Week 3 & 4 Homework Done!!!

Here are my Weeks 3 and 4 Homework assignments. The first set are Week 3 which are preliminary sketches that were 50% completed and then Week 4 are the finishes to 3 of them. I'm glad we had 2 weeks to do them because it really shows what I can do given enough time to live with them for a bit.

On a side note, I'm going to do what I can to keep my blog updated as my Mom has been following my progress. It came as a surprise to me when she told me a couple of weeks ago.

How much anatomy is necessary to draw representational figures? Does this information interfere with the creative expression of the artist?

In representational figures it's highly important to know as much as possible about the surface anatomy (skeletal and musculature system that affects the surfaces of the skin. For instance in my Sustained Figure Concepts class, Week 3's lecture talks about the flexors and extensors of the forearm that are generally grouped together for all intents and purposes of drawing. With that said knowing each individual muscle of each group is not necessary.

I believe the creative expression of the artist in drawing representational figures is contingent on the gesture of the pose....since it is the embraced as the story or the essence of the pose and movement of the pose. Without solid knowledge of the anatomy (proportions and muscular/skeletal structure, male and female differences) I would find it difficult to exaggerate the pose or create something more dynamic than what is presented by the model.

In each drawing we had to do the past 2 weeks everyone in my class drew specific areas of tendons whether they knew it or not. In some models and poses tendons are even more pronounce and if the artist has limited knowledge of the anatomy this can give their drawing a funny appearance (I know this from experience):

The entire top of the hands and feet are a system of tendons from the extensors and the knee joint itself is a system of tendons all the way around.

I've spent many years learning about the anatomy of the figure and will most likely spend the rest of my life doing just that.

Reconsidering Week 2 Drawings

I'm reconsidering liking these drawings. When you live with some drawings in close proximity for a short amount of time you tend to be disappointed in how you interpret it. I'm beginning to like them more and more each day. I even had a dream about them and in the dream they were worse then they really are. So, I woke up this morning, took another look and realized they aren't as bad as I thought but I'm looking really forward to next week's drawings. We are drawing a fairly dark model. It's going to be a great challenge and I'm going to begin tonight. Whew! What a week!

Homework Week 2

I'm not crazy about these two but they are better than last week's homework. I'm trying something I've never done before in pastel and that is using a subtractive technique I use for charcoal and graphite. First, a lay-in the gesture and proportions with my chamois, powdered drawing medium and drawing medium. Second, I pull out highlights and shadow shapes with my kneaded eraser and enhance the mid-tones and core shadows. Third, I tie everything together and by using a combination of my drawing medium, eraser, chamois (w/powdered drawing medium) and drawing medium. These two are pastel. The technique was more time consuming than I planned but it was the first time I had done it like this.

Imagine 10 Years From Now...

Discussion Topic Week 2:

Imagine life in 10 years. Artistically, what do you imagine for yourself?

Imagining my artistic life in 10 years is a strange thing because I never know where my interests will lie. For the longest time I've wanted to do book covers like Donato Giancola, Tom Kidd (Genmo) or Gary Gianni. N.C. Wyeth has always been an influence on me for narrative illustration so if you know these artists you can see the lineage from Wyeth. Ideally, I would be able to live out the dream of making a living as an illustrator/artist doing narrative illustration like this. I also imagine myself doing commission work, too in the same vein as narrative illustration. I'm not sure if I will ever get to do this but I can see myself living doing this in 10 years.

A colleague of mine a couple years back began encouraging me to create my own graphic novels. I've always been a huge comic book fan but ever since doing my undergraduate degree I became fascinated with graphic novels....especially the painterly ones. Sequential storytelling is a direct link to narrative illustration so I imagine myself doing this, too.

Spiritually speaking (this is where it gets deep so read on if you dare), a few years ago I began doing performance art/illustration for my church during the worship services. As many of us are visual learners, it helped drive home the core teaching of the sermon dictated by the lead pastor and the dividends being involved artistically continues to this day. I imagine myself continuing to serve with my artistic gifts in 10 years.

I see myself still teaching college life drawing classes, too.

ILL612 Sustained Figure Concepts: Module 1

I am not completely happy with this submission. These are so overworked and it pisses me off however, this is my first homework assignment. I know my skill set will improve. ARGH!!!

These SUCK!!!

I got a B+ on these. Like I said they suck!!!

Graduate School Week 1

Things are going well so far but I don't have my routine down between home, school and work. There are many things I'm doing throughout the week and I want to be able to do all of them effectively. This is going to be a huge adjustment. One of my friends does 2 all-nighters per week and I simply don't have the energy to do that. Somehow I need to fit exercise in there, too.

I'm taking ILL612 Sustained Figure Concepts (long pose life drawing class) and Week 1 Assignment is to take the Quiz (got an 80% on it, argh! I have issue with it) and complete 2 full figure drawings using a limited palette. I'm all for using a limited palette but I don't like these particular hues.