Drawing Packet
The drawing packet is a general introduction to different techniques and new ways of seeing. Most are not "finished products," but are exercises meant to train artists to see relationships in whatever they are viewing and attempting to draw. Often a shift in the way you see something can dramatically impact and improve what ends up being put down on the paper. These short activities are sure to fine tune your eyesight and mindset, as well as expand control over your drawing abilities .
1. Blind Contours (10 points)
2. Modified Contours (10 points)
3. Upside Down Drawing of Vespa, Contour (10 points)
4. Upside Down Drawing of Man, Contour (10 points)
5. Face/Vase- Negative/Positive Space
6. Scissors- Contours, Positive/Negative Space (10 points each)
7. Forms Handouts- Cylinders, Spheres, Cubes/Rectangular Prisms, Cones (10 points per page)
7. Value Scales Worksheet (10 points)
8. 4 Forms shaded with horizon line, marked light source, cast shadow on the ground, and shading within the object (10 points each)
The drawing packet is a general introduction to different techniques and new ways of seeing. Most are not "finished products," but are exercises meant to train artists to see relationships in whatever they are viewing and attempting to draw. Often a shift in the way you see something can dramatically impact and improve what ends up being put down on the paper. These short activities are sure to fine tune your eyesight and mindset, as well as expand control over your drawing abilities .
1. Blind Contours (10 points)
2. Modified Contours (10 points)
3. Upside Down Drawing of Vespa, Contour (10 points)
4. Upside Down Drawing of Man, Contour (10 points)
5. Face/Vase- Negative/Positive Space
6. Scissors- Contours, Positive/Negative Space (10 points each)
7. Forms Handouts- Cylinders, Spheres, Cubes/Rectangular Prisms, Cones (10 points per page)
7. Value Scales Worksheet (10 points)
8. 4 Forms shaded with horizon line, marked light source, cast shadow on the ground, and shading within the object (10 points each)
Grid Portraits
Learning to use a grid to transfer and/or enlarge images is one of the most useful tools I have ever personally learned. Using the grid method ensures that your proportions are as close to the original's as possible, and helps break down the image into smaller components, thus preventing the artist from getting overwhelmed and lost. The grid method allows the artist be meticulous and capture every component there is to an image, ensuring a more successful likeness to the original. If realism is your aim, use a grid! For this project, pick a photo (a portrait= shoulders up) of either yourself, family, friend, or even a celebrity that you want to draw.
The Grid PROCESS
- Print out the image you want to draw, in black and white, to the nearest WHOLE inch (trust me, this makes the math much easier).
- Along all four edges of the image, make hashmarks at every inch.
- Using a straight edge, connect the hashmarks to the ones directly across from them, so, hashmarks on the bottom will connect to the ones on top, the ones on the left side will connect to the right side. These lines will end up dividing your whole image into 1"x1" squares.
- If you like, labels the boxes going down on the left side with letters (A, B, C, etc.) to signify each row, and label the boxes across the top with numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.) to signify each column.
- Using a specific ratio, find out what size your larger piece of art will be. For instance, if my original photo is 8"x10", I could enlarge it by 2 inches and make my final paper size be 16"x20". If I wanted to go bigger, I could enlarge it instead by 3 inches and have a 24"x30" final product, etc.
- After deciding on the ratio and size of your final project, make hashmarks along all four sides of the large sheet of paper. BUT, this time, instead of every inch, make your hashmark every 2 inches if your are enlarging it by a ratio of 2, or every 3 inches if you are enlarging it by a ratio of 3.
- Connect your lines, LIGHTLY, to create a grid, as you did on the original picture.
- Label your columns and rows to correspond with the ones on the original.
- Now you can start drawing! Go box by box, looking very close at what part of the image is intersection each box and at what point. For instance, is that line half way through box 1? Is that shadow starting at the bottom of row 3 or top of row 4? Keep checking yourself to ensure that you are laying out your drawing correctly.
- Start light and once your piece is laid out, go back and erase your grid lines. Then go wild with shading and adding details.
Projects should...
- Be drawn from a black and white portrait (10 points)
- Properly enlarged using grid method resulting in correct facial proportions (30 points)
- Shading- definite darks, middles, lights (30 points)
- No white showing in the background, paper is not wrinkled, is clean, and well preserved (10 points)
- Completion of thoughtful self-evaluation (20 points)
*This project was inspired by the incredible, hyper-realistic, large scale paintings done by Chuck Close. Watch a beautiful 5 minute video about his paintings and his life entitled, "Notes to my Younger Self".
* Need some extra help on facial features? Click here for face proportion tutorial. Individual break tutorials= Here for eyes, here for the nose, here for the mouth, and lastly, here for the ears.
Elements and Principles Cube
The Elements and Principles of Art are the "ingredients" of art and are essential to be able to analyze, process, discuss and understand art. The Elements and Principles ARE what art is! Get comfortable with speaking about them. You will find your appreciation of art grow due to your ability to understand and process what you are seeing, and you'll find your own art develop into deeper levels. On each side of the cube project, choose at least one element and one principle to demonstrate. Glue it together and you've got an awesome piece of art that is also very educational!
- Mixed media! Use at least 3 dry medias, for example: makers, crayons, collage, colored pencils, etc.
- No blank, boring, white space
- Be creative and inventive with your examples
- Construct the cube as neatly and nicely as you can so that it holds it's shape and looks sharp
Basquiat Unit
Jean-Michel Basquiat is a legendary Neo-expressionist artist, who first started at as a street artist writing thought provoking phrases all over NYC. He then developed into paintings and mixed media artwork, and his pieces are loaded with symbols and meanings relating to incredibly important themes still viable and ever present in our society today. Basquiat's abstracted, expressive style is exciting and liberating. His work truly deserves to be looked at and analyzed on a deeper level not only appreciate it's beauty but also significance of the themes he addresses.
For this unit, student spend over a week getting to know the artist's life story, the time period of his work, the vocabulary and terminology associated with his style, and how to visually analyze his work in order to extract it's deeper meaning. We discuss poetry also related to this artist, such as "To Repel Ghosts" by Kevin Young, and "The Genius Child" by Langston Hughes. The culminating assignment is for the student to create their own Basquiat inspired work, complete with a poem to accompany it..
- Creativity, craftsmanship, work habit, efficient use of time spent to create quality piece of art, is not tiny in size (10 points)
- A theme with meaning that can be explained by the artist, connects the painting, poem, words. and symbols (20 points)
- At least 3 words and 3 symbols shown within the artwork (20 points)
- Captures Basquiat’s Abstract Expressionist style with messy, edgy brushstrokes, that show emotion, “childlike” in style but conceptually meaningful (20 points)
- Poem/Story that is the required length, thoughtfully written and pertains to painting’s theme (10 points)
- Mixed Media- other materials used in addition to paint (10 points)
- Self Evaluation thoughtfully completed with detail (10 points)
*Check out more on Basquiat here
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10 Boxes in 1-Point Perspective
A great way to start out practicing drawing perspective is to do something simple, like boxes floating in space. Throw in some shading to make this exercise even more dynamic. Including in your drawing...
- A horizon line
- Vanishing Point
- 10 boxes (make each one a different, geometric forms)
- Overlap a few objects
- Some above and below the horizon line
- Pick/label light source and shade all sides either dark, middle, or light value)
Practice Room in 1-Point Perspective
Up your 1-point perspective practice by designing a room. Include in your drawing...
- 10 to 15 objects drawn in correct perspective (for example: a couch, table, windows, chairs, etc. Feel free to make it surreal if you'd rather!)
- Objects on all sides, not just the floor
- Add textures! Think about carpets, bricks, wood, curtains, pillows etc.
- Shade everything using pen/ink (hatching, stippling, cross-hatching, scumbling)
*Don't forget, there are also other interesting ways to show perspective! Keep these other tools in mind while designing your interior space to help make it appear more dynamic and realistic...
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Colorwheel
Everyone can use some color mixing practice! Make sure for this exercise you are ONLY using red, yellow, and blue paint= the PRIMARY colors. From those three colors, all other colors will be made. Black and white paint will be needed to help you create your tints and shades. Be sure to mix your colors on your palette, not on the paper, and NOT blending across your squares in one swoop. Each individual square is slightly different and needs to be created on the palette before applying in on the paper. Be as neat as you can and be sure to label everything.
- Use tempera or acrylic paint to create a color wheel with 12 "pie" pieces/colors (40 points)
- Create 6 more columns, with 7 boxes per each= 2 columns are "tints", 2 "shade", 2 "complementary color pairs (10 points per column)
*Check out some great reading on the MEANING of COLORS here!
1-Point Perspective Block Letter Project
Choose a long word or short phrase, something interesting and fun to you, to depict in block letters using 1-pont perspective. Letters must clearly recede back in space using a single vanishing point. Drawings will be painted, with each panel of each block letter showing distinct values (tints, tones, and shades) of single color. Each side of the letters should vividly communicate whether it is a light, middle, and dark side. Projects were inspired by the artist's Wayne White and his word paintings! Check out his awesome work here.
- Show creativity and originality with your picture's composition and word placement
- Your ability to correctly depict your letters going back into space using 1 point perspective.
- A clear "light source" so that the shading is consistent on all letters.
- Painting technique, meaning your ability to shade accurately and the quality and care= lots of layers and blending, NO STREAKY, SEE THROUGH PAINT
- Backgrounds may be completed with a solid color or pattern, no white, blank space.
- Neatness of painting/clean edges along letters, no pencil marks, no wrinkled paper.
- Choice of phrase- appropriate length not too long/not too short, is it interesting? Original? Thought provoking? Humorous?
Magazine Mosaics
Mosaics use tons of tiny, individual pieces of color to come together and visually form whole, complete picture. But who says a mosaic must be with tiles or glass?! Try one with tiny ripped or cut pieces of magazines. The work is tedious, but the finished result is stunning! To do this project, find a picture of an animal or person. Print it out, measure to the nearest whole inch, and grid with 1 inch boxes. Use a ratio to find a new, larger paper size, for example an 8x10 inch photo can be made into a 16x20 inch project. Next, grid the larger paper and redraw image. Use magazine clippings to recreate the colors of the image. Make sure to not leave any blank space.
- Accurate drawing of image (proportions okay? did you use the grid method to help?)
- Sensitivity to subtle and slight color changes! Be hyper aware of every gradual change in color. This is KEY.
- Be as neat as possible, no blank, white paper showing through the magazine pieces, no pieces flapping or falling over. Keep it smooth and stuck on there.
Watercolor Techniques
My favorite part about watercolor, is all the exciting techniques you can use. There are countless ones to try! Pick 10 of the 15 watercolor techniques I have listed below. Divide up a large piece of watercolor paper into 10 portions and demonstrate your use of each technique. Label each one in each.
Total = 50 points (5 points each)
- 4 values of one color (separate each one)
- Wet-in-wet
- Dry Brush
- Salt
- Plastic Wrap Blot
- Tissue Blot
- Wax Resist (with white crayon)
- Rubbing Alcohol Dots with Q-tips
- Graduated Wash
- Stencil (with masking tape)
- Stippling dots
- Drips
- Pen and Ink
- Transparency
- Splattering
2 Point Perspective Experimental Watercolor
Choose a building, structure, or object that can be depicted in 2-point perspective. Your subject can be from real life, or made up from your mind, but you must have some reference photos to help you, no matter what you end up choosing.
GOALS
- Architectural rendering style for your structure* in 2 perspective= in pen, TIGHT, PRECISE, EXACT
- One focal structure, then at least 2 or more other views of it, OR, 2 other items with a similar theme= OVERLAP, montage/collage effect
- UNFINISHED look, some parts unpainted and left in pen
- Use of watercolor techniques we practiced, SPLATTERS, DRIPS, be EXPERIMENTAL
- Unrealistic colors
- (OPTIONAL) A few people or small figures in silhouette for scale in the scene
*By “structure” I mean anything with a square/rectangular body that can be drawn in 2 point perspective. This can be anything, a building, a house, a car, a motorhome, a record player, etc.
PROCESS
1) Brainstorm what your structure will be, look up photos for reference
2) In your sketchbook, draw out in pencil all your structures, focusing on composition, and slight overlapping
3) Test some watercolor techniques on top of your sketch, focusing on using unrealistic color and
being EXPERIMENTAL
4) When dry, test out drawing in pen, going over your structure
5) Show the teacher, and after getting approval start on your large piece, following the same steps
you did for your mini practice in your sketchbook.
Total = 100 points
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Colored Pencil Techniques
Gesture Drawing in Charcoal
Take turns modeling for one another in class. Make sure you are situated with a full view of your model. Practice capturing the gesture QUICKLY and loosely in charcoal, starting with 1 minute long poses, then gradually increasing the length and building up to a culminating 10 minute long sitting. Keep it sketchy! No matter the length of time, always start with your LOA or "Line of Action" (the vertebrate). Next, draw in a line for the shoulder and hip angles. Then the head and extremities. Start simple, blocking in forms and then using tapered cylinders to create volume. Once the basic forms are laid down t in correct proportions and angles, flesh it out and starting creating muscle tones, shading, adding detail. Save clothing, facial features, and hair towards the end- it's the icing on the cake!
*Foreshortening is tough! Need some more help? Click here for some images I find useful.
JUMP! Project
Street Art Unit- Stencils and Block Prints
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Weaving
Create a weaving using yarn, string, rope, and fabric. Your "loom" will be made out of cardboard, with string wrapped around the top and bottom (inserted into grooves every 1 inch), creating the "warp" threads. Using an over-under pattern, weaving your yarn through the warp strings. The horizontal weaving of the yarn is called the "weft". Alternate colors and textures to design an interesting piece, pleasing to the eye. A stick, woven through the top and bottom of your weaving (after being cut off the loom), will help the weaving maintain its shape and make it sturdier.
- Craftsmanship= Warps and wefts are pulled tight, the weaving can hold itself together and is strong. (40 points)
- Design/Color= Attention and care is shown to the detail and pattern created in the weaving. Colors, texture, and overall design is pleasing, interesting, creative and required planning, skill, and diligence. What did you try to do that was different than everyone else's? How is your weaving unique? Show me that you tried something different! (40 points)
- A stick or similar reinforcement has been inserted into the top of the weaving to strengthen the piece and make it possible to hang securely. (20 points)
*Check out my Pinterest board here for some weaving inspiration!
*Curious about the history of weaving? Read up on it it and discover just how ancient it really is here!
Planner Cover Contest
Create a unique design for the MCHS 2017-2018 planner cover contest. Be sure to follow the specific size guidelines and rules which are below. Your design should not have a lot of boring, blank, white space, and should go beyond the typical MCHS mustang. Be original and creative. You might just win and actually get your design printed!
Total = 50 points
Paper Sculptures
Let's try something 3-dimmensional! For this project, you will be working in groups of 4-5. Roll at least 100 tubes and use minimal tape (one piece per tube). Construct a three-dimensional sculpture, that..
- Uses all of the tubes
- Is sturdy and can stand upright on its own
- Include some aspect of negative, open space
- Be at least 36 inches tall
*Click here to check out awesome paper sculpture artist, Yun-Woo Choi.