Class One

4 Strategies

In Drawing I, right at the very beginning of this course, I introduce my students to various ways to unlock what they see before them. There are several strategies whereby the student can learn to break down what they see and transfer that visual information to a 2-D surface. Once we can create a basic drawing in a 2 dimensional way, we can then add a 3 dimensional quality to our drawings and begin to sculpt form giving it a realistic and solid appearance. The 4 strategies we will experiment with are:

  • Finding the axis or general direction of our object
  • Building the general shape through short, straight lines to chip away at its form or outline
  • The use of a cross-contour line (like an equator) to begin to get a feel for the third dimension
  • Lastly, we will discuss size and proportion by understanding what a picture plane is and how we understand the size of objects in relation to this picture plane

Assignment

Materials:

  • 18 x 24 pad
  • Charcoal
  • Sandpaper pad or a half sheet of #220 sandpaper taped to a piece of cardboard
  • Rag- any old cotton T-shirt cut to about 8″ x 8″ (size of a handkerchief)
  • Kneaded eraser
  • Drawing Board or an Amazon box to use as a drawing board
  • 3 Onions to set up on a table

Assignment: to produce 2 separate sheets of 2 studies each in your 18 x 24 pad.

Sheet 1:

  • To begin, open your pad to the second page. Holding your pad vertically, fold this sheet in half to create a line across the page. This will form two areas to draw in.
  • Set up your onions on your table in the correct light as described in “The Course Format, Time and Space”.
  • Sketch the three onions on the top section of your sheet of paper. You will use charcoal that has been sharpened to a nice point. Lightly sketch these onions using the strategies I have demonstrated in the video lesson.
  • Repeat this exercise in the lower half of your sheet. Make sure to re-arrange the onions so that they are in different positions.

Sheet 2:

Repeat the process above on another separate sheet producing two more arrangements of onions using the same strategies.

Upload a photo of each sheet. Follow the Instructions on taking a proper photo to minimize distortion so I can properly view your work and give you an appropriate critique.

T/TH, Due:

M/W, Due:

Secondly, Please watch the technique video, “Tip of the Pencil” and answer the questions under the assignment heading [This is on the content page under the heading, Technique Videos. Click on this. Then go to the link to the lesson] The questions are under Assignments [Top tool bar. Go to the first one titled, “Tip of the Pencil”]. You may write the answers directly in the assignment area or you may write it on a sheet of loose leaf paper and upload a photo to this section. T/TH, Due: ; M/W, Due:

The 4 strategies are applied here: Axis; Outline in short straight lines; Cross-contour line; proportion of the object in its relation to the picture plane.