Thoughts About Your Thoughts

After reviewing and discussing some of my thought process/thumbnails yesterday in class I was really happy to see some of you going through - and appreciating - the paintings that students have done in the past.
That's rad. I'm happy some of those are appealing.

So I have a few additional thoughts.

First, remember that you can do a "collage" - be it old school cutting and pasting photos together or new school digital style in photoshop or procreate. I'm happy either way.

Second, not everything has to be "deeply personal".
Yes, you need to address the topic (memory), and be able to back up your decisions. I would go a step further and say that your focal point needs to be what addresses the theme.
However, sometimes you need seemingly random items that help balance and unify your painting. You could even use those seemingly random items to help create a series if you have used certain subjects often in the past (as I have with sloths or donuts, for example).

Next, really (really!) think about composition.
It can be silly and fun and all sorts of other things in terms of the content, but as you are creating your own composition, think about focal point and rule of thirds and depth and overlapping and having variety of sizes and...all that stuff we have been trying to give you practice with since the tempera painting first semester of Art 1.

Subsequently, yes, you should be considering value, texture, etc. Those are all part of the Elements of Art and Principles of Design that you should be more than just intuitively aware of.

Finally, have fun!
There does need to be a personal connection with this, and you need to be able to verbally articulate your decisions and why you have made those decisions. "Because I like..." is NOT going to be a good way to start any of your explanations, so be aware of that.
With that said, though, you can still have fun, so let yourself enjoy the process!

Art 4 Daily Drawing for 3/24

Art is work, but art should also be fun. I'm ok with you stuggling from time to time, but especially in your sketchbook you should feel the freedom to play.
I love this guy's (Scott C.) work because it is playful and so different than how I typically work. I don't know if you have noticed that I have a book of his work in the classroom, but I would prod you to look through it just because it is fun.

At any rate, I know you know I am really really trying to get you to build a habit of daily work in your sketchbook/life, and to see that little bits of time can be piled up to add up to something much more significant over a period of days.
You don't need to spend hours the night before something is due in order to get all of that work done.

Since I only see you in class twice this week we are going to take both days and work on the same page so that I can see how the image develops.

Today's directions: take one of the below images and draw it out with pencil lines only. No shading, no color, only pencil lines/shapes.

It doesn't matter which image and it shouldn't take you all of the allotted 15 minutes, but begin asap.

Remember, pencil lines only for today. Have fun.

Art 4 Daily Drawing for 3/20

You now know about Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, so below you will find a woodcut he did of fellow artist Jean Arp.

Grab a sharpie and recreate the below image in your sketchbook - without drawing it out in pencil first.

Art 4 Daily Drawing for 3/18

Sketchnoting. Maybe you have heard of it, maybe not. It can be a really interesting thing to do in terms of taking "notes" of a lecture/talk/presentation.
Since all of you draw well, it could be a really useful tool to have in your bag of tricks as you move forward in your education/life, too.

There are plenty of studies out there that give evidence of drawing/writing creating a deeper connection with material - which bodes well for learning and execution both in and out of any classroom/meeting you may be a part of.

If you want to learn more about this process there are a couple of good links to check out some time both HERE and HERE.

For today, though, I just want you to copy the below photo in your sketchbook as thoroughly and accurately as possible.

 

If you don't recognize the names/ideas/words from above, it would be interesting for you to explore those on your own time as well. For real.

Just as a point of reference, the above image came from Doug Neill at www.graphicrecorder.com 

 

Art 4 Daily Drawing for 3/16

Being thoughtful/mindful of your surroundings is always important, or as I have said many times:

Awareness comes in many forms but here is how I want you to apply it for your daily drawing today:

• think of an "everyday" object in your house (something that you see and/or use all the time without even considering it)
• this should be something that is "always there" but not something such as your smartphone or laptop
• it could be the funky kitchen timer you always use for making cookies or the rooster lamp your grandmother gave your dad or the alarm clock you got when you were nine and still sometimes use
• close your eyes and picture it in your head - think about it from all sides
• in the middle-ish of your page in pencil only, with your eyes still closed, begin to describe the object using words only
• is is curvy, sharp, metal, cold, shiny, rough, what kind of rough, tall, made of wood, does it have slits or holes...etc, etc
• spend no more than five minutes writing with your eyes closed
• once you have described it with as much language as possible, open your eyes and begin to draw your object in pencil only
• draw it as accurately as possible in proportion/line/shading as possible in the remaining ten minutes (or so)
 

 

Art 4 Daily Drawing for 3/12

Last time you got out your pen and ink and did some drawing, so I want us to continue in that vein today.
Here are your directions: get out your sketchbook, bottle of ink, medium or large watercolor brush and some paper towels.

Use this link and choose one of the first black and white ink/brush "drawings" of Raymond Pettibon to duplicate on the next available page in your sketchbook.

I will be looking at how much and how accurate your image is. DO NOT DRAW IN PENCIL before beginning with your brush work.

Art 4 Daily Drawing for 3/10

How long has it been since you busted out your pen & ink?
Probably longer than you would like to admit. So...that's what we're using today.

Supplies:
Large Pen, ink bottle, paper towel, mirror

Directions:

• read all of the directions before beginning
• Draw on the page you did last Wed. and Fri. (with the stream of conscious writing and the teardrop pattern)
• position your mirror so that you are in the center of the field of view
• begin by drawing the outer contour of your head (head, shoulders, etc)
• do not make your self so large there is no room for any negative space
• do not draw your face or any detail in your head
• only draw the negative space that you see in the mirror
• only draw directly with the pen (do not sketch in pencil first)
• draw as informatively and neatly as possible
• set your timer and draw for only 11 minutes (it only takes 2 min tops to get your materials and get set up) so that you can be totally finished and uploaded before 15 minutes of class has expired

Go!

Art 4 Daily Drawing for 3/6

Last time you did some stream of conscious writing regarding balance. Today I want you to use the below image to create a pattern on top of the writing you did last time.
You may use watercolor or colored pencil but this image is to be layered on top of your text.
Note: the teardrop shape on the right is just a detail of the full piece on the left.

Art 4 Daily Drawing for 3/4 (Creating Balance Writing Exercise)

In life we all strive for balance. Sometimes this is super easy, but more often than not it proves difficult.
I mean, physically there is this:

Cool I know.

But physically creating balance is only one way to approach the idea of creating balance.

Read the below questions, close your phone and then do some stream of conscious writing on a blank page of your sketchbook.

Don't think about what is "right" or "wrong", just write. Get as much written as possible until I tell you to stop. Please also cease your conversations because we all know that if your are super focused on letting the words flow you can't carry on a conversation at the same time.

What are some of the most important things in your life?

How do you engage with one or more of these things?

How would you ideally engage with one or more of these things if nothing else "got in the way"?

What are some of the "have to do" things in your life you feel consistently obligated to engage in?

How do you engage in these things?

Do you feel you do these things well?

Do you feel you do these things efficiently?

Art 4 Daily Drawing for 3/2 - Blackout Version

Austin Kleon is a favorite. Much about the career he has constructed for himself is crazy great, and he is someone I suggest you investigate/look up at some point.

He first became "known" online for creating what he has termed "Newspaper Blackouts"

I want you to watch the following video (volume not necessary) and use the provided magazine pages to create your own.
(If the video doesn't play, try clicking on THIS LINK)

When you are finished you should use rubber  cement or glue stick or scotch tape to attach your blackout poem to the next available page in your sketchbook.

As an added bonus, I will call on a few of you to read yours aloud to the class!

You are being timed...Go!

Art 4 Daily Drawing for 2/5

Last time you drew one of the two pictures in THIS POST from 2/3. You should have been focused on getting an accurate image and one with clean lines without getting to any (or maybe very little) shading.

This time I want you to take the OTHER photo and incorporate the head/face of that person as an addition to the head/face of the drawing you did on Tuesday.

Please use pencil again, and focus on accuracy of proportion, line, shape, etc. before beginning shading.
Yes, it will look strange. That's the point - to get you to expand what you think of as a portrait.

If you have time to begin shading, perfect, but approach that slowly - as you would a more finished piece.

Art 4 Daily Drawing for 2/3

Below you will find two photographs by the amazing Irving Penn. If you don't know his work - well, you probably do but don't realize it - you should look it up with the above link.

I want you to choose one of the photographs and begin to reproduce it as accurately as possible in pencil only.
At first focus on line. Don't worry about shading until you have your lines/shapes finished. We will be spending more than one day on this drawing so don't try to rush through and "finish" in one 15 minute session.

 

Just think about the figure in this exercise. I don't care so much about the background, and intentionally picked images with, basically, nothing there. Cheers.

 

Art 4 Daily Drawing for 1/22

Use watercolors (mix at least 2-3 colors together for each mixture) to fill in all remaining negative space from your hands drawings from Tuesday's class.
Please make sure that your value is lighter than a medium gray value.

Art 4 Daily Drawing for 1/20

For your daily sketchbook drawing today I want you to focus on hands.
We ended the semester with this topic and I want to revisit it so that you will be drawing something from live observation.

Here are the requirements:

• fill a double page spread
• use only ball point pen
• hands must be at least life size (if not bigger)
• you must represent at least six hands
• only one may be yours
• only one may come from each person - meaning you need to move around the room a bit
• you have 15 minutes and then you need to get started on your project
• these should be contour drawings - meaning do not lift your pen during each drawing
• hands must overlap at times
• must spend at least 2 min on each hand but decide as a pair when you are finished
• may not "trace" hands on paper
•  
•  

Art 4 daily drawing for 1/13/15

Dear Quatre's

Looking for that daily image. Here you go.
Draw the three guys on the right (the ones you see all of the faces).
Do not include any building or anything in the background.
Do include the items the gentlemen are leaning against.
Draw only in pencil but with no shading.
Draw lightly please.
Draw as big on the page as possible while including everything required.
Orient your sketchbook horizontally.
Since you will be looking at this on a phone or an ipad, set your timer for 15 minutes.
At the end of 15 minutes please close your book and get out your materials for the current project.

National Portfolio Day Info

It is that time of year again, time for the announcements for National Portfolio Day to begin coming in.
Often I forget to remind everyone, but not this year! Yay for you.

That's the mailing I just received - which is also posted in the classroom. If you click on that image or HERE, you will be able to go to their site.

While they don't have the time listed, they do have the date set (Jan. 17th, 2015) at San Francisco Art Institute.

This is a great time for Juniors to take in some work and get feedback from a bunch of different art schools pertaining to what they like and what they think you might want to work on. If you are a senior it can still be helpful, but by that time you should basically have most of your work completed.

If you have questions please let me know.

Did Someone Say Mural?

Well, it happened today. Paint got on the wall that is.
What a day to begin, too, what with the heat and all. I know one thing, I am exhausted.

If you come by the school you will see a very loud and crazy "painting" so far. Trust me, it's a long way from being finished.
Remember, it is a work in progress.

If you want to follow along on the interwebs in places other than just here, look for tags such as #lghsart and #studio502

 

Having said all of that, the above pic was taken today. Just a very small peek into what happened.

Oh, and the raffle winners have been drawn.

Congratulations to: Sharon Pratt, Hans Candries, and Lucy Kain.

They will get their custom paintings within the next couple of months. More on that to come.

What, the LG Museum announcement already?! Whoa!

Welcome back and all that jazz.
I just received an email from the Museums of Los Gatos referencing the high school exhibition they will hold in the spring.

Art 4's, you will be required to make a piece for this exhibition. While I will try to spend some time brainstorming with you in class, the sooner you can start thinking about it, the better.

Here is what I know so far:

That is the theme. Bridges: facing challenges. I can think of a lot of options and possibilities so far so I hope you can too. There is more information here, so please check it out.

Even More Extra Credit

Tomorrow, 4/24, is the reception for the county wide exhibition that Sofia Kuta and Franny Lin had work accepted into. The reception lasts from 6-8, with awards at 7.

I would like to encourage you to attend the show not only to see their work, but to see the work made by other local high school students. I have yet to see the show and am looking forward to it.

The show is up until May 11 and if you take a selfie in front of either Franny or Sofia's art while it is on display and email it to me I will give you some extra credit for attending.
Ideally you would go tomorrow, but any day between now and the 11th with work.

Additionally, don't forget that there is a call for student art for a smaller show at the museum which closes on April 30th - next week.
If you copy me on the email you need to send the museum I will get you points for that as well - regardless of if they choose your piece or not.

There is a lot of good work from this year that you should be proud to show so do it! Now!
Or now!

If you need help getting a decent pic of your work, let me know.

Cheers.

Finals Finale

Here are the things you need to know, broken down by level of art, for finals next week:

Art 1
You need to make sure you have your watercolor technique sheet finished and ready to turn in on Monday.  I will give you some class time to work on it, but not a ton of time. Just fyi.
On Monday you need to have a horizontal, color, landscape photo that DOES NOT contain a silhouette.
You need to have your sketchbook with you in class.

Art 2
You need to have your re-do study drawing.
You need to have your original, crappy, study drawing.
You need to have your sketchbook.

Art 3
You need to have your re-do study drawing.
You need to have your original, crappy, study drawing.
You need to have your sketchbook.
You will be turning in your group art advertising poster.*

*note, Art 3's can turn in their study drawing or their poster on Monday and the other on Wed

Art 4
You need to have your sketchbook.
I would also like for you to bring your Art 1 sketchbook in to class as well.

Note: I will possibly be updating this as I get my memory more solidified. Check back more than once to see if anything has changed. I will have this completely updated by Monday night.

If your name is EVB, Saoirse, Mara, Bronte, Carolina, Aaron, Mary, Justine, Will, or Mady I have it in my records that you owe me something - probably money and/or supplies. You need to see me about this asap.

Also, don't forget to visit Studio 502 on Society6 if you need some cards or other holiday gifts.