Drawing Breadth Assignment #1

Draped Fabric

Focus: Composition (rule of 3rds), light and shade, rendering of form

Goal: Create a composition that focuses on the rule of 3rd's and has strong contrast creating light and shade when rendering the forms by looking at the shapes and forms created when fabric is draped under dramatic lighting.

Process:

1. Gather the needed supplies to create an interesting still-life composition. You will need to work from observation, or in the least, stage the composition with dramatic lighting and photograph it.

The goal is the create an interesting composition highlighting the interesting patterns and folds that can be found in draped fabric. This can be achieved by simply draping fabric and rendering it successfully; however, what can you bring to the assignment creatively?

Questions to consider when looking for creative compositions:

• Where do you see large amounts of fabric used in your day to day life?
• What happens when you take thing of every day use, such as jacket or book bag, and arrange it in a new and unusual manner/still-life? What happens when you put dramatic lighting on these items?
• What do the fabrics in our lives say about us, such as our clothing?

2. Once your item of fabric has been selected, present it in an unique way. Place it over another item that adds to or changes it's meaning. Wrap it around another item. Tie it up with a rope or rubber bands. Arrange it with more than simply the fabric to make it more complex.

3. Add the lights! Create dramatic shadows and highlights with studio lighting. If working from life, put tape on the floor to mark where the lights will go tomorrow. If working from photos, take bunches and vary your compositions. REMEMBER, we are looking for a strong use of the rule of 3rds.

4. Make your artwork! Select a media that you know you will be able to push your value ranges with. Conte on a toned paper is a great option for this assignment. Graphite pencil can work. If color is important to the composition, consider colored pencils, colored ink pens, or even acrylic paint.

If working in conte, work your composition a little larger. A minimum of 12"x18" would be appropriate. This will allow for a good amount of detail in the value changes. You can working highlights with white conte, shadows with red or black conte. Leave the value of the paper show through as your middle tone.

*** never work smaller than 8"x 10" if at all possible as work smaller than this cannot be sent in for Quality selections***

Helpful video tutorial