A Couple Of Interesting Bits

 Been a long time coming, but I ran into a couple of videos recently that I thought would be interesting.

First this one with a reminder that what you make doesn't have to be awesome, it just needs to exist.

Second, and a bit longer, but totally worth it is this one about allowing yourself to be bored.

Yes, both of these would take half an hour of your time, but I think it's worth it for students to see them - even if it isn't directly about drawing and painting. In the end I would suggest it's pretty good life advice.

Art 2 Sketchbook

It is December. There are just two weeks before finals week. Does that mean six class times together?
Yikes.
Obviously your painting is your priority. This should be enough time to finish it, so look at the rubric online, and plan to turn it in during finals.

Regarding your sketchbook, though, I still want you to be working in it with an eye towards quantity between now and the end of the semester. Even just a few minutes each day is amazing. I will view them while you work on your paintings (likely) more than once before the semester is over.
For now, if you want some inspo, consider the below.

  

It is very likely that you will see at least one of these in the future, but for now I wanted to throw out a few different views of animal images. Not because I want you to copy these, but because they are very different ways of looking at the same topic/prompt/idea.
If you are stumped as to what to do, you might use one of these ideas as a jumping off point.

A Few More Oil Comments

Sometimes coming up with the content can be a challenge.
I know the more straight forward path is to find an image online and just go with that.

Remember, you can always take your own photograph and have your own personal dynamic composition. Referencing the foreshortening images that I sent out last weekend is a great place to start, and I'll put a few other ideas at the end of this message*.

I have tried to throw out a lot of ideas and options, and sometimes we have to just humor ourselves and go through the motions of drawing many different versions out in our sketchbooks to see what might work. As you heard me say many times as you came up with thumbnails in Art 1, your first idea is rarely your best.
You also do not want to have a totally blank or boring background. One immediate thing you can do to help this is to create a foreground and background by putting something in front of your focal point and behind your focal point.
Another fun thing you can think of is to figure out a way that you can play with the perception of proportion by making one object visually appear much larger or much smaller than we would expect them to be compared to something else.
For example: a small bird next to a large donut (that's like 10 times bigger than the bird).

I have to admit that I am pretty uncomfortable with the idea of you drawing your image out on your canvas before I have had the chance to work with you individually. Ideally you would come show me some ideas at tutorial today if I didn't see a workable concept from you yesterday.
If that isn't possible, I'm asking that you email me your idea/sketch/collage/etc. before beginning to draw on your canvas.Not that I have all of the answers, but a few times yesterday I definitely had to say something to the effect of "that won't work". Too often students want to do what they think is the easy thing, but that ends up not being the best option...or easy. Or they think something is funny, but that doesn't always translate into a good painting.
Not everything that works in one media will work in another. I have experience with this, and I'm asking for your trust.
If you have already gotten the "OK" from me, great. I know at least four or five of you have, but everyone else, please let me discuss with you in tutorial or via email.

tsmith@lgsuhsd.org

Once you know what you are doing...
You need to draw your image out on your canvas. Include shapes for light and dark areas just like you were asked to do in the still life drawing...and in the grid drawing from Art 1. Be specific, but actually, not quite as specific as in the grid drawing. The concept is the same but because it will be a painting you don't have to be quite so detailed.

There is a portion of the module that will walk you through how to get a 2" grid on your 16x20" canvas if you need it. If you have a photo or digital collage on the ipad, use the "grid" app to get a grid of squares so that you have 8 and 10 in your columns/rows.
If you can't figure out how to use the app, try doing a google search. That usually clears things up pretty quick.

You do not have to grid the image, but most do.
Now, you can approximate a grid by simplifying it.
To do this I would draw a diagonal through the corners of my canvas (and my image), and then follow that with vertical and horizontal lines and then use those pie shapes to get my proportions more accurate. It's just a simplified version of a grid, and you can see kind of what I mean below.

*student created images that could give you ideas of what to create for yourself;
remember to pay attention to composition and use of light and dark

I know this seems like a lot, but honestly, as I was thinking about this project, and the ones that you were all able to create in Art 1, I know you have it in you to go far. Your ability and ideas are superior, and the only thing I wish there was more of is time to work as a small group and also one-on-one to make your initial drawing/idea as great as possible.
I'll do my best to be available via email though! Did I mention that yet ;)

But remember back to how you set up your first tempera painting last year, and think about how this is pretty much like that, but it's in oil, and you are using photo references for pretty much everything.

Also remember that if you take your own photo, or have a family photo as Annelise did in class...this works.
Yes, I still want you to show it to me so we can make sure the composition and values will translate, but that route is completely doable for this project!
I've had many students use photos of their own pets - and you can see this in the folder of examples via Canvas. Have a photo shoot with your dog/cat. Have fun!

A2 Oil Intro Info 2019

As I have said in class, for many years the main oil painting the Art 2 students have completed is a monochromatic piece from a b/w photograph.
This allows you to get stronger at some skills worked on in your past (recognizing value and using the grid method for enlarging an image) while at the same time getting better and more familiar with painting with oils without dealing with color mixing.

I am totally fine with you doing this for your project. I will always prefer if it is an image you (or someone you know) have taken yourself, but finding a b/w image online also works.
One thing to remember is that painting from the photograph you find online without altering it in a decently significant way isn't ideal for a future portfolio you may want to create.

It is with this in mind that I want to put the following together.

First option: as stated above, you find a b/w image and use that for your painting; from here the only decision you really need to make is which color to use.

Second option: you use a photograph that you (or someone close to you) have taken. I can work with you in class to get the best b/w conversion for this, then you will pick your color and you will be off to the races.

Third option: you create your own image.
But wait, isn't that what the second option is? In part, yes. Maybe.
I have used these foreshortening examples with students for a project in the past, and as generally "straight" photographs to work from, the ideas would work really quite well. It would require you to put some thought ahead of time into the images though, and get some photo options taken ahead of time.
I do want you to be able to bring some of your own creativity into the composition and not be solely limited to working strictly from ONE photograph if you would like. That's why I was showing a lot of the examples from pinterest in class the other day.
I still want you to work from photographs though. You can have a series that you draw from, or you can even select out certain parts and "collage" them together in procreate (which would give you one photographic image to work from).

If you create your own image - whether it is as one original photo or as some sort of collage, please refrain from having too much blank space in the background. Think about how you can create a dynamic composition - which we have been working with since our first painting in Art 1, actually.
Some of you feel as though you kind of intuitively "get" how to create an interesting composition with a clear focal point, use of depth/space, etc., but if you do some simple google searches you can find some interesting ideas that might help. Of course, pinterest has a lot of the same things available, so if you want to start creating an easy place to keep ideas, that isn't a terrible idea.

I know a lot of the image examples include figurative work, but you don't have to use a human figure. There are plenty of ways that animals, nature, machines, etc. can be used.

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And if you are interested in going deeper...

One thing you might find interesting - and what I hope to get into later in the year - is to think about the symbolic meaning behind certain items. Now, if you google this content you'll get information that is all over the map, and we must remember that different cultures (and times in history, even) associate different meanings for the same (or similar) object(s), but to plow into this idea can be absolutely fascinating.

For example some symbolic meanings of the following are easily found:
Blackbird = wisdom, power, beauty;
Cardinal = responsibility, balance;
Oak = honor, nobility, wisdom;
Hand = strength, power, protection;
Cairn = balance, safe travel;

The list goes on (nearly) infinitely.

You may start with images or ideas that you think are just fun or interesting, but you can also begin to infuse what you make with additional meaning/layers if you choose to. IMO this just makes it all the more interesting.
There is an artist, Kirsten Francis, that has changed her making process a lot over the years, but when I first found out about her (and bought her art, oh, and some postcards of hers are in the display cases between rooms 501 and 502 now), she was doing these interesting woodcuts that have often "simple" compositions, but interesting use of imagery that you could possibly get some ideas from (in terms of combining images in a way that is creative and not like a "straight" photograph).

What I would do is think about using photographs to draw/paint from, but think about how you can use those references to create a personal and unique image. I do want you to aim for realism in terms of the representation of the elements of your image, but the layout and way they are combined can be unique.

This is all a lot to unpack, but I believe in all of you, and the curiosity you have. You can go quite deep with your art making and imagery and I get really excited by that part of the process - much more than the purely technical aspect of it.
I would add that I don't want you to lose the fun in image making. Make if fun for yourself for sure! But I know you have it in you to add more layers to your image too!

Let's see some ideation and sketches and talk about where you are going before the end of the week!

Opening Some Options and Wrapping Up

I know we just started our final grading period, but there are a couple of things I feel it is important to bring to your attention.
First, as it says in Canvas, nothing that has a due date in May will be accepted past the class period it is due. It simply takes too long for me to address those loose ends and wrap up the semester in a substantial way for that to work.

Second, if you have any Sketchbook work from Ch. 4 or 5 (for Art 1), or any Independent Practices (for Art 2) that were due earlier this semester, regardless of how long ago they were due, I will accept them between May 1st and May 13th. This gives you more than three weeks to work on the work. But, make sure you are following the following directions:

Art 1:
Send me an email that says "Ch. 4 redo" or "Ch. 5 redo" in the subject line.
In the body of the email tell me if you are doing work that was never turned in, or is a do-over of something you turned in earlier ( you must be making significant and noticeable changes if it is a do-over).
If the work is a do-over, include a before and after photo so that I have comparisons I can make, and then physically see me when you are ready to turn it is so I can give additional directions then.
Please send a separate email for Ch. 4 and Ch. 5 if that applies to you.

Art 2:
Send me an email that includes the title/topic of the piece you are turning in, and what number it was, in the subject line.
In the body of the email please tell me if you are doing work that was never turned in, or is a do-over of something you turned in earlier (you must be making significant and noticeable changes if it is a do-over).
If the work is a do-over, include a before and after photo so that I have comparisons I can make, and then make sure to include the topic on the back of the piece (with your name) when you turn it in.
Please send a separate email for each I.P.

For both Art levels: there will be no feedback and "redo" opportunities for work that falls into this category. Also, do not spend class time "catching up" and working on this. You may absolutely use tutorial, lunch, before/after school to do this work, but not class time.

If you have questions about the above, please send me an email. Unfortunately I know not everyone reads these messages, and since I want to focus on current work while in class I will not be discussing this content with the classes as a whole.
I will say, though, that I have been really impressed with some of the work as of late, and I want to allow the ability that I see in you to be shown. I know for some of you this isn't applicable, but for others of you it is. If this helps you, great. If it isn't applicable, thank you for making my life easier on me. I truly, truly, appreciate it.


One other thing I do want to address is the overall use of time. Several of you spend more time on extraneous "things" than are necessary in class. So my request, please be very mindful of how you use class time for the next four to five weeks. This is often with the ipads, so think about things like:
How long is it taking you to log in and select your playlist?
How long are you taking to clean up at the end of class?
But it can also be:
How long are you giving yourself to clean up at the end of class (you probably need less time than you think)?
How many times are you turning to your friends in class instead of having your focus be on your work (Yes, I still want you to feel free to converse with those in your table group, but you still need to get the work done)?

It is easy for any/all of the above to eat up 5-10 minutes of class time, and that is valuable time lost, so be very mindful of your expenditures especially as we work our way into May and June.

Daily Agenda for Art 2 on 1/28/19

I'm sorry to miss the day, everyone :(
I've been sick since Thursday night and I just don't have enough voice to make it through the day.
I will be back tomorrow, and while you know where you left off, I want to get it here in writing for you and the sub.

You may have the first 15min to work on your I.P. that is due next week.
While you already brainstormed some ideas, what I want you to think about is something that is not straightforward. If you draw a cup, and that's it, it's probably going to be really boring.
What else can you add to it? Is there a more interesting object you can draw? How can you play with scale? Can the image be about something else (more interesting), and the item with a handle be just a small part of it?
There are a lot of options, it's up to you to discover them and have fun with it.

Next, finish your color chart.
Remember that the values should be noticeably different in each circle/oval in each column.
Each color mixture should be noticeably different from left to right.
Pay particular attention to your neutrals (for ex, blue and org or purple and yellow) as they need to be mixed properly.
Mix the colors completely on your palette.
Application on color chart is expected to be smooth, homogeneous, opaque, and neat.

When you are finished, make sure your name is on it, you have labeled all of you colors in their respective places, and you put it on my desk in a neat pile once it is dry (use the hair dryer if needed).

If there is time remaining, please begin drawing your image on your canvas.

I will get everything caught up throughout the rest of the week as I can. Wish me luck in healing. Have a great day!

p.s.
As you see the CT kids coming through/around campus today (beginning around 9:30) please encourage them to sign up for Art 1 :)

Daily Agenda for Art 1 on 1/28/19

I am so sorry to miss class today, folks, but I've been sick since Thursday night.

Your main goal for the day is to, essentially, finish your watercolor that you drew out last week.
However, I want to remind you of some tips and best practices and frequent pitfalls. Please look at the bullet points below for all of those.
When you are finished for the day please do an extra strong cleanup job so I am not looking at a mess tomorrow when I know I will still be under the weather but on campus, and gingerly place your watercolor in your plastic tub.
Also, even though I am having you read this on the ipads, I don't want you listening to music today. The sub can put something on through the computer behind my desk, but I don't want you to have headphones in. I want you to converse and strategize with the peers that are doing the same landscape as you so that you can all have the best product possible.

• the biggest and lightest areas need to be done first
• this happens, usually, with a large brush and the wet-on-wet technique
• think in terms of layers
• this means that even though you may have grass covering some dirt, you prob need to paint the dirt first, let that dry, then come back over and paint the grass (this is how the lighthouse example by the board was done)
• never use black by itself, and use it sparingly 
• even that lighthouse with the stripes on it isn't black; yes, it has black in it, but you need something else in there; black by itself is way too stark (this is a lesson for pretty much every painting medium)
• color mixing is important
• think about the color chart we did, how can you use that? brown is rarely the brown from the paint palette; you may need three or four colors together
• test everything out on scrap paper ahead of time; colors, values, etc.
• have plenty of paper towels on hand
• use the hair dryers
• watercolor is a lot of hurry up and wait; if you try to paint a building right after you do the sky it will probably bleed together; you can't fix this
• I will often do sky, first ground layer, and then make sure everything is dry before I start to do the rest of my objects and details
• did I mention that the idea of layers is important? it adds depth, character, and dimension; you need to try to think several steps ahead in order to have the strongest painting possible

If you are finished "early", work on your sketchbook. I am getting better, but I'm not well. Have a great day and I will see you soon!

Smith

Ending the Semester for Art 1

I just wanted to share a few notes for you, my wonderful Art 1 students.

As the semester draws to an end, everything seems busy. This is true for teachers and students both.

I know there are due dates coming up (Ch. 3 on 12/10 and 12/11...pay attention to this as black/orange days are flipped here!), but there is time to get your work finished.

I cannot strongly enough suggest that you use tutorial time - especially for your sketchbook. Not only is the sketchbook due before the painting, but you will need all of the available class time you can get to finish your painting sufficiently.

On average, in the past, the tempera painting has taken - with brainstorming, working on the color wheel worksheet, and through the entire rough draft process - 14 or 15 class periods. If we go from the beginning of the project to the published due date, there are 13 class period for your work this semester after the pen and ink due date.

I know I know, what about another one or two class periods? I get it. It stresses me out too.

But first, a little tangent.

Some of your ideas and designs are so amazing. Even if you did a so-so job on the execution I know it will look fantastic, and some of you that I see this in...you’re already painting as I write this. Wow!

However, some of you aren’t even on your large rough draft yet. And you are most of the same people who (basically) never come in to work at tutorial or before/after school. Sad face.

So here is what I am “changing”. We will have an “extension” of the due date… with some caveats. While you will get the finals class period to work on your painting, you will not have quite all of this time. During part of this I will have you filling out a self-reflection about your painting/process before you actually finish your painting.

You MUST have all of the requirements in the painting before the due date. This means all of your completed value scales, neutral, tints, tone, etc. have to be in the painting. You also need to show your ability to get clean/crisp edges, as well as smooth/blended transitions.

Your painting should, basically, be finished. By this, I mean at least 90% finished.

However, I do want to show a few things along the way and at the end that will help refine your image, add some textures, etc. It is possible that this will take us into a day or two of next semester.

You will receive an assessment for your project after you give it to me during finals, but because it will be the end of the semester you will not have your normal window to make any adjustments or have a do-over in any section. This is just what happens at the end of the semester.

Remember that you should, essentially, be finished with your painting (you need to have paint everywhere, but you may have some small details that could still be added). If you aren’t at this point, you won’t have given yourself the opportunity to show what you have learned this semester, and in this process.

The thing I am most concerned with is that there are some of you that aren’t painting yet (as I finish writing this on the morning of 12/5 (that earlier bit was written yesterday)). You just won’t have time to finish this painting if you do not use a significant amount of studio time outside of your normal class period working on your painting.

It will be a tight finish, but I believe in you, and I’m here to help you along the way. I’ll keep what I have to say/show to a minimum so as to maximize your time, but you also need to help your own process by giving it as much time as possible. As always, let me know I can answer any questions.

A Good Morning Follow Up

While I begin my second cup of coffee this morning, I'd like to say a big thank you to everyone that was able to make it to BTSN last night. It's a long day for everyone, but I do get jazzed with all of the parental units coming into the spaces that I get to call a home-away-from-home.
Even after all these years the rooms are still a work in progress, but I kind of like it that way. You know, my penchant for process and all that.

Over my FIRST cup of coffee there was a great article I read about how beneficial mistakes can be to the process of learning, so you might be interested in it as well.

I mostly say the same things in each class at BTSN, but since I have five times I have to repeat myself in a short period of time I know each class got slightly different information as well. I'll try to keep it brief.


It is important to me that my students are willing and thoughtful. There is no substitute for putting "marks in a page". I need something to go off of to help them.

The students need to own their own learning. I will give vast feedback and help, but I can't read minds, and if they are struggling or frustrated it is best if they find a kind and appropriate way to communicate that with me.

Feedback is important and I expect them to read all of the feedback given and use it/respond to it via making their work stronger. I put a lot of comments into the different items listed in the grade book, so that is a great way to stay current and up to date - if you have that sort of interest even as a parent.

I believe in adjustments and do-overs whenever possible. Which goes along with the above statements.

Growth is what I want to see. After doing this for so many years it is very easy to tell if true and conscientious effort was put forth. It is painfully obvious to me if something was rushed at the last minute, and rushing physical products at the last minute is the best way to ensure less than desirable results.

I expect the students to engage in the curriculum. Sitting idly by - which some are wont to do - is a bad idea and will not only not help them, but it will not get them where they likely want to be. Just being in the room and not disrupting the process isn't enough. Engagement means a lot more to me that just being present. I do not need perfection. I do need thoughtful engagement. I know from experience that if the student is truly trying then decent (if not good - or great) product will result.

The use of tutorial time on a consistent basis will make this class better for everyone involved.

I am also here before and after school and I strongly encourage the students to use the studio during those times as well. Even if they aren't working on Art, but they need a good place to be, I hope they make the studio a home.

Did I mention that tutorial is super important to use yet?


We have been off to a good start, and, as I do each year, I am so excited that I have to reign myself in from trying to do too much too soon. I just love what I teach, so what can I say?!

If you've made it this far, yeah for you. The last thing I would ask (and this is totally optional) is if you have another moment to share a short anecdote about your child, that would be rad.
You can use THIS LINK if you are so inclined.

Thank you again!

Final, Spring 2018

What you need on your desk is a pencil.
I will provide you with a sheet of printer paper - which you may or may not need, a piece of drawing paper, and a pen - which you may or may not need.
If you need color, colored pencils are stored where they have been all year.

Please plug in your headphones after you finish reading this, and listen to the following before beginning to make your drawing.

On Monday we worked at teams. We worked as teams that often don't work together. There is a lot that can come from activities such as the marshmallow challenge, and while it may not seem related to what we have done in the past (or will do today), it certainly is.
The part that I am interested in is how do we communicate, work with limited means, work with a time constraint, and give visual form to a challenge. I wouldn't forget how there were different ideas communicated by each team, or the process of trying different things out though.

As we are at the end of the semester I find it interesting to go back as a lot of what we have done outside of learning and refining some techniques is how to communicate.
Sometimes the ideas just come to us, and sometimes we have to search for them - or steal ideas for a starting point from others.

If we think about this idea of illustration I think of many successive questions.

• what is the topic (which may not be straightforward or obvious...though it might be)
• how do I create a focal point
• given the time and materials, what is the best method to move forward (what I am best at might not be available or doable in the given time period)
• how can I create depth through overlapping and use of space
• can I use abstracted elements to create unity and cohesion 
• does something have to be photographic in representation to make sense

Having said that, I want you to listen to the FOLLOWING PODCAST.
That is step one.
You may end up taking "notes" or jotting down ideas of what you hear or think of. I can see how that might be useful.
Next, you'll make a piece of art that speaks to the content of the podcast. Anyone seeing what you have created and listening to the same podcast should "get it."

That said, anyone seeing what you have created but not listening to the podcast should be able to appreciate the creation as a stand alone piece of visual art.

Do you start with architecture?
Do you begin with a portrait?
Where is the focal point going to go?
What is the context around the focal point?
Do you draw what you know is there only?
Or do you also add elements from your imagination which also makes sense?
Is it all about nature?
Could you get more than one "main thing" in the image?
What works within the given time?
Do you have enough time to focus only on stipple, or is that a fool's game?
What is the best media to use?
What media is the best idea for creating balance?
How long should you spend sketching out in pencil before adding other media and/or shading begins?
Should you begin sketching out in pencil first?
How critical is technique versus concept?

I would say:

• don't spend much time surfing around the web
• just get started
• think about composition
• think about balance and unity
• think about visual space
• don't rush
• show how the processes you have learned about and the feedback you've been given can manifest themselves here

Lastly, know that this is an important process to engage fully in.
Smile.
Have fun!


Oh, one more thing. Once you are finished listening to the above segment, please take your headphones out. No personal music today.

Daily Sketchbook 5/17

Those antlers. Give me a sloth hanging from them somewhere/somehow.
Smile. Enjoy.

Daily Sketchbook 5/15

We will start today's image, and then add to it on Thurs., for now just draw some deer antlers.
You can use the ones below, or find your own, but begin right away.

Don't wait to plug in to your music or spend this time catching up with your peers please. Just begin.
I'm less interested in the texture at the bottom, or any shading, than the overall shape for now. But in truth the shape shouldn't take long, and then you can begin adding values.
Use pencil only for this.

Daily Sketchbook 5/7

Our d.s. today is the scheduled Gallery Walk of I.P. pieces from this semester. Please follow the directions on the board and I will begin passing out the necessary handouts.
The more we work together on this the faster it will go and the more time you will get for your project, so please help police each other and help get everyone on the same page as quickly (and quietly) as possible.
I'll be ready when you are.

As a side note, the 2's def had some issues following the directions on Friday, so hopefully you will be more on top of it today :)

Daily Sketchbook 5/3

Last time you should have gotten a decent start on the egret.
Did you work on it yesterday even though you weren't required to upload any sort of update?
Did you work on i.p. instead?

Today I want you to add some colored pencil to the negative space.

Maybe it is mostly monochromatic and blending in value from light to dark?
Maybe it is proportionally appropriate stripes of contrasting colors adjacent to one another?
Maybe it is a rectangle of color somehow?

Just pick a color or two and go. Don't think too much. Do make it visually interesting.
Remember, this isn't a "finished" piece. We are just experimenting.

Also, remember the expectation is that you are starting within just a few moments of the bell ringing in order to be efficient with your time :)

A3/A4 Due Date Update

Further important reminders for my lovely A3/A4 students...

You need to have all of your independent practice pieces from the entire semester here by the end of this week (ending 5/4). We will be using them for peer feedback soon!

Don't forget your drop dead due date deadline of 5/11. Any past due work, do-overs, adjustments, etc. need to be turned in on or before that date. Of course, the earlier the better.

Your "last" I.P. piece is due on 5/11.
Notice how this date lines up with the drop dead due date deadline...this is the end of turning in anything except for our current project and the daily sketchbook.

Your Process Self Portrait is due on 5/17.
Since this is after the 5/11 drop dead due date deadline (have I repeated this enough for you yet?) you will not be permitted to turn this project in past the due date. You have what you have on the due date, and that is what will be assessed.

The super fun awards lunch is on 5/23. 
I just sent out the date to your parents on 4/30, so gently remind them and ask if they are bringing anything to contribute to the lunch :)

We will be creating an Adobe Spark Page portfolio to address and showcase the work you have been doing, so if you wanted to get started on that, nobody will stop you.

By the 17th you need to have all of the supplies that have been checked out to you for the semester here so that they are prepared to be cleaned (if they aren't already) and turned in.

Daily Sketchbook 5/1

We will begin today with the below image - one random bird from the natgeo instagram page from ages ago.
We will also continue to work on this on Thursday (to get even more practice at building up one image over time) in class, but more directions for that will follow at a later time.

Since we are also at the beginning of May, I want to throw a few more things out there, so please read carefully.

We are all, I'm sure, ready for summer. The truth is that we have many weeks of school left in us. With that said, I want to reiterate that in an ideal world, you are working on independent practice pieces as your daily sketchbook on those days that we don't have class. As I have reminded you many times, this makes this kind of a two-for-the-price-of-one kind of a deal.

However, I will not be requiring you to submit a daily sketchbook for non-class-meeting days for the next few weeks. When we are ready to pick this back up again, I will let you know. The hope is that it gives a wee bit of relief, but the hope is also that you have that daily practice instilled and that you keep drawing/working for a minimum amount of time each day - you just don't need to document/upload for non-class days after today.

We will keep doing the daily sketchbook in class though, so make sure you get started each and every day as soon as you come in the room!
:)

Daily Sketchbook 4/25

Please get out your pen and ink.
If you go back to your backpack image, from Monday (yes, this is the last time we'll address this image) I want you to find a way to draw attention to the backpack, or more ideally, a specific part of the backpack.
This could mean adding detail or shading to a part of the backpack.
Alternatively this could mean adding some sort of "contrary" element to the images (such as a series of straight lines in a defined shape around a particular part).
You could just address the negative space and add too what should already be there.

I'm not sure the best path forward for you but please keep adding to your image until I ask you to stop.

Once we are uploaded here please come close to my desk so that we can look at some examples together.

Very Important Date Announcement

Good afternoon all!
Just like last semester I have to set a "drop dead due date" for all pieces.
As a reminder, this is when all refined, adjusted, do-over, or late pieces must be turned in by in order to be appropriately assessed for the semester.*

The date to mark on your calendars for this semester is Friday, 5/11 

Note that we will still be working on projects beyond this date, and for those projects you must turn in on time. I will delay them as far as I can in the semester, but it will be the end of the semester, so after 5/11 I cannot accept late pieces.
That Friday, 5/11, is a black day. Clearly I do not teach my Art 1 or Art 2 students on that day, so if you are in one of those three classes, please don't let the date slip by you.

As always, if you have questions, please let me know.



*A3/A4 - your daily sketchbooks have been entered for the first two grading periods well before this, so they lie outside of this date (as in, they are said and done already)

Daily Sketchbook 4/2

Good morning!
I'd like to walk backwards a little bit today and look at the week as a whole as we get started.

Friday: mindful moment; wrap up and self assessment of current painting; looking back at what we have created during the month of March (this will require you to have all of your independent practice or self-directed pieces here this week (I would bring them earlier vs later). You'll need to have your sketchbook here on Friday as well.
Remember you should have been doing one or the other during March.
Hopefully we have time to begin towards our next work.

Wednesday: daily sketchbook - this will be our self assessment at the end of the grading period as we typically do; finish and turn in painting

Monday: daily sketchbook of which you have two options today. Option One: continue working on the negative space you began with your blackbird last week. Option Two: get a mirror from the tool cabinet and create a contour line drawing of your face resting on your hand (not a blind contour drawing).
Please spend a min. of 8 min. and a max. of 11 min. on this.
Continue working on your acrylic painting - due Wed.

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.