in the process | drawing S'18

Shoes take on the persona of actors on a stage. Dialogue and lighting heightens the drama, while students learn the importance of focus, perspective, negative space, and even the proximity of the audience to their production. 

Galen

Tonni

Bianca

the first week | SIS I Painting '15

The class begins with drawing. After a lesson on perspective, composition, and values, notice the difference in Jimin's drawing, from the morning to the afternoon session. Her composition fills the page, and by toning the paper she is better able to understand values.  

Jimin

Oil painting starts with a similar process. A wash of color tones the canvas, and a rag, dipped in Gamsol, brings out the light, while paint straight from the tube is the darkest value.

Marisa

Learning to mix colors, keeping them clean, not overworking the brush, and slathering on the paint - like butter - is a challenge for everyone. 

Melanie

gestures

Day one: How much information can you get down in one minute? Each communicates the object. Yet, the line variations, values, and energy, communicate more about the hand that is sketching.

Alice

Robert

Stella

Ana

Carly

the first week | SIS I '12

After four days of drawing, it was time to start the painting process. (Let me rephrase that. There were only three days of drawing!) Here are just a few of the paintings that followed:

Daniela

Yue

Estefania P.

Alex

Here Garrett and Isobel are finishing up.

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 first lesson: how to hold the pencil

Either a pencil or a piece of charcoal, offers a range of marks, depending on how you hold it. For the beginner, a 2B drawing pencil is a writing implement---fingertips down near the nib, in a death grip, for maximum control. Unconsciously, the side of the hand is dragged across the paper---counted on to wipe out the drawing. Try either of these more nimble methods:

1) First, open your hand, and lay the pencil across, near your fingertips. Use your thumb to gently hold the pencil in place. The first three fingers, along with the thumb, are active drawing participants. (Make sure to hold the pencil towards the back end, which allows for greater flexibility.) Now you can use both the tip, and the side of the pencil---easily moving back and forth between them. Want to rest your hand? Extend your pinky instead. Let the tip lean on the paper---for support, and to keep your hand elevated.

 2) Interested in drawing only with the pencil point? (Or with a pen.) Return to the writing implement position. This time, hold the pencil further back, away from the nib, and again extend your pinky. 

drawing f '11 | style

"I like your style" is the ultimate classroom compliment. An identifiable look, a masterful technique, gets everyone's attention. After 15 weeks, it is not surprising. There is always growth. Yes, even for a novice, whose start is fraught with trepidation. Loosen your grip on the charcoal. Stay focused, and notice every bump and curve. If you are bouncing around, that's normal. Enjoy the ride. Stretch, try new methods, trust your unique viewpoint. And pat yourself on the back. The clarity of the sketch, the coordination of hand and eye, along with the fluidness of the pencil, is a natural bridge to your own personal style.


With her lively hand, the clothed model is an avenue for Hannah to create character.

Aditi creates a pensive mood, with her usual soft touch, by adding shadows, in her second self-portrait .  

Jay embues these expressive drawings with his enthusiasm for charcoal.

Jay's first figure drawing

Nina's sensitivity, and attention to detail, serves her well, whether using pencil or charcoal.

Nina's first figure drawing

Marii's love of line shows even in her hatching.

Kushboo's use of a blind contour, gives texture to her drawings, even when she returns to the first assignment.

Kushboo's first figure drawing.

Melissa adds life to her sketches around NYC.

Paul enjoys using the eraser as a tool, to bring out the light.

Drawing f '11 | Composition

Shoes tell a story. Much like the people who wear them, they show a sturdiness of character, combined with years of wear. In a class on composition, shoes are employed as actors. Now, imagine that a drawing is a single frame in a movie. Keep it simple. We are not filming the entire movie, on one sheet of paper. Who is the focus ? Would it be a spiked-heel Angelina Jolie or patent leather Brad Pitt? How about camera angles? Up close or panning back? And who is the lighting director? In class, it is me, whereas at home, the student has total directorial freedom. 

Mary Claire set up a Mexican standoff. I can just hear the dialogue!

Just to get a good camera angle, Camila sat on the floor. With perspective, the sandal feels more distant because of the size difference. There exists a relationship (or maybe, a recent breakup.) More contrast in values is needed.

Hannah played with camera angles in both class and at home. In her second composition, the whole page was considered.  Cropping added to the drama. Was this a friendship gone sour? A lover's spat? The fainting diva could have been a tad smaller (to show some distance.)

Cortny tried two variations, and also included cropping. Though the second drawing was more fully realized, the top sandal looks to be a size 11. Foreshortening is called for here.

Melissa created a soft, caring relationship between these shoes. So where are they? There is quite a bit of white space surrounding these lovebirds. A light-handed environment would add to the storyline, and a darker value would show some contrast between them. As in life, how realistic would it be for these couples to be so harmoniously--gray? 

 Tippi maps out some dramatic cast shadows, found in a film noir. While the diagonal works, the moccasin needs to be on equal footing 

Erin creates a strong diagonal with a challenging angle--the underside of the boot is beautifully rendered. Again, there needs to be more variation in values. 

The pattern, on Rhonda's rain boot, plays a secondary role to the block-like structure of the boot. This is the same when an actress wears a printed dress. Do you want to notice the dress or her? Show the curves. Keep the pattern to a minimum.