Inanimate Object as a Character

What Will I Create?

You will be bringing life and emotion to an inanimate object by creating a finished contour line drawing (limited value and/or color are required) that is based on how the object looks in reality. Your object should look as if it has a particular emotion to it through line of action and how it is posed.

Artistic Concept

A concept is an abstract idea. Artists use different concepts to take those ideas from abstraction to reality. The concept being explored through the lens of the Inanimate Object as a Character project - is Exploration.

Exploration lies in an artist's ability to try a number of new things with an open mind. These new things may be within or outside of the artist's comfort zone. An artist explores new media, ideas, practices, and techniques by taking risks, making mistakes, and learning from all outcomes.

Line of Action

Line of Action is an imaginary line that runs down the middle of a character or object. It is a type of gesture drawing. It describes movement, energy, force, and emotion. It is the first line drawn that is meant to be built upon. The more curve that is expressed in the line the more attitude, energy, movement, and flow is communicated to the viewer.

Read the article provided in class to get a better understanding of what Line of Action is and how to best use it to communicate emotion and posing in a character.

Line of Action Analysis

Using the character designs provided in class, draw a continuous line that you believe best embodies the line of action in the pose.

Remember, it doesn't necessarily go through the legs and arms of a character, but rather through the middle and captures the basic movement of the pose.

Line of Action Practice

Fold a piece of newsprint paper into half lengthwise. Then fold the newsprint paper in half again. This will divide your page into four quarters.

Draw a line of action in each quarter that represents an emotion or pose given to you by the instructor.

On the back side of the paper draw a line of action that represents an emotion or pose given to you by the instructor, but this time add a simple "basic shape" character to the line of action.

Posing and Emotion Analysis

What emotions are these inanimate objects portraying? How does the pose show this?

Line of Action Practice

Let's recreate the line of action drawings from before, but this time use an inanimate object - a simple mug or teacup with a handle. The instructor will give you a new set of emotions to use in your drawings. Begin with a line of action that represents that emotion and how a "figure" would be posed to communicate that with the viewer. Once the line of action is drawn, add basic, simple shapes to create a "mug character" to show that particular emotion.

How might you bend the body? How might you use the handle to aid in communicating the pose?

Silhouette and Posing

After drawing the line of action and adding basic shapes to make it look like a mug "character," solidly color the drawing in until it is near black. This is a silhouette. Does it visually read? Can you tell what the pose is? Does it communicate the idea or emotion clearly to you?

Elements of Art & Design

The elements and principles of art and design are the foundation on which all art is created. They can be thought of like a sentence. There has to be words in order to make a sentence; no words, no sentence. The elements of art are like the words. Without the elements - line, shape, color, value, texture, space, and form - there is no art. That doesn't mean that all elements of art must be used in an individual artwork, just like not every word has to be used in a sentence, but at least one must be present.

The Inanimate Object as a Character project will focus on the following element of art & design:

Shape

Discover some interesting aspects about the element of art & design: shape

What did you learn about shape and how might you use that knowledge in this piece?

Principles of Art & Design

If we think of the elements and principles of art & design like a sentence, with the words being a metaphor for the elements, then the principles of art & design are the ways in which the words are arranged. The way in which you arrange the words of a sentence dictates the feel and meaning of it. More descriptive words, and the sentence gives more detail; less words, and the sentence reads sharp or abrupt. The principles of art and design are the way in which an artwork is arranged. Does it appear uneasy, or relaxed? Without the principles of design - pattern and repetition, contrast, movement, emphasis, balance, rhythm, and unity - an artwork would not have a unique look and personality to it. The principles of art and design are more subjective as well. This means that they can be viewed and interpreted by one person differently than they are viewed and interpreted by another.

The Inanimate Object as a Character project will focus on the following principle of art & design:

Contrast

Discover interesting aspects of the principle of art & design: contrast. Explore different ways to create contrast in a composition.

Artistic Conventions

A convention is an accepted way in which something is done. It's a variety of things that artists do to create a piece of artwork. Artists use their knowledge of the numerous different artistic conventions with corresponding methods and techniques to portray meaning in an artwork.

Each unit will explore different artistic conventions. In this example, the artist is using the artistic conventions that this project will explore - visual read, expression/emotion, and silhouette.

Visual Read

This convention refers to the artist's ability to create an artwork that is clearly understandable to the viewer. Visual read refers to the artist's use of the elements and principles of design in such a way that the idea that they intended to communicate is grasped by the viewer immediately.

To create a piece that "visually reads," an artist should be constantly asking themselves "does this work?" "do I get it?" They should also ask peers periodically if they understand the meaning of the piece or if it makes sense to them and adjust if needed.

Expression/Emotion

This convention refers to the artist's ability to convey an emotion or expression through the drawing they create. This could be shown through the posing of the objects, the placement of the composition, the colors used, or even symbols used within the piece.

Silhouette

This convention refers to the artist's ability to create an object in a work that, when solidly colored in can still communicate pose, expression, and form with the viewer.

Getting Started

Begin by picking an object that you think could clearly convey an emotion.

Thumbnail Sketching

Thumbnail sketches are quick, rough drawings that plan out the composition of a piece and work through numerous visual "solutions" to a design "problem."

Thumbnail sketches are a great way to explore as they are a space to try out new things. Since they are quick drawings with little detail, they are a safe place to make mistakes, learn, and revise. Artists create a lot of thumbnail sketches as way to pre-plan an artwork and work out potential areas of concern.

Begin by creating six different thumbnail sketches of your object with six different emotions or expressions. Remember to consider composition as you sketch - try creating a piece that tells a visual story. Your compositions can include multiple panels, different views of the object, or even text.

Create a Line of Action

Rough/Block In Basic Shapes

Measure for General Proportions

Add Detail through Contour Line

Instructor Process

Color

Pick a dry medium to add limited color and/or value. Dry media include: graphite, conte, charcoal, colored pencil, marker, ink pens/quills, chalk pastels, oil pastels.

Objectives

National Art Standards

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