Graduate Drawing

The first assignment asked for us to create 5 drawings of objects, however we were only asked to draw the negative space around the objects. This technique helps the artist to draw more accurately and realistically, because getting the spaces in between objects drawn correctly is just as important for accuracy as drawing the object itself.
We were also tasked with the extra challenge of making the area we filled in much more gestural and indicative of the feel of the object in the first place. Here you can see the 5 drawings I created for this assignment.
The first is an image of knitting needles and a ball of yarn, and the drawing is in marker.Image two is a pencil drawing of an orchid plant. Image three was created using orange conte crayon and a glass decanter bottle. Image four is of a chandelier and is also done in marker. And finally, image five is a charcoal drawing of a ladder.

Basic 3D Forms

We continued our study of positive vs. negative space with three simple drawings of basic shapes. We were asked to use the three most basic forms of a sphere, a cube and a cone, and arrange them in a way that they showed overlapping. Once the objects were arranged, we drew the arrangement from three different vantage points, resulting in the three final charcoal drawings you see here.

Skill Building: Adding Detail

Breaking Down Shapes

We continued learning new techniques to prepare for our first major project by learning to break complex shapes down into more intricate ones that are more accurate to what you are drawing. In other words, a complex woven basket can be broken down into several simple shapes, as you see here.

Reflections

Drawing reflections can be very tricky, so we were given the skill building assignment of drawing a glass object. Below is the reference image that the drawing was created from. This drawing was done on white sketch paper with charcoal and white conte crayon.

Texture Drawings

Texture can be easily replicated with some careful observation of the patterns that are created by various textures. Here you can see the 16 texture drawing thumbnails I submitted for this assignment. Can you guess what they all are?

Half and Half Drawing

Preparing for the Drawing

The first drawing was assigned to test our organizational drawing skills, such as accuracy, negative space, placement, and relationships. We were asked to set up a still life of our choosing and complete a drawing of it. Here you can see my set up with a grid applied to help increase accuracy, as well as the first drawing prior to revisions.

The Final Result

After an initial class critique, I added more small details to the objects, particularly the plant and the wheat stalk.

Skill Building: One Point Perspective

Block Letters in One Point

We began our investigation into perspective drawing by starting out small drawing our initials in one point perspective. This is actually an assignment I begin my Art 1 students out with also!

Abstract Blocks in Two Point

Once again, as I do with my own students, we moved from simple blocks in one point to more complex and abstract shapes in two point perspective.

Block Letters in One Point

The final skill building exercise for the major perspective project was to draw a barn and fence in two point perspective.

Perspective of a Birdhouse

Preparing for the Drawing

For the second major drawing, we took all the perspective skills we learned and applied them to creating an original type of birdhouse, being sure to show multiple perspectives on the same birdhouse. My drawing began as the sketch you see below and slowly morphed its way into the initial design you see to the right.

The Final Result

After several revisions and additions to the final drawing, which was done on a gray substrate with a mixture of graphite, charcoal, and conte crayon, I completed the drawing you see to the right. The hardest part of this, for me, was getting the lighting right, as it was coming from two different sources and interfering with each other. I also discovered that the mixture of media I chose does not always mix well. I would certainly choose to stick to one medium or another in the future.

The Final Project!

Portrait of a Famous Person

This was, by far, my most favorite project of the whole semester and it is largely due to the fact that I have fallen in love with chalk pastels, which is a medium I was never very fond of until now. I also found that working on a colored substrate for portraits is much more appealing to me than using the gray ground in the way we had been using it. When we were told we had to do someone famous I was a little put off by the project, because I'm not the type to get attached to actors and their characters. I do have a love for many musical artists, however, so I decided I would stick to that group of famous people instead, focusing on someone with really great hair, as I have a love for drawing textural detail in things like hair and fiber. My two choices were Beyonce and Tina Turner, and being a child of the 80's, I had to go with Tina! I had so much fun drawing her hair and using bright colors to bring out the way the stage lit up that huge mane!

What was your most successful project? Why?
- Even though I have yet to see the actual finished piece, I believe the stiff slab vessel to be my most successful of the class. It is the only one that came out looking mostly similar to my intended design and the one I worked the hardest on. I enjoy the balance of more large holes at the top to the smaller and less prevalent holes at the bottom, although in my head I pictured much larger holes (such as those that could be made by the smallest circular cookie cutter) were at the top. I found this to be a challenge because I did not have the time to wait for the slab to set each time I took a huge chunk out of it. It was just too soft for me to cut holes that large in it, but I hope to attempt it again on my own time during the school year.
What was your biggest challenge? What did you do to overcome it?
- I did not enjoy the soft slab project as much as I had hoped I would but it is because I like for things to be very uniform and smooth and the time we were given worked against making the project both of those things. I finally just gave into the free-form possibility of this method and got what I got. Construction-wise, it is my biggest failure, but I still intend to perfect my technique more, in order to teach my students that letting go and attempting perfection is unrealistic and unnecessary
What was your favorite project/process? Why?
- I really enjoyed finally getting to sgraffito and mishima. I need a tremendous amount of practice at both of them but I foresee both of those methods being really big hits amongst the students. I think I was so busy thinking of lesson ideas and possibilities that I lost sight of my own projects and could have done more, particularly with the mishima.
What will you use from this course as you plan future lessons for your students?
- I will absolutely use all of these projects and techniques with my classes. I'm excited to offer something new to those students that may take the class again when Ceramics 2 is offered. I am really excited to try my mandala lesson on clay, as well as a printmaking-based tile lesson for the Art 1 students that rarely get to do clay.
How would you rate your work, overall for the semester on a scale of 1-5 (5 being the highest)?
- 4. I didn't come away with the caliber of pieces I like to expect of myself, but I came away with so many new techniques to help me improve my own pieces, as well as student pieces, moving forward in the future. I am nerdily excited about planning my Ceramics 1 curriculum now!!
How would you rate your improvement/growth in working with this material (1-5)
- 5!!! Again, I don't think it shows in the body of work produced in the last 2 weeks, but I have grown and learned SO much as an artist and teacher because of this class. I hoped, most of all, to learn new glazing techniques, and I was not disappointed! Thanks to Professor Mary Carlisle at Converse College for providing me with this amazing experience!!!