Christmas Time/ Merry Christmas!

So we're out on Christmas break, and we've just touched upon color.  If you have colored pencils or crayons or chalk pastels feel free to use them in your sketchbook (however, chalk pastels tend to smear easily, so unless you have spray fixative I'd suggest not using them).
Each week I'd still like you to do a self portrait.  I'd also like you to focus on more than just the head and face.  Also include the neck, shoulders, and anything else that fits onto your paper.  Your body should be continued until it goes off the page.  Include whatever you're wearing.
I addition to your self portrait, draw an interesting Christmas object.  They tend to be frilly, colorful and sparkly; just perfect for presenting a challenge.  Draw them using any color medium you can find, and don't be satisfied with the color straight from a single stick.  Find a way to mix color!  Good luck!

Week 8 Homework

This week is basically the same as last week's homework, but now that you have the value scales under your belt, both exercises should be a bit more familiar.  Remember that drawing in full value means that it isn't about line anymore (even though you are still using line).  Instead, you are looking at the lights and darks and simply filling in shapes.  Don't forget that the negative space has a value to it as well.  If something is lit up by a light source, then the background is guaranteed to be much darker than the paper!  When you fill in an area with value, do it carefully, and not sloppily.  Make your drawings beautifully crafted . . .

Self-Portraits: draw near a strong light source ( a lamp or a window) OR you can take a picture of yourself in strong light and draw from the picture.  Using photography is okay this week!  :-)

Still-life: you are to choose an interesting object (different than the one from last week), put it near a strong light source, and make an observational drawing of that object.  Make it at least life sized and fill your paper.

Week 7 Homework: Value

Part 1
Choose an interesting object and make a full value drawing of it in pencil.  Value basically means light and shadow.  Place the interesting object that you chose next to a strong light source (a lamp), so there are strong lights and strong darks.  Shade the object and the background so that you can tell the direction that the light is coming from. The lightest areas should be the white of your paper, and the darkest areas should be as dark as you can get with your pencil, with a nice range of grays as well.

Part 2
Make a self portrait in full value.  This means you should set up a strong light source near your mirror (or move the mirror to a light source) and draw yourself as the lights and shadows fall across you.  Make sure the background is also shaded in!

Homework for Week 6

So I forgot to post the homework for this week.  Sorry about that . . .
This week I introduced the concept of cross-contour line drawing. If you'll recall, contour line drawing refers to drawing though outline, and cross-contour refers to making lines that go across the face of the planes that the contours outline.  Cross-contour uses line to describe volume (not just shape) and shading.
You are to make your self portrait for this week using cross-contour line drawing.  Do your best to describe both volume and light and shadow using line.  Good luck!

Week 5 Homework

Self Portrait
So up until now we've been concentrating on to do the job of making the drawing.  This week I want you to address Light and Shadow.  Set yourself up looking at a mirror just like before, but now I want you make sure a light source--like a lamp or a window--is nearby to create areas of shadow and areas of light.  Using pencil, shade in the shadows and the negative space, and leave the illuminated areas the white (or near white) of the paper.

Object in Perspective
You are to choose a rectilinear object in your house (or one with lots of vertical and horizontal lines) and draw it in linear perspective.  Choose where your eye level is, decide where the vanishing points would lie, and draw that object in two point perspective with as much detail as possible.  If it helps, use a straight edge and make sure your verticals stay vertical!  Fill a page in your sketchbook with this drawing.

Week 4 Homework

Self Portrait
You are to make a self portrait from a mirror, and pay particular attention to the typical proportions of the face.  No matter who you are or what you look like, from the front--head on--your eyes are half way between the top of your head and the bottom of your chin.  Your head is 5 eyes wide from the front (but once your head turns, it's not anymore), and there's an eye width between your eyes.  Also remember how your ears are the same length as your nose.

So certainly draw what you see, but know that what you see WILL follow these rules.

Invented Birdhouse
You are also to design a birdhouse and draw it in linear perspective.  Choose one or two point perspective (remember vanishing points, eye levels, and straight lines), and draw your birdhouse as well as you can using perspective.  It must look as if it's possible to actually build!  Good luck.

Week 3 Homework

Sorry for waiting this long to post it!  

Week 3 Homework

Self Portrait

Be sure to make it as observational as possible!

Space

You are to make two pictures using as many strategies for creating space as possible.  You may use any imagery you’d like to use, but be sure to make the picture about the space in it and not the narrative of the objects.

Some of the strategies include overlapping, transparency, diminution of size/scale, aerial perspective/texture, linear perspective, dimension/cast shadows, etc.  Good luck!