End of the semester summary

The semester is coming to an end but hopefully my progression in life drawing will continue. Life drawing has definitely changed my views on drawing, for people and surprisingly objects. I have learned how to draw the figure showing depth and space on the figure plus in the surrounding area. My line weights have improved since the beginning as well as my confidence in my marks. I have also learned to take my time on making the muscles for the manikin and looking from all the perspectives when placing and shaping the muscles.

My strengths at this point are showing depth and space in my shell drawings as well as ranging line weights. My manikins thighs have shaped into muscles that have taken time to create and put on. My weaknesses are making the figure to static when the model is actually slouching or bending. My ink shell drawing was very challenging and I second guessed myself while putting on the india ink. My line confidence is still boarding on strength and weakness, because I did improve but I would have liked to improve more.

I'm going to use the skills I have learned about the figure in my paintings of portraits and even some objects. I will use them in my classes and hopefully in the work I continue you to make after graduating in the spring.

These are my links for the drawings:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35792313@N05/sets/72157622885243571/

and manikins:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35792313@N05/sets/72157622885227769/

Last day of class

Today was the last day of class. We had the model and she sat in the same pose for the full 3 hours. Getting back into the swing of things was quite hard today. We haven't had a model for a few weeks and we haven't done full body drawings either. The past few weeks we have been focusing on the smaller features such as the feet, hands, and face. I like when the model has a straight back and isn't slouching, like she was in the chair today. Foreshortening is a hard aspect to grasp and I tend to not do it enough or over do it. Today I didn't do it enough and Amy came over and helped me with the torso and legs. That changed my whole look on where her legs and arms were positioned. Overall the semester was a great learning experience and will definitely help me in my portrait paintings.

Finally the face! oh and hands

I have been looking forward to learning how to draw the face the entire semester. We started with the skulls last week and now we have moved on to the facial features. I was kinda disappointed that we had to rush learning about them, but I was excited to start drawing. Once I started mapping out each feature then it was clicking in my head what I need to do. I wasn't exactly sure where to start, so I started with the eyes then moved to the nose then to the ears after drawing the skull of course. I only had time to draw one face (Jessi's) and it turned out quite well for my first time drawing from the notes.

The next day we started on hands. I found out when starting the hands, that I was thinking about how the feet are drawn and how similar they really are. Jessi was my hand model for the day. I first drew her hand facing down and I found that it was easier to draw the hand that way than the second drawing when I drew it facing up. It resembled a claw almost in the drawing. In my spare time after the semester I would like to focus more on the face and hands just to enhance my drawing skills on those features.

Next week is our last week and we are doing one long pose.

Bodies exhibit/Skull/Shell

This week we visited the Bodies exhibit in the MOA. It was amazing! I loved it! I found it so fascinating being able to look into the bodies and see exactly where each piece fits together. While working on the manikin I found it hard to figure out exactly where each muscles connects to the bone. I remembered which ones I was having trouble with and made sure to look at the bodies in the exhibit and it really helped.

Also this week we started the skulls and I have been wanting to focus on this part of the body the entire class, since it pertains to what I do in my paintings, which is facial portraits. I enjoyed being able to start the skull then have help with it and start putting in the planes of the face.

Our large shell was due this week and that was very hard for me, even though I feel its the best drawing I have done this semester. I like drawing and painting small and having to draw the shell very large took a very, very long time. I definitely spent at least 10 hours on this drawing. I tacked the paper on the wall and set the shell on a table next to me. I had to start the shell a few times, because I kept drawing it too small. Finally, I drew it a decent size that I was comfortable with and it turned out great!

Foot and Shell drawing redone

We started on the foot this week and the foot was kinda challenging for me. I have a phobia of feet and don't look at them unless its a necessity. So when we had to stare and look at the feet and draw them it was hard for me. Learning about the foot and how to box out each section of the foot and toes made it easier to not just outline it. My second drawing of the foot definitely improved from my first and that could have been from the pose too, but I believe I was just pushing myself more and getting more comfortable looking at it.

The redo shell drawing also turned out much better than the first even though it was quite smaller it still took a lot longer. Figuring out the curves of the shell and then not getting caught up on the design of the shell also helped me. My line weights also improved in this drawing and I was proud of myself for practicing them and then showing what I could finally do. The next drawing that needs to be large of the shell is going to be a HUGE challenge for me since I do tend to draw small, but I plan on really pushing myself and creating a great drawing.

Redone muscles

This week we redid our quads and adductors. I'm really glad the class had to redo them and went over them in class. When Amy explained how the muscles looked from the mankins and pictures in the book it made more sense when I was looking in the book. My quads turned out great and my adductors were also quite good, I just needed to place them closer together. I'm debating if I should redo the lower legs (calf area), but I think I will leave them for now.

During this week we also did more gesture drawings and longer poses. My gestures drawings are getting more details in each one with the progression of the semester. My cross contour of the lower leg has great potential, I just wished we had more time. I seem to work really slow when it come to cross contour on the model and on the shell drawings. The longer pose turned out pretty well and I'm starting to really understand how to draw in the bones then add in the muscles without just drawing an outline. Next week we have the Bodies exhibit to look at and I'm quite excited to see real muscles and bones in the body.

Midterm

Over the course of the quarter, I have learned many things in life drawing. I have used previous knowledge of life drawing and incorporated it into what I am learning in class. I have learned to look at the proportions and make sure those are correct of the spine before starting onto the rib cage and pelvis. Not using outlining is quite challenging, but I feel I will grow as a drawer from steering away from outlining and feel my quick gestures are improving every time I draw. I have been looking over my gesture drawings and I have noticed that I second guess myself when making marks. Typically it happens when I'm about to start drawing the rib cage and pelvis. When building the muscles I believe that I understand the placement of the muscles but I get confused on how thick to make the muscles.

The things I would like to learn during the rest of the semester are working more with the face and the muscles and bone structure of it. That will be the most helpful when it comes to my portraits in painting. Also I would like to become more confident in my mark making and in line weights. The last thing I would like to improve is getting quicker in my gesture drawings and being confident about them.

I have separated my gesture drawings and manikin pictures into two different sets.

Gesture drawings http://www.flickr.com/photos/35792313@N05/sets/72157622684608078/

Manikin pictures http://www.flickr.com/photos/35792313@N05/sets/72157622560171139/

Back Muscles and Abs

I am combining the 2nd week and 3rd week together because of class being canceled. I understood the spinal curve more after it was explained to the class and how it was separated into four major curves. I had trouble with making the body to long. I did start to catch on by the end of class, but when into a critique and didn't get to continue it in class. I am ready to start adding more elements into the drawings such as the rib cage and pelvis. I started to but I feel like now that I have a better understanding and working with the manikins helped as well.

Working with the clay was more challenging because of missing the day of notes and just having to go from the book. I think it took me longer than it should have but I think it turned out quite well. The back seemed to be harder than the ribs and abs, but that's probably because there were more intricate parts. I like going between drawing from life and then working on the manikin, it helps me understand what I am looking at and how to draw it to the correct proportions .

Contour drawing with Shell and Figure

I was nervous to start life drawing, so when we had to draw from a live model the first day I had to put my nervousness away and be prepared to be open to the experience and learn as much as I could. Jumping right into drawing the first day was a nice feeling and a familiar one. I enjoyed Drawing 1, 2, and 3 so I had a sense that I would enjoy life drawing and after the first week I am enjoying myself. The nudity factor didn't scare me, after taking art history you have a new appreciation for the human body.

Not being able to shade will be a struggle for me, I am the Queen of shading and value in my drawings. Also the not outlines will be a challenge as well. With the quick gestures I tried to use the knowledge I gained in high school and apply it in this class. I was taught to draw the spine of the body then section off the head and waste. When I saw other classmates work and that it didn't look anything like mine I had a fear that I was not drawing it the correct way. After Josh explained to us the spine and bones to draw I felt more confident.

Drawing the shell was harder than I imagined it to be. I erased quite a bit on this drawing. Finding the starting point was a challenge with the rounder shell, but I believe I found it. Then I started filling in the contour lines around it and finally putting the outline to pull it all together. I felt myself just wanting to shade it and make it look more photo realistic. Next week I think I will be even more comfortable and lose my urge to shade the drawings.

Sample of my artwork

Why I am taking Life Drawing I

In my work, I paint a large amount of portraits and taking life drawing will help me build the proportional skills I will need in continuing my work. Learning about the muscles and bones will be challenging, but also make me more aware of what I am drawing and painting. The class in general will help me grow as an artist and in my concentration. I believe taking a little bit of each art class will help you grow and challenge yourself in ways people did not know were possible. You can incorporate any class into your art and life drawing is definitely a large part of my work.

Popular Culture & National Culture

The idea of family traditions followed me from the last project and had me exploring traditions on my fathers side of the family.  The main tradition is snowmobile racing. Sadly, I was not allowed to join in the tradition but it has been past down from my great grandfather to my grandpa to my father. Also owning a snowmobile shop and selling them for over 30 years has been apart of my family's tradition as well. The colors are representing the traditional colors of Arctic cat clothing and snowmobile colors. The silhouettes are representing the generations of my family caring on the tradition. The dots are just a few of the places my father has raced. 

Ornamentation

My project dealt with one family tradition that has been pasted down from generation to generation. From my grandma to my mom to me. The pastel drawings are close ups of crocheted snowflakes that have many intricate patterns. The paper was sanded down in the first two drawings to show aging. I will be redoing this idea for the final drawing exhibit. 

Reflection on Project 1

My eye drawings did not convey the message that I was hoping they would. Layering the pastels was supposed to imitate the layers in our eyes and how each was developed because of genetics. All the information in our eyes is genetically inherited based on or DNA code from our ancestors. I wanted the viewer to become intimate with the drawings and view the layers. I wanted to put a DNA sequence or strand over the eyes, but I thought that would give the viewers to much.

Research says that relatively dense pigmentation of the anterior border layer in the brown eye for example, signifies a greater pigmentation response. Genetic patterning is the represented with a line, circle, ring, or blemish which is cause from a specific DNA gene in their coding. 

Found Drawings

By All Means Necessary

By All Means Necessary

I looked at these 3 artists work:

Gail Dahlgren- “Let Me Show You How to Do It”

Jesse Lindhorst- shoes

Nathan Strauss- “Earisu no te-ma”

 

What I have noticed about: 

“Let Me Show You How to Do It”

• Acrylic
• Smaller panels/more intimate
• Almost complementary colors with the green and purple
• Smooth for the most part
• Dramatic lighting on the electrical cord
• Wrapped cord representing her father
• Poorly wrapped cord representing herself
• Extreme high lighting on the cords
• Uses reflective colors as well
• Streaked backgrounds
• Very realistic
• Deep shadows

Shoes

• Colorful
• Clean white shoes
• Extremely detailed
• Precise
• Legible
• Graffiti style
• VANS shoes
• Left shoe
• Paint the (in blue) on the back left shoe
• Blue bear painting with pallet and brush
• Orange organic forms on the bottom
• Red/orange organic shapes on the side
• Organic shape turns into a character with smiley tongue face
• Delicious written in blue bubble letters
• Right shoe
• World (pink) on the back
• Organic shapes in green on the side
• Orange colored bear on running with a paint can, splashing blue paint
• Green organic forms on the bottom
• Woot written in orange bubble letters

“Earisu no te-ma”

• Narrow
• Layering
• On silk
• Numerous music sheets layered
• Blues and reds covered with black
• Intense mark making
• Foreign language
• Mass amounts of colors in the top right and bottom left corners
• Thick looking
• Linear qualities with the lines protruding from the large dark masses
• Spots of colors coming through the music sheets

 

 

Assignment one

Science or Nature

When I was first introduced to this idea of Science or Nature my mind focused on colors and how I have learned about them in most of the science classes I have taken in my life. From the rainbow to natural dyes my mind focused on iris pigmentation in humans.  The variety of colors that the human eye can be intrigues me and I would like to explore why the colors are the way they are.

Working with mixed media for this assignment could help me recreate the iris colors more easily.  I would like to use white and black charcoal, pastels, and acrylic paints.  Mixed media is one of the ways I like to challenge myself in drawing. 

My drawings won't be the traditional straight on eye. I want to draw closer to the eye so I can eliminate the eye lids and lashes and just focus on the layers of the colors that make the color the viewer sees on an everyday basis. Looking closer at photographs of the iris shows how the iris can look like fibers assembled together. 

I would like to have a drawings of several different colors at interesting angles making the iris almost undetectable of being an iris and more an abstract organic form you could find in nature. 

I will keep looking for artists to study from for this assignment as of now I don't have any yet.