Portraits

Emily, Portrait Study, 10/09

Kierra, Portrait Study, 10/09

Portrait Critiques

Last Monday we had critiques on two portraits, and all our comments had to start with "I noticed..." It was... different. I see the merit in just "noticing" rather than making judgements, but I also appreciate hearing other people's thoughts, especially constructive criticism. I got the feeling we were all trying so hard not to "judge" that it was very hard to tell if what someone noticed was a positive or a negative. I like hearing suggestions on what to improve or how to try something different, and I felt like that was missing in this critique. Still, based on the comments, I would look at how to finish the drawing around the neck/shoulders. I'd like to add more color to the pupils, and also achieve a greater range of value. I realize there are beautiful, delicate drawings with only light value, but I personally prefer more contrast.

This semester I've been drawing in graphite, because it forces me to slow down, because I can't get dark marks without being very deliberate, and because it makes corrections easier. The problems then come when I do want that darker value. I think my second portrait (Kiera) is more successful in terms of value range, and also mark making. The linear, hatch-like marks I've been trying are a bit outside my comfort zone- I've never been a big blender, but it's tricky achieving smooth or subtle shifts in value with just lines. I haven't decided whether I will continue with graphite for the rest of the semester... we'll see!

p.s. Sorry the posts have been so few and far between- I'll remedy that today!

Life Drawing II (Fall 2009): first post

I think I am a bit late on this post, as everyone else in our LD2 class already posted something about the start of class... sorry! I'm not able to attend our regular class time because of soccer, so I have been coming in during one of the LD1 sections T/TH. But I'm very grateful Amy is willing to be flexible, and I'm going to try and stay with the rest of the class on these blogs and assignments.

I took Life Drawing last spring and immediately knew I would be pursuing this subject for at least one more semester. I am in the process of switching my concentration to Studio Art, with a drawing emphasis - I am not yet sure where that major will take me later in life, but I am certain of this: it is my passion. The thrill I get when drawing I can only try to describe - it's like an adrenaline rush - your mind sharpens, fingers feel nimble and strong, breath quickens a bit, and your heart pounds a little harder in your chest. I know that sounds dramatic, and I'll admit that I don't get that feeling every class period or every time I start to draw, but it happens often enough to have me addicted. So here I am, in another drawing class, feeding my addiction.

I hope to push myself this semester, to try what I am unsure of, and risk failure. I hope to expand my anatomical knowledge and my artistic tools. I hope to continue the adventure of trying to capture the beauty of the human form, and I hope to have some fun along the way.

And here...we...go!

Final: flickr

Here's the address for my flickr account, where you can find more drawings and larger photos of the ones in the Final post:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28219158@N02/

Final Thoughts

Gesture Drawing, 5-minute pose, 4/19/09

Even though I have enjoyed drawing people for some time, there has always been a sort of trepidation when I try to depict someone in particular.  My ability to draw people was based totally on my ability to recreate what I’m looking at, copy it down on paper.  Now, I can honestly say that I’m able to draw people based on knowledge of the human form, and a deeper understanding of the human body.   Studying the bones and muscles has been so helpful, especially in my long drawings.  It is much easier to find the correct proportions and create a realistic drawing when I can build the drawing from the underlying structures of the bones and muscles, and then add on information I observe.  Learning the different anatomical landmarks has changed the way I view the body:  instead of being an intimidating, yet familiar, form full of foreshortening and other artistic challenges, I can break it down into planes and contour lines.  I feel much more confident in my ability to draw the figure now than I was at the beginning of class.   

Clay Model: posterior, lateral, and anterior views 5/11/09

Working with the clay and manikin was helpful, but sometimes frustrating.  I had a hard time translating the size of the muscle in the book to the size it should be on my manikin, so some of his muscle systems are not as cohesive as I would like them to be.  I wanted to show each individual muscle, but they also need to fit together- sometimes it felt like one big jigsaw puzzle I was trying to piece together.   

Early Cross Contour, knee

Cross Contour, femur, 4/09

Cross contour drawings was something we touched on in my previous drawing classes, but only briefly.  You can see in the images above that my understanding of this technique has grown a lot over the semester.  I love being able to create that sense of space and dimension without using shading, and I’m excited to have a new tool for drawing.  I find the simplicity of line drawings entirely beautiful, and when you combine understanding of cross contours to careful attention to line quality and variation, it can yield outstanding results.  

Study of the Skull, 3/4 view, 4/27/09

Study of Shoulder Region, 4/19/09

These two long drawings are good examples of everything I mentioned above.  I am able to create a sense of dimension and space by suing cross contours and line variation.   Figuring out the understructure in the shoulder study left a nice “history” of lighter lines that (I think) adds character and realism to the drawing.   The skull study is an especially good example of atmospheric perspective, using darker lines to accentuate the areas of the form closest to you, leaving farther areas lighter, again creating that sense of space. 

            Overall, I’m really excited about the things we learned this semester.  I still want to continue working on recognition of those anatomical landmarks, correct proportions (I tend to still make my pelvis too far from my ribcage and my legs too short), and combining all this knowledge when doing longer drawings.  I also think it would be helpful to become even more familiar with the bones and muscles.  Since we were only able to spend a few periods on each area, I hope to go back and really focus in and become comfortable with, and knowledgeable of, each part of the form.  

Walker Art Center Reflections

Anselm Kiefer, Emanation, 1984-86

We recently took a field trip to St. Paul to visit the Science Museum and the Walker Art Center.  I've been to the Walker before, and one room contains my three favorite pieces:

Anselm Kiefer, Emanation (above)

Julie Mehretu, Transcending: The New International

Charles Ray, Unpainted Sculpture

So when asked to reflect on a piece that grabbed our attention, I immediately knew I needed to write about one of these three pieces, and I've settled on Kiefer's Emanation.  

This piece is absolutely massive in scale- maybe twenty feet tall by 8 or 9 feet wide?  I love that I can't take it all in with a single gaze- that I have to crane my neck, tip my head back to see the top, and only standing clear across the expansive room can I see the entire piece at once.

The texture is fantastic- it is anything but flat.  Layers, so many layers! I just want to touch it, to feel the rough, the jagged, the smooth: feel the undulations in the application of paint.  The color at first seems monochromatic, with different shades and tones of grey- deep, chalky, charcoal- but then I'm drawn to the dirty ivory across the upper portion of the piece.

It reminds me of old pictures of atom bombs: the central plume, foreboding colors: a dark black at the top and deeper colors with white highlights like capped waves of an angry sea across the bottom.  There is a definite vertical motion: the plume draws the eye up through the center where the viewer's gaze disseminates at the black edge, then follows the large textural pieces which appear to be falling back to the sea.

The photo I posted doesn't come close to doing this piece justice.  You have to get close, really look at the textures- that's what really captivates me.  

Word associations I find with this piece:

tempest, torn

Group Critique: the foot

Long Drawing, Foot, 4/6/09

My group decided that my drawing did, in fact, look like a foot, and a three dimensional one too.  They said the toe area was especially strong in creating that 3-D illusion, and that my line variation and quality added to that as well.  The ball of the foot is a little too round- it should appear more flat, especially that pad just below the big toe.  You can see anatomical landmarks like the fibula ("ankle bone" sticking out) and the 5th metatarsal (edge of the outside of the foot), along with the distinct shape of the heel bone.  Another suggestion was to address the transition from the toes to the top of the foot- the line weight changes kind of abruptly, and it creates a disconnect between the two areas.  

Overall, I'm really pleased with this drawing.  I know some people think feet are gross and can't stand them, but I think they're beautiful!  I was really excited to do this drawing.  Special thanks to Lauren, my roommate for posing her fine foot.