Daily Sketchbook 3/27

For the last week of March, if you are not actively engaging in your self-directed project - which we will talk more about, I want you to work on the below image.





Please begin by drawing the outline ONLY of the above blackbird.
Next I want you to work on the negative space around the bird.
What can you do to make it visually interesting?
What object(s) or pattern or use of shape or use of color or...will make it interesting?

Is it something geometric? Is it something organic? Is it a combination?
I would ask that you do not do a tree branch. I would ask that you experiment.

Since you'll have two days to work on this, what can you do that is visually appealing?

As an alternative, you may use the slightly different view from below if you like.

Daily Sketchbook 3/20

Today is different.
Please set up for a mindful moment. We will not be doing this today, but it will allow me to prep you for the next couple of days that I am gone.
These are important announcements to help my sanity that I want to quickly convey so please assist me. It won't take long.

Important News for Next Week

Good afternoon, all.

I have already told you that I will be gone to the NAEA conference next week for two days (Thurs., and Fri.), and because of this there are a couple of things that you need to be aware of. I will try to break it down by level below so that you don't need to read the entire post. However, there is one thing that applies to you all: you need to have color printout of any reference photo for your current project in class to work from.


Art 1
You will be continuing on your album cover as it is due shortly - which you should be well aware of. While you do not have access to the ipads today since Mrs. Matsui and I are both out of town, this means you do not have them to use as a reference. You need to have any references for color/texture/values printed out ahead of time. But I'm giving you a week prior notice so this shouldn't be an issue, right? Good :)
This also means that you do not have them to use for music. I know some of you are really  used to having your own tunes playing in your ears, but you will just have to (gasp!) live without it for a whole 90 minutes. Don't worry, I think you'll survive.
I am giving the sub directions that he/she can play music from the computer in my cabinet so you'll just have to be fine with that.
To summarize: just...no electronic devices are to be used during class on Th/Fri. next week.

Art 2
You will be continuing on your acrylic painting. You need to have a color reference photo before Thursday of next week if you are to make appropriate progress on your painting. Don't just "go for it". Use your reference, since I will be using it when you turn your painting in anyway.
You need your reference photo because the ipads will be locked and unavailable during class time since I will be out of town.
No, you may not use your phones as reference and you may not use your phones to listen to music. Nobody should have headphones in during class when the sub is here. I will be leaving very specific directions for the sub to not allow phone use, and to quietly tell me who is violating this policy so that I can deal with it when I come back.
Please sit in the seats you typically sit in because I will be leaving a seating chart for the sub to help with this and to help with attendance.
Honestly, I just don't want it to be an issue. I will let the sub pic music to play in my absence, so even if you don't like it, it really isn't a big deal, so please don't make it one.
Make good and legit progress on your work and all will be good.

Art 3/4
If you perused over the above you'll notice a common thread - when I am gone at the NAEA conference you will not have access to the ipads.
This means you need to print out any necessary photos/images ahead of time so that you have them to paint from. Uploading them to google drive will not be enough since I will not allow you to access your phone (per normal class policy) while the sub is here.
This also means you will not have access to the ipads for listening to "your" music. You cannot use your own device to listen to music either.
I will allow the sub (not you) to put some music on the stereo and you'll just have to be ok with that. It isn't the end of the world so please don't create an issue out of it. It's only 90 minutes of your life. You'll survive.
There isn't a "daily sketchbook" that you need to upload during class, so this isn't an issue, and anything you need to document and upload a photo of to Canvas can be done before or after class (since you are totally ok to use your phone outside of those 90 min).

Daily Sketchbook 3/14

This is another day I will request you work on your elephant image (if you are not doing a self-directed March project based off the answer to your question from before), so think about the following two options.
Is there a way to fix/finish/alter the elephant itself to make it significantly stronger and/or more refined?
Is there a way to consider the idea of repetition/multiplicity with your stacked elements from Monday (donuts and/or paper boats) to give additional visual interest to the drawing?

Please be productive and upload your drawing after about 12 solid minutes of drawing.
Cheers!

Daily Sketchbook 3/12

Back to that elephant.
Continuing to add on, alter, or change an existing page makes for images that can be unexpected.
They don't always have to make sense, and sometimes the pages that have less energy devoted to the items on the page can be the most interesting.
Below is a pretty simple donut. You could add some shading today, or tomorrow.
You could have this balancing on your elephant's head or back. Up to you.




Or what if you did something with the boat below?

If you used the boat below, what else would you put on the flag?


What happens if you do multiples of something? Or if you have the elephant balancing on one set of things while it is simultaneously balancing other things?

Daily Sketchbook 3/8

How about you go back to that elephant from last week and make it better and on the way towards complete?
I think that a good idea.
We will balance some things on its back later (as was said before).
Like a donut, maybe.

Of course...you have the option of working on your self directed project for the month of March if that is where you are heading.
What is fun/interesting for you to draw.
Is this a series of drafts in your sketchbook? Is this on a "final" piece of paper/canvas?

Sometimes it pays to look around

The interwebs are a great place to look and find inspiration.
It could be specific content, but it might be something kind of random - which are often the best.

Koosje Koene is one of those. Most of her images are pretty "simple" upon first glance, but you know there wouldn't be any sort of consistent style present if she hadn't done something over and over and over again.
She has some good work on her site and some great video content up on youtube - which you can see below.
There are some great and fun tips for keeping up a consistent sketchbook practice on her channel, and in the below video - which is why it is here, so I would say, check it out.

Cheers.

Looking Back, Looking Forward

Good day to all of you Art 3 and Art 4 folks.
I realized (too late) yesterday that some of you are lacking in a few turn-in items that you need.
Please make sure to address the following things:

• are your memory thumbnails turned in and marked complete in the gradebook?
• did you give me a description of what your final painting will look like in the acrylic painting assignment in the gradebook (if you are in the app hit "message instructor")?
• how many process photos have you uploaded (drawing, initial glaze, layering, initial color mixing, etc.)?
• have you uploaded your photo reference(s)?

These things hit on success not just for this project, but for a later project as well. Please work on this during tutorial today if you have not done it already!

Thank you!

Daily Sketchbook 3/6

You know that you have been given options for the Month of March, and while I have said that you will still get the first few minutes of class every day to work on something (and that I will still add prompts here), you have options of what to work on.
Sort of.
Today we will all work together on the AOTM.
This is a particularly good one as you begin to create your own work/topics as you can see how very little can be used to maximize variety at times.
Come up to my desk for the presentation of Mike and Doug Starn.