Class Twenty Five

Project 5, The Idealized Head

Every culture, from the beginning of time, has created an idealized figure that encapsulates the character, the virtues and the physical structure of the ideal human figure. This idealization was meant to capture the beauty and grace of form that was most revered by that culture. The most influential idealized figure in Western Civilization is the Greek Ideal epitomized by Apollo and Aphrodite. But it is primarily the female figure that is idealized in modern society.This idealization of the female figure dominates film, advertising, art, culture and sports, to the point that we are sometimes not conscious of it, it is so pervasive.

The early 20th century illustrator, Dana Gibson is one example of an illustrator who had taken the Greek ideal and transformed it into a modern version accessible to the larger culture. Gibson, through his idealization, not only created a beautiful and graceful modern woman, but empowered her through his image making. Through his images, Gibson provides women with the opportunity to vote for the first time, hold political office, seek a job outside the home and take on a life separate from her husband or father. Gibson provided the tool whereby women could emerge from the 19th century and embrace their potential in the 20th.

But how does this idealization work? We are going to look at Western societies template for idealization- “Aphrodite” as presented through the Greek cast of her in our classroom.

Assignment

We are going to create a dual image of the Greek head, Aphrodite, set next to the Dana Gibson Head. They will act as a unit of comparison between the ancient model and the modern version of Idealization.

Materials

  • 15×20 illustration board
  • 2H pencil for scaling, including grid work on the illustration board itself, and drawing the borders
  • Colored pencil, to place grid on the PDF copies of the two heads
  • Gum eraser and/or white eraser
  • Variety of pencil hardness’ to add values to the copies on the illustration board: B, HB, 2B, 4B
  • Ruler
  • PDF Printable copies of both heads: Greek and Gibson

Final Version will show the Greek Head next to the Gibson Head on the Illustration board in pencil. The borders, which were drawn lightly, may stay visible. All letters and numbers used to transfer the copies are to be erased. Use a gum eraser for this clean-up. Use pencil techniques to get your values correct. It should be graphic, no smudging!, and cleanly presented.

You are to present the progress of this project on Tuesday, April 20 before 11:59 AM; Monday, April 19 before 11:59 AM. Upload to the assignment section.

Secondly, watch the video, Loomis Head, Proko II and answer the questions. Due: Tuesday, April 20 before 11:59 AM; Monday, April 19 before 11:59 AM.

The Final Project is Due: Tuesday, April 27 before 11:59 am; Monday, April 26 before 11:59 AM.

Download and print out this file that contains the two heads:Download
Cast of the Greek Aphrodite Head. Simple directional lines enclosed in simple shapes to add values.
Dana Gibson Head of a Woman. This is rendered in ink, but would like you to do it in pencil by indicating the shape of the darks, then add a value. Use same directional lines on the face. Do not smudge to get your value- pencil techniques!
This is how the formatting should be done prior to the transfer onto the illustration board. Make sure you mark the 1″ squares beyond the edge of the paper images. I have numbered and lettered the squares. The top border is 1 3/4″. The bottom border is 2 1/4″. and the vertical borders are 1″ with 1 ” between the images.
Close-up of the red squares to scale the image. Pencil is used to square the illustration board. Note that the numbers/letters on the image align with the numbers/letters on the illustration board.
Same thing- pencil 2H on the illustration board, red pencil on the image. Numbers/letters align. Indicate the edge of the paper also. Remove images to add 1″ scale to the illustration board.