​Drawing Packet
The drawing packet is a general introduction to different techniques and ways of seeing.  These are not "finished products," but exercises meant to train artists to see relationships within what 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 will challenge your brain, forcing it to relinquish control while a more spatial and aesthetic mindset takes hold.
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1. Face/Vase- Negative/Positive Space (5 points)
2. Upside down drawings- Old Man and Vespa (5 points)
3. Blind and Modified Contours of another student, a kitchen utensil, a hand, a shoe (10 points)
4. Forms Handout- Cylinders, Cubes, Cones, and Spheres (10 points per page, 40 points total)
5. Value Scales Worksheet (10 points)
​     TOTAL = 70 points






Forms + Value
We will combine our new skill of drawing forms together with shading, to create an even more 3-dimensional illusion of space.  Draw a cube, sphere, cone, and cylinder, each on their own page.  For each form, draw and label a horizon line, light source, highlight, halftone, cast shadow, core shadow, reflected light, and cast shadow.  Complete two forms in pencil, one in pen (using crosshatching to shade), and lastly one in colored pencil (using 1 color plus black).  




Magazine Features
Let's practice some features of the face!  Cut out an eye, nose, mouth, and ear, and glue them into your sketchbook.  Replicate them in pencil, doing your best to draw the features correctly and in proportion, as well as create convincing shading.  Have a clear dark, middle, and light value.
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Click the links below to see more review on the features:
Eyes
Ears
Mouth
Nose
Hair
Face Proportions





​Grid Portraits
Learning to use a grid to transfer and/or enlarge images is one of the most useful tools I personally have ever  learned.  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, preventing the artist from getting overwhelmed and lost.  The grid method allows you to be meticulous, 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
  1. Print out the image you want to draw in black and white, to the nearest WHOLE inch (this makes the math much easier).
  2. Along all four edges of the image, make a hashmark at every inch.
  3. Using a straight edge, connect the hashmarks to the ones directly across from them, so that the 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.  
  4. If you'd like to, labels the boxes going down on the left side with letters (A, B, C, etc.) to signify each row, and the boxes across the top with numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.) to signify each column.  Some artists like to do this to make sure they drawing in the correct corresponding box.
  5. 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.   
  6. After deciding on the ratio and size of your final project, make hashmarks along all four edges of the large sheet of paper.  BUT, this time instead of every inch, make your hashmarks every 2 inches apart if your are enlarging it by a ratio of  2, or every 3 inches if you are enlarging it by a ratio of 3.  
  7. Connect your lines, LIGHTLY, to create a grid, as you did on the original picture.
  8. Label your columns and rows to correspond with the ones on the original.
  9. Now you can start drawing!  Go box by box, looking very closely at what part of the image intersects with 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.  
  10. Start light and once your piece is laid out, go back and erase your grid lines.  Then go wild with shading and add detail.  ​

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)
               Total = 100 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.





​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.  Later, his work developed into paintings and mixed media, that are loaded with symbols and meanings relating to incredibly important themes, which are still viable in our society today.  Basquiat's abstracted, expressive style is exciting and liberating.  His work deserves to be analyzed on a deeper level not only appreciated it's beauty but also the significance of the themes he addressed.  

For this unit, student spend over a week getting to know the artist's life and the time period of his work, vocabulary and terminology associated with his style, and visually analyze his work in order to extract it's deeper meaning.  In addition, we discuss poetry 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.
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  • 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)
​                Total = 100 points

​*Check out more on Basquiat here





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... 
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  • 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)
​​               Total = 50 points





Room- 1 Point Perspective
Continuing our practice of 1 point perspective we will design the interior space of a room.  This could be an actual room from your house, a dream house, or a surreal room that doesn't exist.
  • Include at least 10-15 objects that require the use of 1 point perspective and space them out on the walls, floor, etc.
  • Pick a light source and shade all objects
  • Show TEXTURES (example: fuzzy carpet, wood floors, brick walls)
              Total = 50 points





Wayne White Watercolor- 1 Point Perspective
Using your new 1 point perspective skills, you will now do a block letter project, inspired by the kooky and wonderful artist, Wayne White.  Watch his hilarious and inspiring TED talk here. For this this project you will pick a long word or short phrase to draw out in block letters going back into space to a single vanishing point ( 1 point perspective).  You will shade the letters in with ink, choosing either hatching, cross-hatching, scumbling, or stippling to show shadows of lights, middles, and dark values.  Make sure your "light source" is consistent for all letters.  In the background, choose 3 watercolor techniques that we practiced in class to create a fun background to your word or phrase.  And lastly, add one other drawing or visual element to the background to spice up your piece and show even more of your personal style.  To begin this project, complete the brainstorming/research sheet below.
     Total= 100 points

Tutorials on how to do block letters in 1 Point Perspective





​Creative Color Wheels
In class, we've learned all about the color wheel, what the primary, secondary, and tertiary colors are, what color schemes are, and what tints, tones, and shades are.  Now it's your turn to practice creating all these!  Instead of doing a dull circle with the typical slivers of color, make your "color wheel" in some other interesting design.  Thinking of how to display all 12 colors and their tints, tones, and shades, is crucial here- try to be inventive and unique!  Make sure to do many layers of paint to prevent streakiness.  Be neat and clean, and fill in your background with somethings neutral to complement but not distract from your awesome colors (think black, gray, or white).
     Total= 120 points





Cubism
For this unit, students will learn about the history of Cubism, where and when it was invented, by who and for what reasons.  They will analyze work by artists such as Braque and Picasso, learn about the difference between analytical and synthetic cubism, and understand how movement and multiple perspectives factors into this art style.  Lastly students create their own cubist inspired painting.





Project Runaway- Art Room Style- Midterm Final
As part of our final, we will test our creativity in a group challenge.  Each group picks a model to dress up in a themed outfit they create using only the supplies in the room and trash bags.  Groups must make a name for their "look" and a song for their model to strut down the runway to.  Audience favorite is declared the winner!





Collage 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.
​- Grid larger paper and redraw image onto the larger size.
- Use magazine clippings to recreate the colors of the image (much like a mosaic).  You may either cut or rip the magazines.  Make sure to not leave any blank space.
     Total = 100 points




Drawing the Figure- Gesture, Muscles, Bones, and Hands
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 vertebrae).  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 in correct proportion and angles, flesh it out and starting creating muscle tones, shading, and 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! Drawing





​Street Art Project

​Grafitti Art Stickers!!!





Practice- Objects in Two-Point Perspective






​Blueprint Project- Two-Point Perspective





Music + Art
Music has an incredible way of reflecting emotions, changing moods, and marking events in our life.  Over the next few days, we will listen to 5 different genres of music, for 25 minutes each.  During that time, create a piece of art, absolutely anything you want- any subject with any media- based upon how the music makes you feel.  The only rule, don't stop creating until the time is up!  See examples below of Classical Indian, Punk Rock, Reggae, Folk, and Electro.     





​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 holds 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) 
                 Total = 100 points

*View weaving vocabulary here.
*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!





Fashion Design Project- Mood Board & Designs

​Mood Boards

Designs