Daily Sketchbook 2/14

A day devoted to study drawings (which are due the day we come back from break) is upon us. Please use your time wisely and be productive.

Daily Sketchbook 11/22

Please work on - or continue working on - one of your finished study drawings.
This lets me see your process and makes me happy.
Photograph with the ipad and upload as soon as your time is up.

Daily Sketchbook 11/9

AOTM AOTM AOTM!!!

Come gather round with sketchbook and pencil and learn that knowledge about this guy.

Daily Sketchbook 10/24

Please work on - or continue working on - one of your finished study drawings.
This lets me see your process and makes me happy.
Photograph with the ipad and upload as soon as your time is up.

Daily Sketchbook 9/27

Please work on - or continue working on - one of your finished study drawings.
This lets me see your process and makes me happy.
Photograph with the ipad and upload as soon as your time is up.

Daily Sketchbook 9/21

Today is a day for you to get some time on a finished study drawing. If you haven't started yet, please get there.
Please only spend 15 min (max) on your "daily sketchbook, and be sure to upload your image to Canvas.
We - meaning you, really - will be doing the same thing on the 27th, so come prepared.

Remember, you need three study drawings from your list of topics to turn in in a portfolio page on the 29th!

Daily Sketchbook 4/27

Today you can use your in-class daily sketchbook time to work on a study drawing that you will turn in on Friday - which is when your monthly study drawing due date is. Only take 15 min for this and then move on to your project please.
And don't forget that your study drawings are due at the beginning of class on Friday.

Cheers.

Art 4 Daily Drawing for the week of 2/9

What does 45 mins of solid drawing look like?
At this point in your studies it should be pretty significant. You should be able to get a lot of high quality work done as you have a lot of practice under your belt.

This week you will work on the same image for the first 15 minutes of class all three times I see you. My expectations are that the drawing not only be accurate in proportion but also in things such as value and texture.

Begin with the children and what they are holding/using, and work from there. The points for these three days will be based off the progress and product both.

Art 4 Daily Drawing for 1/26

There is a lot that can be done in terms of thinking about your work, and how you approach it.
One of the examples I always use in class has to do with water. I use this as it is a very important to me personally but also because it is easy to illustrate.

For example, let's make a list: a shower, a rain shower, a puddle, a puddle with a reflection, a puddle with a green stem sprouting up from it, a creek, a creek in the mountains, a creek with an abandoned tire sticking halfway out of it, a small pond/lake with a kid on a tire swing above it (see the connection between these last two?), a rain boot stuck in a mud puddle, a swimming pool, a swimming pool with someone jumping in it so it makes a splash, a small kiddie pool with a water ring in it, a small kiddie pool floating in a larger pool with an inflatable toy in it, a life raft in the middle of the ocean, a waterfall, a waterfall splashing on rocks, a series of three waterfalls (odd numbers are always good), a goose reflected in a lake, the Mississippi river with a paddle boat on it, Huck Finn on a raft, the ocean breaking on the beach, the ocean washing up some sort of treasure, the ocean washing away a heart - or other message - that has been drawn into the sand on the beach, a rubber ducky floating in a sink of water, a kid in the bathtub playing with toys, just the toys and little bits of water left over from a kid's bath, lily pads floating on water, and on and on and on

Those were just off the top of my head over the last two minutes (yes, I timed myself). Some came from the idea before, some came just from thinking of my own experiences such as backpacking in the Sierra's and giving children baths.

Sometimes when thinking about a project or study drawings I feel like it is best to just begin by brainstorming, and that doesn't even have to be drawing per se.
When I look at your list and think of "an antique", this is exactly what I would do, make a list.
Next I would think about context and maybe even make a list of where that subject might be.
Later I would look for pictures - after I have a lot of options.

I want your "drawing" for today to be a times writing exercise.

Take "an antique", "under wraps", and "a machine" and set your timer for five minutes. For each of these topics I want you to make a list of as many things as you can think of for each of them. If it's me I'm just going to make a list as I did above - which to be true is sort of difficult to read, or make a bullet pointed list or write sentences out for each idea.

Just don't stop writing for each topic until your timer goes off. Five minutes for each. If you can fill a double page spread with so many ideas for these three prompts that is a good start.
No, that doesn't mean write large, just as many things as you can think of.

One big requirement...make this list in PENCIL ONLY.

Some of your topics will be more complex and less obvious than these, but we'll deal with those later.

On your mark, get set, go!

Art 4 Daily Drawing for 1/15

Last time you should have drawn the below photo in pencil with no shading.







For today's drawing I want you to pull out a pen and begin shading the faces. It doesn't matter which one you start with, but I want you get as much done as you can in the given 15 minutes. I will be looking for quantity in addition to quality.

Don't worry about it looking "perfect" since that isn't enough time to finish something, but you have the skills to make it look good, I know you do.

Why this, well, I want you to get practice knowing that you can re-visit ideas/drawings in your sketchbook and add to them. A lot of little increments added up makes for a big final product at some point.

Set your 15 timer and get to it!

Cat's Corner T-Shirt Contest

CATS CORNER T-SHIRT DESIGN CONTEST
Do you want to see the entire student body wearing your design? Designs for next years Cats Corner T-shirt are due may 9th in L5.  There will be an all school vote to choose the design on may 15th in L5 during tutorial!! Come and place your vote for next years t-shirt!

See me about how we can incorporate this as part of your assignment/study drawings.
Would love to see one of you have your design chosen.

Art 2 + Update (the ec is for all adv art students)

Yeah, I know, the end of the semester is approaching way faster than any of us would like.
Well, I want another break, but I feel the pressure of finishing the semester strong and continuing to get a lot of stuff done.

So here is what you, Art 2's, need to know for the remainder of the semester.
First, keep checking the calendar to keep up with the due dates.

We will work on our advertising project for a few class periods, and you have until Tuesday, Dec. 10th to finish it. That is 4.5 hours of class time - give or take.

You must:

• make it visually appealing
• include hand-drawn typography
• encourage students to take art - or at the very least, pique their interest
• use different parts of ads/ad styles from your assigned decade for inspiration
• have thumbnail sketches in your sketchbook
• print out some inspirational pieces and tape them into your sketchbook

Know that I will be looking at your sketchbooks as you work and I will be looking at them for a grade on Friday of this week.

Extra Credit for this semester will be due before you leave class on Monday, 12/16.
You have two options for this extra credit.

• take a study drawing you have completed this semester and have a do-over;
• meaning, think about what didn't work; how can you make it better; was it the idea you liked, but the execution suffered; was it just straight up rushed; etc.
• you must include the original study drawing as well as the new one, side by side
• take one of the ideas from the back of your study drawing sheet (section 5) that we haven't gotten to yet, do one of those topics.

I will say this though: they need to be awesome. For real.

If I am giving you extra credit I expect you to really go above and beyond. Wow me. Turning in your average pencil line drawing isn't going to cut it. If you turn something in I will give you extra credit, but I will give you more extra credit the more fantastic it is.

Also know that you may get class time to work on this, but don't count on it. We still have other things to cover that are not yet on the calendar so you will probably need to count on doing the extra credit outside of class.

Money + Monte Cristo

As I've stated in class, there is the opportunity for you to design the image for the fall play that LGHS will perform.
The play will be The Count of Monte Cristo, and below is the info you need to know.

Author: Alexandre Dumas
Adapted by: Charles Morey

Here is the image that Mrs. Martyn has found for you to use as inspiration.

Notice that the image of the buoy in the middle in the page is what your illustration should be similar to. It will obviously be a different image, but the "simplified" use of shape, line, value, and color are what she is interested in.
Take your ideas from the content of the play itself and remember to not over complicate this.

You can do the text, too, but that can also be done on the computer.
In terms of text, it should/will say:

Coming Soon
Los Gatos High School 2013
(these top two lines above the image area (in the above example, this is the text above the black rectangle)
Alexandre Dumas'
Count of Monte Cristo
(these two lines within the "black rectangle" but above the image itself)

You do not have to include a black background as that should be determined by the way you illustrate your design.

Here is a synopsis of the book/play:
"Betrayal, obsession, and redemption provide the backdrop for this compelling adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' classic novel. While unjustly imprisoned, Edmond Dantes befriends a neighboring inmate who bequeaths him an enormous treasure. Dantes eventually escapes and returns to society disguised as the Count of Monte Cristo with plans to enact his revenge on those who betrayed him.  But as Dantes becomes increasingly consumed with his quest for vengeance, he finds himself losing his humanity and any hope of reconciling with the love of his life.

If you have any questions you can as Mrs. Martyn or myself.
I need to know by spring break if you are planning on creating an image in the above style for this.

You can, remember, benefit in two ways: first, you can get $60 from her if your design is chosen; second, you can use this image as one of your study drawings for me.
The image will be due around the first week of May.

Art 2, Round 2

Art 2's, the next round of Study Drawings, due on Wed, Sept. 26th have the following topics:

A tree(s)
A self-portrait
Adventure

Have fun. Be awesome.

Study Drawings

Art 2's, I have decided to postpone the turning in of your next set of study drawings until after spring break. I have some other things I'd like for us - meaning, you - to focus on between now and then.
Enjoy the respite.
Of course, that doesn't mean you can't get started now. If you do you'll just have that much of a head start for the next time they are due.
Word.

Art 2

Forgot to tell you all, with your 3 study drawings that are due next week, one MUST  be done in pen & ink.
Thanks for playing.
Smile.