EXPLORING THE MONOCHROME:
The purpose of this week’s assignment is two-fold: first, to explore one of the ways in which color can impart meaning to images, and second, to explore the rich possibilities of the monochrome. You will be working from a black and white photograph (see below) and making a drawing in which color is used to imbue the image with a psychological mood or atmosphere.
Choosing an image: From a magazine, newspaper or book (no working from the computer screen!), select a black and white photograph with a wide range of tonal values. Using either a photocopier or digital equipment, enlarge the photograph so that the image is roughly the size of a standard 8.5” x 11” piece of paper. Be sure to bring this image to class next week to display along with your drawing.
Making your drawing: For your drawing, which will be based on this image, use pastels and either your white sketch vellum or a piece of pastel paper comparable in size to your vellum. Since this will be a monochromatic drawing, choose a single hue that you feel represents the psychological mood or atmosphere you want to endow the image with. To achieve a range of tonal values and intensities, mix in a variety of colors into your main hue. (For example: If your drawing is to be blue, mix your blue with black, white, brown, red, yellow, etc., to achieve bright intense blues, pale light blues, warm green-blues, smoky grayish blues, dark blackish blues, etc.).
Important note: The point here is not merely to create a colorized copy of the original but to interpret it through the medium of color. Make the drawing something that is wholly your own by selecting, omitting, exaggerating, distorting, simplifying, etc. Above all else, use your color to create a dimension of meaning that is not evident in the original image.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Reminder about chalk pastels
(NOTE: Don't forget to look below for homework assignment!)
As I mentioned before, we will begin working with pastels in next week's class. Please bring the following colors on Tuesday, and remember what I said about avoiding the cheap sets (i.e., you'll be much happier if you purchase the quality pastels that are sold singly rather than in the sets):
Black
Brown
White
Dark green
Dark blue
Purple
Red
Orange
Yellow
As I mentioned before, we will begin working with pastels in next week's class. Please bring the following colors on Tuesday, and remember what I said about avoiding the cheap sets (i.e., you'll be much happier if you purchase the quality pastels that are sold singly rather than in the sets):
Black
Brown
White
Dark green
Dark blue
Purple
Red
Orange
Yellow
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Henri Matisse and Kara Walker
IMPORTANT NOTE: Please see post below for this week's homework assignment.
As promised in class, below are some more images of Matisse's cut-outs and Kara Walker's silhouettes. I encourage you all to do some research on your own to find out more about each of these artists.
Cut-outs by Matisse:
Silhouettes by Kara Walker:
As promised in class, below are some more images of Matisse's cut-outs and Kara Walker's silhouettes. I encourage you all to do some research on your own to find out more about each of these artists.
Cut-outs by Matisse:
Silhouettes by Kara Walker:
Homework Assignment #3, due Tuesday, January 31
EXPLORING "DRAWING WITH SCISSORS"
Taking our cues from Henri Matisse’s cut-outs and Kara Walker's silhouettes, this assignment is about exploring the concept of drawing by means of cutting. You will be using one sheet of your white sketch vellum and several sheets of colored paper of the same color (all art supply stores sell cheap sheets of colored paper made by Canson, but you can use anything, as long as it is a solid color). You may use whatever color you’d like, but choose something that is dark enough to contrast sufficiently with the white of your ground and something that has some special appeal or meaning to you. The color you choose should contribute something to the meaning of your piece (i.e., form and content are not separate!).
Using either one of your figure drawings from class, a live model (clothed is fine), or a compelling photograph as reference material (no working from the computer!), begin by studying your subject/s and seeing simplified shapes instead of the real-world objects you are looking at. Next, cut your colored paper into interesting shapes that reflect your analysis of your subject/s. The shapes can be large or small, organic or geometric, abstract or representational, or any combination thereof. Be sure to cut out a lot of shapes before you start affixing anything to your paper. You will want to spend a lot of time considering your arrangement of elements in order to make a composition that is both visually exciting and suggestive of some kind of narrative or emotional content. When you arrive at a final composition, attach your elements to the paper with glue – or else sew them in with needle and thread, staple them on, or do something else that seems fitting with the content of your work.
In making your composition, be sure to give equal consideration to both the elements and the white ground. Remember that the negative space shapes you create and the way your shapes “cut up” the picture plane are important parts of the narrative you’re constructing. Because you’re only using one color, you’ll want to avoid layering your elements too densely; instead, concentrate on exploiting the whiteness of the ground to give definition to your shapes.
Taking our cues from Henri Matisse’s cut-outs and Kara Walker's silhouettes, this assignment is about exploring the concept of drawing by means of cutting. You will be using one sheet of your white sketch vellum and several sheets of colored paper of the same color (all art supply stores sell cheap sheets of colored paper made by Canson, but you can use anything, as long as it is a solid color). You may use whatever color you’d like, but choose something that is dark enough to contrast sufficiently with the white of your ground and something that has some special appeal or meaning to you. The color you choose should contribute something to the meaning of your piece (i.e., form and content are not separate!).
Using either one of your figure drawings from class, a live model (clothed is fine), or a compelling photograph as reference material (no working from the computer!), begin by studying your subject/s and seeing simplified shapes instead of the real-world objects you are looking at. Next, cut your colored paper into interesting shapes that reflect your analysis of your subject/s. The shapes can be large or small, organic or geometric, abstract or representational, or any combination thereof. Be sure to cut out a lot of shapes before you start affixing anything to your paper. You will want to spend a lot of time considering your arrangement of elements in order to make a composition that is both visually exciting and suggestive of some kind of narrative or emotional content. When you arrive at a final composition, attach your elements to the paper with glue – or else sew them in with needle and thread, staple them on, or do something else that seems fitting with the content of your work.
In making your composition, be sure to give equal consideration to both the elements and the white ground. Remember that the negative space shapes you create and the way your shapes “cut up” the picture plane are important parts of the narrative you’re constructing. Because you’re only using one color, you’ll want to avoid layering your elements too densely; instead, concentrate on exploiting the whiteness of the ground to give definition to your shapes.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Homework Assignment #2, due Tuesday, January 24th
THE CUBIST COLLAGE:
For this assignment you will be creating a collage out of the four drawings you made from multiple views of your tabletop still-life. The challenge with this part of the two-part assignment is to synthesize your four drawings into one coherent picture that will retain the “essence” of your multiple views while transforming them into something completely new.
Cutting your drawings: Begin by cutting your four drawings into interesting shapes of varying sizes. Although you can make exceptions where necessary, you should try to cut along the edges of the shapes as you had drawn them (i.e., cut out the shadows, highlights, negative space shapes, etc.).
Reassembling your shapes: Before gluing anything to your sketch vellum (use a fresh sheet as the ground for your collage), spend some time moving the shapes around and considering your new composition. The greatest challenge of this assignment is in avoiding the arbitrary: You will want your new composition to be as visually interesting as possible, but it should not be entirely abstract. You will want to retain just enough information about the original drawings that the collage will be recognizable, to some degree, as a still-life. The ultimate goal is the simultaneous representation of four different views on your still-life in a composition that is more dynamic and interesting than the original drawings. The final product should be greater than the sum of its parts!
Feel free to draw back into (and on top of) your collage wherever necessary, using any medium.
Suggestions for adhesive fluid: You may use any kind of glue, but I recommend acrylic gel medium. This product is made by a number of brands (Liquitex, Golden, etc.) and comes in many consistencies and finishes (heavy, light, matte, glossy). I recommend the matte medium made by Golden.
Here's an example of a Cubist collage made by a former student (Cindy Kim):
For this assignment you will be creating a collage out of the four drawings you made from multiple views of your tabletop still-life. The challenge with this part of the two-part assignment is to synthesize your four drawings into one coherent picture that will retain the “essence” of your multiple views while transforming them into something completely new.
Cutting your drawings: Begin by cutting your four drawings into interesting shapes of varying sizes. Although you can make exceptions where necessary, you should try to cut along the edges of the shapes as you had drawn them (i.e., cut out the shadows, highlights, negative space shapes, etc.).
Reassembling your shapes: Before gluing anything to your sketch vellum (use a fresh sheet as the ground for your collage), spend some time moving the shapes around and considering your new composition. The greatest challenge of this assignment is in avoiding the arbitrary: You will want your new composition to be as visually interesting as possible, but it should not be entirely abstract. You will want to retain just enough information about the original drawings that the collage will be recognizable, to some degree, as a still-life. The ultimate goal is the simultaneous representation of four different views on your still-life in a composition that is more dynamic and interesting than the original drawings. The final product should be greater than the sum of its parts!
Feel free to draw back into (and on top of) your collage wherever necessary, using any medium.
Suggestions for adhesive fluid: You may use any kind of glue, but I recommend acrylic gel medium. This product is made by a number of brands (Liquitex, Golden, etc.) and comes in many consistencies and finishes (heavy, light, matte, glossy). I recommend the matte medium made by Golden.
Here's an example of a Cubist collage made by a former student (Cindy Kim):
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Student examples of midterm project
NOTE: TO SEE FIRST HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT SCROLL DOWN TO POST BELOW.
Dear class,
As promised, I've posted some examples of spring midterm projects from previous years. To look at them, click here: Midterm projects.
Dear class,
As promised, I've posted some examples of spring midterm projects from previous years. To look at them, click here: Midterm projects.
Homework Assignment #1, due Tuesday, January 17th
EXPLORING CUBIST SPACE:
This is a two-part assignment that is designed to demonstrate the core concepts of Analytic and Synthetic Cubism. The first part, due next week, will explore the Analytic phase, and the second, due the following week, the Synthetic. It may be helpful to keep the literal meanings of the two words in mind here: Analysis means, literally, to break things apart into pieces, while synthesis means to bring things together to form a whole.
In part one of the assignment, you will be exploring multiple views of a single scene (a tabletop still-life) using Cubism's characteristic angles, lines, and "wedges." Your task is to make four separate drawings that will then be brought together to form a coherent whole in part two. Be sure to complete all four drawings this week, since if you don’t you will not have the materials necessary for next week’s homework.
Begin by making an arrangement of objects on a tabletop which you can easily walk around. Choose objects that aren’t too ornate or complex so that in your drawing you can easily simplify the shapes. Next, set up a light source that casts interesting shadows on your objects. The stronger the contrasts between light and dark, the more effective your drawing will be.
To prepare for your four drawings, fold one of your large sheets of sketch vellum in half width-wise, cut or tear (neatly!) on that dividing line, then do this again with each of those two halves. The result should be four identical rectangles, each measuring 9” x 12.”
Select four different points of view on your arrangement of objects (example: front, back, one side, and top). Each view should differ substantially from the others (you don’t want to be making the same drawing four times, in other words). Using the same simplified, geometric approach we practiced in class, draw your still-life from each of these views, with one drawing on each piece of paper. Concentrate on capturing the essentials of each view (the large shapes, the dark/light contrasts) rather than the details. Next week, you will be bringing all these views together to form one single Cubist drawing/collage.
Drawing materials: You may use either charcoal or conte crayon for this assignment.
This is a two-part assignment that is designed to demonstrate the core concepts of Analytic and Synthetic Cubism. The first part, due next week, will explore the Analytic phase, and the second, due the following week, the Synthetic. It may be helpful to keep the literal meanings of the two words in mind here: Analysis means, literally, to break things apart into pieces, while synthesis means to bring things together to form a whole.
In part one of the assignment, you will be exploring multiple views of a single scene (a tabletop still-life) using Cubism's characteristic angles, lines, and "wedges." Your task is to make four separate drawings that will then be brought together to form a coherent whole in part two. Be sure to complete all four drawings this week, since if you don’t you will not have the materials necessary for next week’s homework.
Begin by making an arrangement of objects on a tabletop which you can easily walk around. Choose objects that aren’t too ornate or complex so that in your drawing you can easily simplify the shapes. Next, set up a light source that casts interesting shadows on your objects. The stronger the contrasts between light and dark, the more effective your drawing will be.
To prepare for your four drawings, fold one of your large sheets of sketch vellum in half width-wise, cut or tear (neatly!) on that dividing line, then do this again with each of those two halves. The result should be four identical rectangles, each measuring 9” x 12.”
Select four different points of view on your arrangement of objects (example: front, back, one side, and top). Each view should differ substantially from the others (you don’t want to be making the same drawing four times, in other words). Using the same simplified, geometric approach we practiced in class, draw your still-life from each of these views, with one drawing on each piece of paper. Concentrate on capturing the essentials of each view (the large shapes, the dark/light contrasts) rather than the details. Next week, you will be bringing all these views together to form one single Cubist drawing/collage.
Drawing materials: You may use either charcoal or conte crayon for this assignment.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Welcome back
Dear class,
I hope you're all feeling rested and rejuvenated after the break. Before we plunge in to the new semester, I want to urge you all to take a look at the syllabus, which will not only give you a sense of what lies ahead for the spring but will also refresh your memory regarding important course policies. Please take some time to read through the entirety of the text, which is contained in the links to the right under "SYLLABUS."
I hope you're all feeling rested and rejuvenated after the break. Before we plunge in to the new semester, I want to urge you all to take a look at the syllabus, which will not only give you a sense of what lies ahead for the spring but will also refresh your memory regarding important course policies. Please take some time to read through the entirety of the text, which is contained in the links to the right under "SYLLABUS."
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