Teri Frame Lecture

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

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...

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

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

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...

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

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.