = A-, 18 pages = B+, 17 pages = B, etc., etc., etc. You get the picture.

See you Monday for individual critiques over your series.

Thursday at the Falls of the Ohio

2009-06-17T08:58:00.000-07:00

It looks like we'll get another chance to be outside tomorrow, so I'll meet you at the railroad bridge. That is, of course, provided some freak storm doesn't roll in, in which case we'll be in the studio. The forecast is very promising until about 5:00 in the afternoon. See you in the morning.

DON'T FORGET TO BRING YOUR SKETCHBOOKS.

Critiques/Portfolio

2009-06-16T09:31:00.000-07:00

A recap of what was discussed this morning with a few extra things to think about. Everyone has signed up for an individual critique time on Monday, and then the final group critique will be Tuesday, from 9:00-12:00. You'll be turning in your sketchbooks this Thursday, so if we're at the Falls of the Ohio again, be sure to bring your sketchbooks with you.

Final portfolios will be left in the studio after final critique. Your portfolio will contain 2 still life drawings, 2 Cave Hill drawings, 1 figure drawing, 1 or 2 Falls of the Ohio drawing(s), and your series (at least 3 drawings). Drawings in your portfolio should be leafed, that is placing a protective sheet between each drawing so as not to smear charcoals, pastels, or soft graphite. Any "spiral fuzz" needs to be trimmed off of the work and edges should be cleaned (think craftsmanship). Drawings should be presented in chronological order, first on top, last on the bottom, the series presented as one group at the very end.

A few more questions to consider about your series: Do you see jumpy or gradual changes in the series? If jumpy, it may not feel like a series, what do you need to do to make the images more serial in resolution? Are you familiar with artists' work that you can connect with? What have you learned about your way of working, or even your classmates' ways of working? How has a sketchbook helped with in the series? Are the compositions, use of media, and ideas working together in a way that makes sense to you?

Come to Campus

2009-06-16T04:05:00.000-07:00

The hour by hour forecast says that the storms are arriving around 10:00 a.m. (90%), and the weather map looks grim about two hours west of Louisville. See you in the studio.

Falls of the Ohio, Day 1

2009-06-15T13:37:00.000-07:00

Trista has a very interesting drawing evolving from her spot in one of the rock canyons. A view looking out over the river just as the rock ledges start to turn around the bend of the river. She using lots of marks and textures to express the rocks, foliage, and flowing river. I'm hoping that the weather is kind to us tomorrow like it was today so she can get it finished.

Nate stayed up by the railroad bridge to capture the sharp perspective and the dramatic atmospheric perspective. He also has a very good start that could use another day of looking and processing.

This crew found a user friendly spot, mostly shaded, and I manage to catch them just as the session was winding down. Khara, Aberlyn, Jerrye, Daphne, and Sam were combining rocks, trees, river, and bridge into their drawings with some going very well. Jerrye and Aberlyn were getting into the charcoal with pretty impressive results.

Connie perched up on the hill by the interpretive center to take in a more panoramic point of view. She was getting into a lot more blending today and matching actual colors with what she saw.

Ashley also found a spot close to where Nate was but turned to take in the sharp diagonals of an ice storm felled tree. Both she and Nate were also photographed by a "journalist", but not sure what publication....maybe ArtNews!

I was glad that everyone caught the change of plans from Cave Hill to the riverfront in Clarksville. From all reports at the end of the session, it was an enjoyable experience. Most of the drawings I saw seemed to reflect that enjoyment, and it's good to see that we're starting to loosen up a bit with the landscape process. I will probably wait until tomorrow morning to post any last minute changes, but if it's raining, or if it looks like it's going to rain, then we'll meet on campus. June is always good for fast weather changes, and even though the precipitation forecast has a stronger percentage for tomorrow, it always best to just look out the window and see what's happening. Anyway, good job today.

Monday's Aventure

2009-06-13T15:43:00.000-07:00

So here's the new plan, "Plan B" if you will. Cynthia, my wife, and I went to the Falls of the Ohio (state park) today to scout it out. What we found was a more interesting area and it doesn't cost a cent to park. The flood gates are open, as I suspected, so the fossil beds at the FotO are covered with water, as you can see in one of the images below. However, it makes for some pretty dramatic stuff further up river in the park just before you get into the state park. So we'll meet there, weather permitting, by the old rail road bridge in Clarksville.

This is a view looking out beyond where the flood gates are opened at the turbulent river.

I thought this was an interesting combination of man-made and natural surroundings, and it was the entry into the lower part of the area below Riverside Drive.

Ran into an artist, Al Gorman, who assembles the river's refuge into stunning temporary sculptures, many of which are scattered around the area where we'll be drawing. They are made out of the things he finds washed up, such as styrofoam, old fishing bobbers (see that eye), and interesting pieces of driftwood.

The driftwood gets caught up in the trees and provides very contrasting angles for drawings.

Wandering around the beach/forest area there are lots of drift wood beds, some that are dense in thickness, like layers of bones bleached white by the sun. Very beautiful and captivating.

The flood gates are open and as the water flows through the spillway, it crashes against the bridge supports, creating very dramatic responses to those obstacles.

The river has such a strong current creating a thunderous sound. It really sets up some very interesting points of landscape view.

This is one of the scenes of the swollen Ohio River spilling through one of the spillways in the dam, it was a beautiful location.

This is a pathway below Riverside Drive that offers a very different landscape perspective that at Cave Hill.

From IUS, take 65 South, take Exit 0, go straight once you're off the exit ramp, you'll go under the 2nd street bridge, keep going straight, merge onto Riverside Dr, keep going straight.

From Louisville, take 65 North, take Exit 0, when you get to the bottom turn left, make a left right after going under the overpass, make a left at the next turn, make a right at the next turn, merge onto Riverside Drive, keep going straight.

What to bring: Check back with the list for Cave Hill. Make sure you bring a garbage bag to sit on should you decide to plant yourself in a damp area. There's a little hiking involved, so shoes that will work in sand would be good. If you have some bug repellent, you may want to bring that as well.

I will be parked by the Rail Road Bridge that goes over Riverside Drive. You'll see me, I 'm the one with the hatchback opened. See you Monday morning. Questions/comments?

Some Cave Hill Experiences

2009-06-11T07:21:00.000-07:00

One of the rock formations at the Falls of the Ohio State Park in Clarksville.

This is the finished drawing that Shawn worked on the first day and that was posted as an in-progress piece. He combined oil and dry pastels.

Sam studied the water of the lake and pushed dry pastels into subtle blends and textures. I think he intends to add a few more trees to the blue area to obfuscate the edge of the world.

Jessica got lose and much more involved with mark making in this piece which adds a lot of interesting textures and color combinations.

Fran worked with oil pastels on this Gargoyle and show a very keen eye for detail.

Ashley found this beautiful fountain and has treated one of the figures as fleshy rather than bronze, extending the life drawing sessions into the landscape sessions.

The first two days at Cave Hill produced some very interesting approaches to pastel. A few further explored charcoal and several of those were very strong. I am including here some of the pastel works and the different approaches taken in the processing of those images. Some were using oil pastels and others dry, and several were using these media for the first time with very little intro other that the two previously posted videos. It's like having a box of new toys, you pull out a few to see what they do and you end up creating an experience that shows you something about who you are as an artist. Self discovery is a very positive things when it comes to creative explorations.

The response to Cave Hill was very positive that I'm thinking another trip there next week would be a good idea. The Falls of the Ohio (click to go there) is also a good idea, but I'll have to drive down there in the next day or so to see if the locks are open because of the heavy rains in the last week or so. If they're open, the interesting rock formations will be under water which doesn't mix well with dry pastels.

Thursday in the Studio

2009-06-10T13:29:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow's forecast calls for scattered strong storms, so we'll be meeting on campus in the studio. Bring your drawings from Cave Hill.

Second Day at Cave Hill

2009-06-09T13:51:00.000-07:00

Trista found a very beautiful sculpture to draw, but she found herself moving back out of the sun as it move across the lawn. She eventually was so far back that the sculpture seemed to tiny to see. I'll include it here if she wants some added detail.

Trista's sculpture.

Sam spent another day on the drawing he started yesterday of the lake. After he finishes that one, he'll switch to the other side of the bridge to drawing the "Cave Hill" behind him.

Khara started a charcoal drawing of the lake and the surrounding landscape. The warm toned paper added a summer day impression to the work even though it was a black and buff drawing.

Beth was working on the lake with the dam and overflow wall. She's very meticulous with her approach and so she may be returning another time to finish up what is going pretty well.

It was a big day, everyone present, scattered throughout the cemetery, and drawing. On Thursday, if the weather cooperates, we will meet at the end of the session were we meet in the mornings to sit outside in the shade and review the first week of our landscape efforts. I'm sensing hesitation from several of you who aren't quite sure how to go about getting into the dry and oil pastels. If you haven't reviewed the videos yet from the earlier post, it should help. Try to be a little lose with the media, more spontaneous, and think about layering for color mixes and blends. The above pictures are from this morning's session.

First Day at Cave Hill

2009-06-08T10:07:00.000-07:00

Jerrye working on a monument with a landscape setting.

Shawn working on a landscape with with lake.

Connie also working on a landscape with lake and fountain

It was good seeing everyone fired up about our excursion into Cave Hill for the first of a three days drawing session. I managed to catch up with a few just as they were wrapping up and the above images show their works in progress. See you in the morning: same time, same place.

Tomorrow at Cave Hill

2009-06-07T19:21:00.000-07:00

See the post below this one for details of our drawing session at Cave Hill. Here's a landscape I've been working on for several weeks. Trying to catch the time, the texture, the space, the lines, the shapes. See you in the morning.

Cave Hill Cemetery

2009-06-05T07:44:00.000-07:00

On Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday we will have drawing sessions at Cave Hill Cemetery (click to go to their website). The weather forecast is between 85 and 90 on those three days with a 30%-40% chance of rain, but mostly in the afternoons. If it's raining on the mornings of our drawing sessions, come to campus instead.

Cave Hill is located at 701 Baxter Avenue in Louisville. There are a few ways to get there easily. If you're coming from campus, one way is to take 64 east to the 9th Street Exit, follow 9th up to Broadway, make a left, and follow Broadway up to Cave Hill. Broadway ends at Baxter and when you get to the intersection of Baxter and Broadway, you'll see Cave Hill over toward the right on the other side of the intersection.

Another way from campus (from Google maps)

Take exit 0 for I-64 toward Louisville/New Albany

39 ft

Keep right at the fork to continue toward I-64 E and merge onto I-64 E

Entering Kentucky

6.1 mi

Take exit 4 for 9th St/Roy Wilkins Ave

0.2 mi

Keep left at the fork, follow signs for Market St

246 ft

Turn left at W Market St/US-31W/US-60

Continue to follow W Market St/US-60

1.8 mi

Turn right at Baxter Ave/US-31E

0.1 mi

Turn left to stay on Baxter Ave/US-31E

0.6 mi

Slight left at Cherokee Rd

Destination will be on the left

174 ft

If you're Nate and coming from Madison, follow these directions (from

Google maps)

	Take the ramp onto I-71 S		34.5 mi
	Merge onto I-65 S		0.3 mi
	Take exit 136-C for Jefferson St		0.2 mi
	Keep right at the fork, follow signs forBrook St and merge onto E Jefferson St		407 ft
	Turn right at S Brook St		486 ft
	Turn right at E Market St/US-31E/US-60		1.0 mi
	Turn right at Baxter Ave/US-31E		0.1 mi
	Turn left to stay on Baxter Ave/US-31E		0.6 mi
	Slight left at Cherokee Rd Destination will be on the left If you're coming from Jeffersonville, use the above directions from "Merge onto I-65 S" and that will get you there. Where will we meet?: Just inside the front entrance off of Baxter Avenue. There is a long stretch of road just inside the gate entering the cemetery, and I will be along that road to give you your paper. What to bring: Your drawing materials, although I would suspect that charcoal and pastels (dry or oil based) will be the preferred choices. I will distribute pastel/charcoal paper. You may want to bring your sketchbooks and your regular drawing pads. It may be cool at 9:00 a.m., but warmer by noon. Wear a layer or two. Bring a garbage bag to sit on incase the ground is wet. You might also bring a bottle of water. Visit the Cave Hill website and look at the image gallery. You might also want to go see the cemetery over the weekend just to get a sense of the location and the many beautiful sites. What are we drawing?: Our obvious focus in on landscape, but that doesn't mean that it must be exclusively landscape. There are many beautiful sculptures, lakes, fountains, monuments, and rolling hills and trees. I would like to see two finished drawings from the three days session. IF you go to this site and type in the search: How to Draw Landscapes with dry pastels, you can see a video of someone doing just that. It's the second video on the list. And Trista found this video on oil pastels. It's pretty good: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PGL8rj3btQ IF the link doesn't work, copy/paste it into your browser. Questions? Comments?

SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER: Positive/Negative, Figure/Ground, Backgrounds

2009-06-02T20:09:00.000-07:00

http://www.tutorial9.net/resources/enhancing-your-art-with-negative-space/

I've received a few emails in the last 24 hours about "backgrounds", negative spaces and shapes, figure and ground relationships, so here are some thoughts. Do you have some ideas that may expand here?

"Backgrounds", or negative shapes/space, are useful in strengthening your vision of how you want to represent your subjects whether they're flowers, clouds, portraits, or skulls on a keyboard. Backgrounds can soften the presentation or make it more energetic or dramatic.

However, whatever you do, make sure that the background works with the subject and not against it. Also, don't forget that the subject is the reason you started the drawing in the first place. So, don't get caught up in your background to the point where it starts over-powering your subject and diverts the attention of the viewer from your subject.

Here are a few tips on how to proceed with backgrounds so that they become a plus for the finished drawing:

Values

Take a clue from the values of your subject when choosing the value scheme for your background treatment. If your subject is very light on one side, as was mentioned in Jessica's flower images, it is always a good idea to make the background in that area darker. This will introduce the necessary contrast.

It also solves the problem of white against white. For example, if your subject has white petals, it is always difficult to make it sufficiently show against the white background of your white paper. Daphne is beginning to resolve this in her Dogwood image in the previous post by introducing a different color and darker value to the background. Introducing a darker background around the petals is a strong solution. This, of course, also works in reverse. If your subject is dark, you may want to contrast this with a light background.

Lost and Found

The background treatment can also be used to produce so-called "lost and found edges". These are edges that initially show but then get lost in the surroundings to finally reappear somewhere down the line, such as in Nate's computer.

The disappearing act of the edge is accomplished by rendering the edge and the surroundings with the same value. For example, the edge of Nate's computer was partially lost in the background by giving the background the same value as that part of the computer. Lost and found effects are always interesting and involve the viewer in the process of conceptually completing the drawing.

Location

It is usually a good idea to keep the shading below the eye level of the subject you are drawing. Shading above the eye level tends to weigh down the subject and does not add to the crispness. Sam's clouds may explore this possibility more fully.

Extensive Background

Sometimes your idea may require a detailed pictorial background. Always be aware that the subject must remain the focal point of the finished product. So, develop the facility for judging what enhances the subject and what detracts from it. The background is invariably secondary to the subject, but equally important to the total and final form of the drawing. Ideally, a pictorial background should talk about your subject and give the viewer more information about your subject. A background is also very useful to create or enhance a mood. If your subject is portrayed in a certain mood, you may want to enhance that mood by adding the appropriate "background."

I hope these ideas give you a good start creating "backgrounds" with confidence.

Critiquing a Series

2009-06-01T10:27:00.000-07:00

Aberlyn Sweetland

Shawn McPheron

Daphney Dohoney

Nate Stormer

Beth Dougherty

The critique of the series drawings took a kind of free form process this morning with Nate, Ashley, Tatum, and Shawn beginning the discussion about their work. Interesting that the discussion shifted after talking about Tatum's drawings to the wall were the Drawing I images were and didn't return to the advanced group until much later in the morning. There were several good points made about many of the pieces, but as I expected, we ran short of time by trying to get all of the images discussed by noon. My apologies to those of you who were rushed through your explanations and discussions.

The images above represent some of the beginnings, and in many cases we could actually start seeing the potentials of serial development. Others were perhaps still in the planning stages and need to get a bit more momentum going to have a sense of their serial potential, but some folks, I have learned, work better under pressure.

Some points that need to be considered (again): What am I going to do with the "background'? Don't draw yourself into that corner, think about it as part of the drawing; think about it as part of the process. Open or closed composition? Sketch it out first before you find yourself in another corner eventually cropping out hours of work to finally create a compelling composition. Is this support or surface doing what I need it to do in relation to my process? Experiment with a variety of surfaces, but don't use sketchpad paper, that stuff is fine for in-class exercises, but for your more committed efforts, use a support that enhances your work.

See you in the morning.

More About Series

2009-05-31T10:10:00.000-07:00

The above images are by two different students who developed a series of drawings thematically connected. The two images with telephone poles by Preot Buxton (there are others I couldn't get posted) were the result of his wanderings around the city with sketchbook and charcaol, looking for abstract shapes in the urban industrial landscape. He climbed on and off derelict bridges, and in and out of abandoned warehouses searching for the inspirational forms that would prompt him to return to his studio to develop the larger drawings. These two are 36" x 24" and combine charcoal, ink, and gesso.

Eric Pike developed the series of still life drawings that combined self portraits with objects that had autobiographical references. Eric was a graphic design student (not at IUS) so he had a clear interest in the design of the page and used bold shapes to activate the space. These images are done in charcoal and measure roughly 36" x 40".

Both of these students developed a series allowing one image to grow from the other sequentially, both in process and formal elements. They also both had a good grasp of the positive/negative relationships in their images. One does not detract from the other and the integration of the positive and negative create unified images. Don't lose focus on your negative areas in the planning and execution of your series so you don't get caught later on trying to figure out what to do with your "backgrounds".

I'm looking forward to seeing where we are at the midpoint of the summer session. See you in the morning.

Monday's Critique

2009-05-28T10:06:00.000-07:00

Group critiques for the series drawings will be very different than the ones for specified assignments or out-of-class projects that result in singular expressions. Because each of you are working on unique ideas, each of you will essentially be presenting your series-in-progress to the rest of the group and filling everyone in on what you're doing. However, we will be participating in a more constructive dialogue with the 300 and 400 level students. It is a good idea to be prepared to talk about your ideas, how your series has already progressed or changed, and what you think the next step may be. I posted a few questions a few days ago for you to consider and that may be helpful in getting to a place to discuss confidently. Here are a few more to consider:

From the response of others during our critique, are people seeing what was intended, or are you seeing one thing while everyone else sees another?

Can you resist pressure to be pushed in a direction you are not interested in, but remain open to other's ideas at the same time?

When you listen to constructive criticism, can you listen without feeling defensive?

See you Monday.

Life Drawing

2009-05-25T10:18:00.000-07:00

We will have a model for class this week and next. Please make sure to bring newsprint and vine charcoal.

See you in the morning.

The Element of Time

2009-05-22T08:34:00.000-07:00

Above is a series of three drawings by a student, Eileen Gillespie, which began with a focus on the subject of interior space. You can click on it to enlarge. She started with an 18" x 24" charcoal drawing of a window frame inside her apartment depicted with traditional perspective (not pictured). However, very quickly she began to distort interior spaces with sharp compositions comprised of large shapes, and also increased the scale of her work. Those shown above are roughly 44" x 108". As the complexity of the spaces increased, the drawing's structural physicality became more pronounced. Inevitably, viewers are compelled to navigate unusual, shifting perspective constructions, as they are pushed around or even expelled from the drawing and forced to search for a suitable reentry point.

Gillespie makes clear that for her architectural mayhem functions as a powerful visual metaphor for complexity, confusion, and frustration. Further, these unpopulated dreamscapes with strange and alienating presences convey a disconcerting emptiness.

Clearly, Gillespie's scale is beyond what would be expected for a six week project, but still seeing a series such as this one may provide inspiration for any of you to consider dealing with interior spaces.

We've had five meetings so far this semester, essentially 1/3 of the session completed. After the Memorial Day break, we'll have two more sessions before our first critique, which has yet to take a definite form. So here a few questions to consider at the stage of your series development:

Are enough time and commitment being put into the work? Considering that the expectation was for seven hours per week and that the project constitutes 30% of final grades.

Is a clear direction emerging, or do you sense several different possible directions? If several, what are they? Which one makes the most sense to you and why?

Does the size of the work and the media being used seem to be working with the ideas?

And as we get closer to critique, please consider:

Are there signs of a breakthrough or are surprising new directions emerging? Are these good surprises (positive potential for development) or bad surprises (unforeseen problems or contradictions)?

Is the work invigorating, that is, does it excite you? Do you feel fully engaged with it? Would you rather be working on your series drawing than just about anything else? Does the work interest other people?

There will be other questions posed along the way toward the final critique.

Have a good and productive break, see you Tuesday.

POSITIVE/NEGATIVE

2009-05-21T10:27:00.000-07:00

Today we gave more consideration to negative areas in our work, and when we start working with the model, the importance of negative shapes becomes even greater because those areas tell us so much about the proportions of the figure. All of the surface areas in a drawing contribute to total unity. Those areas that represent your initial selection of forms are called positive shapes, such as the sewing machine or the frames, "unoccupied" areas around those forms are called negative shapes. The negative shapes are just as important to total image unity as the positive shapes, which seem tangible and more explicitly drawn. Positive/Negative is also referred to as figure/ground.

The term positive/negative was first introduced to you during your foundations experience, probably in F100. It's an important concept to beginners investigating composition because the lack of compositional experience tends to direct the beginning student's attention to positive forms, while neglecting the surrounding shapes. We're past that now, so instead of the overcrowded, busy, and confusing imagery that results from neglected negative shapes, as we often see in F100, we're orchestrating our images to a more unified and integrated place, but we have to be more aware of how those shapes function in our work

When your drawing utensil first touches the picture plane, your piece of paper, leaving a mark, two things happen. First, the mark divides to some extent the picture place. The mark is seen as a positive image leaving the remainder to be perceived as a negative shape. Secondly, the mark instantaneously takes a position in space with respect to the picture plane. Each of these two factors should continue to be an important consideration for you as your image develops.

You can kind of think about it like this: when you're hanging a picture on your wall, you consider the placement of that picture relative to the size of the wall and its general location to windows, furniture, and maybe even other pictures. You're considering the negative space and how it work in relation to the positive, the picture. Keep thinking, and have a good weekend.

Thematic Development

2009-05-20T09:25:00.000-07:00

In the original introduction of the series, we discussed the idea of a of a body of related drawings created around a unifying visual idea or approach. Examples included Hilary Brace's small scaled cloud drawings and my larger ashtray drawings. Throughout history artists have worked in series thematically. If you look at Rembrandt's self portraits, for example (40+ paintings), you not only see the evolution of his process, but the aging of the artist. Thematic drawings present the option being able to express more ideas and more variations on an idea than is possible to address in a single drawing. Our recent two sessions with the reflective objects on striped fabric and the awareness of Jeanette Sloan's series utilizing that same subject points to the importance of thematic development.

There are a number of reasons to develop a series of drawings based on a single theme. Perhaps the most basic is that art involves the mind as well as the coordination between eyes and hand. Art sometimes begins with an exercise in thinking and moves to an exercise in doing. Each of you are probably at the point where your thinking is about to become your doing. But it can also reverse and the doing can lead to the thinking, but the process of thinking, observing, and executing drawings are always in tandem. Your thematic series will allow you to go into your own work more deeply, with more involvement and greater concentration. You're also working more independently, setting your own pace.

The process of working on a series develops a commitment to your ideas fostering a professional approach. And as you develop that professional attitude, you will begin to notice the thematic patterns in other artists' work. Let's say that you're series will be based on landscape, what other artists have shared that theme with you? Look at the work of contemporary landscape artists such as April Gornik, Peter Doig, Scott Goudie, Neil Welliver, chuck Forsman, and Susan Puetz. How about portraits? Look at contemporary artists such as Sylvia Sleigh, Richard Avedon, Robert Weaver, Duane Hanson, Cindy Sherman, or Everett Kinstler.

Eva Hess said, "If something is meaningful, maybe it's more meaningful said ten times."

Some Seeing Responses

2009-05-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

Nate Stormer

Shawn McPheron

Ashley Cornelius

Aberlyn Sweetland

Fran Dietl

We finished up the reflective objects on stripped drapery this morning and there are many fine examples that were completed. I have selected a few of those: two from the 200 level, two from the 300 level, and one from the 400 level. I selected five because blogger will only upload five images at a time, so it's a matter of expediency, and I didn't want to bombard you with too many images. I selected these particular five because they were perhaps the most resolved in total form and that they also evidenced very strong observation.

I shot several others with the intent of posting them, but interestingly they manifested some issues when they were reduced to the smaller scale for posting on the blog. Some of the values washed out, ellipses became somewhat wobbly, and there were a few verticality issues. In fact, even now I notice that the silver bowl in Shawn's drawing is starting to lean a little to the right. Sometimes those kind of things aren't as noticeable when we're looking at them at their original scale.

I hope all of you see, even those not posted here, the strength in your drawings, because I think each of you did a very good job with this project. Many have gone beyond what I expected, and I think your patience with the stripes has paid good dividends. This was a five hour project, and the results indicate that the seven hours you're investing per week on your series will produce some very strong groups of drawings.

See you Thursday.

Seeing

2009-05-18T09:42:00.000-07:00

Seeing is at the heart of the interactive process of drawing. We perceive external reality, such as reflective objects sitting on stripped material, with our eyes open. With our eyes closed, the mind searches the images of our inner reality. Our inner reality stores memories of past experiences, interactions, loves, fears, and feelings. In addition, it is here, our inner reality, where we imagine the future. Our drawings comes out of these two forms of vision, one external and one internal.

A drawing of reflective objects sitting on stripped material can communicate our thoughts and perceptions as well as our awareness of the world. The information your eyes send to your brain, such as a silver bowl sitting on black and white fabric, begins an active search by your brain and the mind's eye for structure and meaning. But often those features are neglected because of the tendency to draw what we think we know rather than what we see. We limit our perceptions of the world by abbreviating. Black and white parallel stripes are just that, so we don't have to look to draw them. However, that is the case only when the stripes are two dimensional, when they are parallel to us. If we're going for an illusion in our work, an illusion of a three-dimensional reality on a two-dimensional surface, and if we are going for a drawing that will engage a viewer's eye and imagination, we have to see those stripes as undulating from thick to thin, from one value to the next to the next to the next. We have to see how they change direction from parallel or diagonal to perpendicular. We have to see how they interact with other forms and reflect that reality in such a way that the relationships between the two become apparent and essential to the illusion. It is a communication between your physical eye and your brain, between your brain and your hand, and all of that communication is being sifted through your mind's eye and all of those experiences that inform your work and imbue it with meaning particular to you, the individual who created the drawing. Let's look harder.