Drawing Matters

Convex archetype of composition, utilizing bottom of picture plane to center. 

One of the oldest compositional forms...Frieze... the first of 4 archetypes of compositional order that can be found in the history of art. This is part of a working theory and classroom practice on composition that utilizes the center and known 2d organizations and moves beyond these to investigate the 3d factors of form composition into the picture plane. 

Philip Rawson, “Drawing” (an appreciation of the arts) or any related work

Bernard Chaet, “The Art of Drawing”  (my first book on drawing from UConn!)

Nathan Goldstein, “The Art of Responsive Drawing” & “Figure Drawing”

Rudolph Arnheim, “The Power of the Center” 

Glen Vilppu    www.vilppuacademy.com

Wil Weston    www.willwestonstudio.com

Frank Porcu   www.frankporcu.com

Artistic Anatomy books by Stephen Rogers Peck, Fritz Scheider, Paul Richer, eliot Goldfinger and Andreas Vesalius

I have been researching and comparing drawings in class and on internet... I am convinced more than ever that the intrinsic connections we can make from master drawings of the human body have a profound effect on our ability to learn to see and record, not just the appearance of what we see, but the feeling and integrity of what we see as an experience...recorded with lines! These 5-7 minute drawings I made in class from a few of the many incredible models we have the great fortune to work with demonstrate some of my most valued aspects of what I am trying to convey to my students. With your lines... be bold, responsive, risky, tactile, joyful, playful and inquisitive!

The content in this fantastic series produced by the BBC in 2005 confirms many of my strongest beliefs about drawing. This is the link to episode 1...watch all 4!

Hello students! Thanksgiving has passed and now it's time for your final assignment; RE-COMPOSITION of a picture.

There are 4 main principles: frieze, concave, convex and float.

frieze tends to be flat and centered (think egyptian hieroglyphs or the last supper). 

concave gives you the feeling of being able to "step in" to the picture due to being centrically aligned,

convex makes it seem that the picture is coming out at you.

float is when the objects in the picture seem to not have gravity acting upon them and is fairly self-explanatory. 

Looking at the bottom of the picture and taking note of the shape that is formed there will help determine what principle the picture is following.

Now, the composition of a picture focuses on the organization of form and content in the picture. Break down the content of the picture you're using into simple volumes. Make different variations of the content. You do not have to use everything in the original picture either. So make some content changes and have fun with it.

There are plenty of examples in the photos above and in the powerpoint presentation that should be in your e-mail. 

Hello students! This week's class was about "heightening" drawings with white chalk on toned paper.

The process of drawing is not any different than the previous weeks, just adding white highlights in strokes. It is not meant to be super-detailed rendering and you should not draw with only the white. Looking into light theory will also help with this exercise. It was touched on briefly with an explanation of shadows, but there is always more to research.

Hello Students. This week was more of a review of the pelvis, torso, and rhythm.

 The amount of structures wrapping around the abdomen can make the pelvis and torso confusing to draw. Fat deposits around this area also adds to the confusion, especially in females. The structure of the torso can be treated like a flexible potato chip and curved in several directions. The pelvis is most similar to a butterfly. The main way ti identify where these structures sit under the skin is using bony landmarks on the body. 

So, when drawing and finding the rhythm in the body, resist the urge to put down a continuous line from the hip bone to the ankle. Find the parts of the leg and how they work together.  Its the unions of parts that matter. Try to use a "double U" the go over the hip bone and under the abdomen. Lastly, do not castrate the model. Draw everything.

Hello Students! Happy belated Halloween. The lesson this week was using color washes.

Now, the paint, or whichever medium you're using, should not be used to "fill" in the body. The strokes can be seen as passages and each form on the body has its own passage. Working back to front will aid in layering the forms on top of each other.

A variety of strokes can be used, just try to use as few of them as possible. And control is a major factor. Holding the brush near the back of the handle can employ the whole range of movement in the arm instead of just the wrist. Placing the other hand on the paper below the dominant hand or using the pinky can also help with control.

Hello students! This week's class focused on fabric and clothes.

Now fabric acts according to what it's made of and what it's placed on and a variety of other circumstances. It moves with the body but distorts the body's image. Trying to find landmarks where the fabric pulls, folds, and stretches can help lead to exactly what kind of body is under those clothes. The more you observe and draw fabric, the more you'll understand it. And since we're surrounded by people in clothes everyday it is an easy thing to observe.

Hello students! Sorry for last week's absence, but here is a fresh new lesson on Rotation.

Now, rotating a body, or any mass, can be complicated. You must have a strong understanding of the subject and it's structure before moving it in space. In this case, understanding the construction of the human body is key to doing the exercise. The idea of "mirroring" parts of the body is also useful since flipping the body makes it look like a reflection of the original sketch. But don't be afraid to try for some more interesting angles, such as bird's eye, worm's eye and everything in between. It comes down to expanding your memory of the subject.