life drawing sp '12 | mapping shadows

When the subject is brightly lit, a pattern of light and shadow appears. Try squinting your eyes to help identify these shapes more easily. This mapping is key to simplifying shadows. It also makes for a cohesive figure. To fill in the shapes, Jiaxin uses hatching--with the tip of her charcoal--while Alex works the side. 

life drawing sp'12 | gesture

With the versatility of line, Debo captures the weight of emotion in a thin model, while Fred adds a nimble, playfulness to a zaftig figure. 

compact object

A familiar form has acquired both physical depth and a depth of meaning. I stand close, trying to decipher this time capsule of rustic parts, seemingly unearthed, and now entrenched in a box at the MOMA. An encoded message for future generations? Or an earlier time represented by the simplicity of an egg? I love the way my mind is preoccupied within--beyond just its smooth shell. 

drawing the egg | values

A typical drawing class revolves around the use of line. Vital as a tool for personal expression, line facilitates thinking, adds movement, and delineates shape and structure. So why--by my second class--are the students drawing without line? Simply put, if the intention is to create illusion, there is no line. To make an object appear real on the paper (almost touchable), the focus needs to be on the surface of the object--primarily where the light is hitting it. Invariably, a line can be a distraction. 


A white egg, is a deceivingly simple form to draw. I place one on a white sheet of paper, shine a spotlight on it, and we study the variations of light and shadow. Then the students mold its form on paper--in a slow buildup of values--using a woodless pencil. Much is gained in the process. The student, who is heavy-handed, becomes conscious of their grip, along with the pressure they exert on the paper. While the student, who seeks instant gratification, learns patience. As important as it is to be expressive, with line, it is equally important, for each student, to explore the quiet, softer side of their own personality. Most often, this revelation is set in motion, early in the semester--when drawing the shadows on an egg. 

Joseph Whang

Hobin Lee

While at the MOMA, I came across the following drawings. Take note that Juan Gris was not limited to one method--he worked with values and line; Ed Ruscha manipulated his still life vocabulary, without a single visible line; and Salvador Dali captured the subtleness of a nude, with his gentle touch.

Portrait of Max Jacob, by Juan Gris, 1919. Pencil on paper, 

14 3/8 x 10 1/2" Gift of James Thrall Soby 1958. © 2012 

Artists Rights (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris 

    

Still life, by Juan Gris, 1916. Pencil on paper, 15 x 11 1/8,"

 James Thrall Soby Bequest 1979. © 2012 Artists Rights 

(ARS),  New York / ADAGP, Paris 

    

Wax, by Edward Ruscha, 1967. Gunpowder and pencil on paper, 14 1/2 x 23"
The Joan and lester Avnet Collection. © 2012 Edward Ruscha

Studies of a Nude, 1935. Pencil on paper, 6 7/8 x 5 1/2".
 James Thrall Soby Bequest. © 2012 Salvador Dalí,
Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation / Artists Rights Society, NY

This post can also be found on the AAS Graphic Design website http://graphicdesign.parsons.edu/

the sketchbook | contour line

Thomas Bosket, a faculty member at Parsons, flips through his soft-cover moleskin, as excited as always about drawing. This sketch grabs my attention---a sinuous contour, atop a ghostly mix of purple lines. His process is so richly visible: preliminary ideas, flowing gestures, and then a definitive line, which feels the form, rather than thinks about it. 

life drawing sp'12 | the first gestures

After the intros, the emphasis is on the action of the pose. From the beauty of an inner line, to the roundness of a torso, with its arm jutting out towards us,  to the sheer variety that excites, these examples show the "life" within each of the students.