Homework Assignment #2

DRAWING SPACE:

This week’s assignment will be a continuation of our in-class studies of negative space. Before setting up your drawing pad, find at least two objects in your room that create interesting negative space shapes, both within and around themselves and in relation to each other. Set them up in an arrangement that will make for an intriguing drawing composition.

Just as we did in class, begin by creating an even, toned ground with charcoal. Be sure to cover the entire rectangle with this ground, since the paper’s edges and corners will be crucial players in your composition.

With your eraser, “carve out” the negative space shapes you observe in your arrangement of objects. Remember that by drawing the space around something you will also be drawing the thing itself. In the end, your composition might look completely abstract, and this is fine. The important thing is to achieve a unified composition made up of negative and positive shapes that fit together like pieces of a jig-saw puzzle.

Note: Several people made the mistake of "overworking" their previous homework drawings due to concern about the six-hour time requirement. To avoid this in the future, please consider at all times what your drawing needs to be as successful as it can be, and proceed accordingly. If your drawing takes only three or four hours to complete, spend the rest of the time working in your notebook. Also, keep in mind that a large part of art-making consists in active looking (both at your subject and at your drawing). Oftentimes, even a small move achieved after hours of deliberation will make the difference between a successful drawing and one that fails.