The End

Well.

Here we are.

Or should I say "Here I am"?

Either way, it's the end of the semester.

The last day of class, the last blog post for Drawing 1 that I will ever write.

Just like that.

And after putting myself through this first semester, can I say that it was worth it?

I think I can.

It wasn't easy, but I learned some really important lessons.

About drawing, about life.

Pretty key I think is time management.

It's not perfect, but the improvement is pretty significant.

I've learned to pick projects that I can handle within the time limit, both in class and out.

My perfectionism is slowly being weeded out.

Perfectionism isn't inherently bad, but I've let it hold me back.

More specific to drawing, I've learned to be much more conscious about my use of line.

Line can be emotive.

Line can create volumes.

Line can create value.

And the importance of perspective (I've never worked with formal perspective before).

One thing I would have liked in the class is more freedom in homework assignments, which might have generated and held my interest more, and more emphasis on the sketchbook, a discipline which I feel is sometimes more valuable than the number of finished large drawings we were required to complete.

All in all, I appreciate Drawing 1 for what it has taught me. But would I repeat it if I had to?

Hell no.

I Like My New Bunny Suit - When I Wear It I Feel Cute

Thank my current music selection for that title...

Anywho.
Charcoal. Graphite. Conte. Which is Better?
No. Let's rephrase that. Which one do I like better?

Without really thinking about it: Graphite.
Why?
It's less messy.
It's more controlled (and gosh darn it, I like to be in control)
It erases.
It's the medium I'm the most comfortable with. I mean, I use pencils ALL the time (Umm...writing?)

Now, does that mean I don't appreciate conte or charcoal?
Not at all.

I find merit in both.
Graphite can only achieve a certain value that conte and charcoal both surpass in their true black-ness.
Both make me loosen up more and look more closely at what I'm drawing (because of their permanence).

Especially after our last homework assignment, the conte self-portrait, I actually kind of enjoy using conte.

Here are some line drawings from one artist, Adam Butcher, in all three:

Conte

Charcoal

Pencil

Cheers.

Blind Drawing The Blind

Blind Contour is really fun - I mean, when else can you draw like a 5 year old and get away with it?
The most difficulty I had with it was scale. I did a few drawings, but the first ones barely took up half the page, so I had to work on getting the drawings to be bigger.

Another thing is that I didn't realize we had to draw with one continuous line...I never looked at my page, but I would lift up the pencil/conte/ink when there was an area that I thought that was necessary. Hopefullly that wont count off my grade too much...I honestly didn't know!

Anywho, here be the rejects:

SO,
When I got back from drawing on Tuesday, my set up had been knocked over - no pictures.

The fabric assignment was actually quite enjoyable for me - I love drawing drapery; it's one of my favorite subjects.
The charcoal, however, isn't one my favorite mediums, but in pencil form it wasn't too bad. I used a little bit of vine charcoal to help me map out my composition, because it just smudges off. Using the ruler was a little cumbersome (it kept smudging my lines and getting charcoal residue all over my drawing), but in the end I liked the result and appreciated the challenge of depicting something more lyrical in nature with harsher straight lines. Also, I hope this homework shows I've learned my lesson! Only achievable goals! Think about the time limit when making decisions!

Try a New Perspective

One point:

(I don't know who this one is by....)

Woman at the Window (1925), Salvador Dali; Oil on board

Two point:

(Okay, technically this is one point, but the cubes are two point! Yay surrealism!)

The Skull of Zurbaran(1956), Salvador Dali

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Three point:

Ascending and Descending(1960), M.C. Escher; Lithographic print

Movement With Three-point perspective (2008), Susanna Lynn Johnson

Many apologies for the lateness, sir Jason!

Fistful of Graphite

Today before drawing class, I was in a taciturn mood - I wasn't extremely satisfied with my homework (mainly because of some counter-intuitive post-completion changes I made at the last minute) and was really nervous about critique. Thankfully we didn't spend to much time on that (and mine was a good example of "what to do"! :backpat:).

In class we worked on one point perspective, which, while not the easiest thing to explain, is not too difficult to understand in practice. Still, I was really frustrated because I was having a lot of issue with scale, which is something I'm normally pretty good at. Oh well. Practice, practice, practice.

As a side note: If any of my peers did NOT notice: I am clumsy as cuss, so...just expect more of that.

And: Teach has good music taste, yo.

NO HOMEWORK.

Channing Tatum Is A Monkey

It's 10:08 p.m., Wednesday, August 25th, 2010, and I've just completed my first Drawing I assignment - small thanks to Step Up and significant amounts of caffeine.

When I first received the assignment, I was a bit confused, as I didn't really understand the point of the exercise, but I grudgingly began preparation, as it was due in such a short period of time.

Before I began, I looked up the artist Jason suggested, Barnett Newman, and immediately my inspiration and enthusiasm about the project was bolstered. Reading about Barnett Newman's background (his study of philosophy, his tutelage under Milton Avery, and relationship to the work of Mark Rothke) gave much understanding and context to his work and while many of his initial viewers thought his work emotionally void, Newman was always adamant about the emotionally charge nature of his work.

I particularly saw this in his series, The Stations of the Cross, which some believe to be representative of holocaust victims.



And so, with renewed vigor, I began my assignment. It was a little tedious, but I enjoyed it enormously - it's not as busy as the examples Jason posted on the class blog, but I'll blame Newman for that.

Good night, and good luck.

- - -

EDIT:

Here are a few of Rothko's paintings. I think it's important to see the scale of both artists' works - they certainly did.



Aaaand:



A series of lithographic prints by Newman - The 18 Cantos.

- - -

EDIT II:

I got nervous looking at the examples and added more lines. Now I hate it. And I'm even more nervous. Cuss.

Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

Let it be known that, thence forth, this web log will formally be utilized as a record of Courtney Kay Whitlow's experiences in Drawing I.