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Midterm Post!

Midterm?! Didn’t we just start this class like, last week? Man time really does fly when you’re having fun! ;) Now that I’ve taken pictures of my work it’s really cool to see the progress I’ve made over this short amount of time.

One of the first and most important things I’ve learned was when we learned to draw the spine. By intensely focusing on the curvature of the different parts, rather than the spine as one straight vertical line, helps to get the right shape for the rib cage.

It seems like a rather obvious concept, but coming into class I did not consider how the rib cage covers the whole upper part of the body and how far up the upside down “V” shape goes. This makes an enormous difference in the spacing of the rest of the drawing.

A technique this class has helped me develop is holding out a pencil or straight edge and using it to find the angle of any part of the body, really. The twist of the spine, tilt of the pelvis, and curve of the calf are a few that I find myself measuring often.   

Although touching the Maniken clay is not one of my favorite things, it has been very interesting to see them develop. Kind of like how babies muscles form over time. Especially after taking extra time to really look at the book and correct them on my Maniken, it is fun to be able to point them out on the model. To be able to identify the key muscles, even if you can’t see them on the model, and draw them in is a nifty skill!

I really like it when we can watch Professor Fichter draw the model. Just in Friday’s class I realized how helpful it is to view other student’s drawings as well. Often times I am uncertain about what or how I’m drawing and it’s reassuring to see how other artists work or interpret the contour lines. It’s a great way to remind us how we should tilt the different parts of the body in our similar drawings. It also reminded me to make sure to use my whole arm in the process of drawing.

As far as my drawing skills, I’ve noticed that although not perfect, I have gotten a lot better at getting a line right the first time. Subconsciously I am becoming able to analyze the figure more quickly to produce a more accurate sketch. Before coming into this class I didn’t realize how much more motion you have if you stand at the easel.

What we have been learning so far is great! I have heard from a few sources that we may draw a self portrait, which would be challenging yet cool. One of my personal goals is to be able to draw a person and have it actually look like who I am drawing. I’m sure that will come with time.

My last post here describes a lot of my pictures, but just to make sure I’ll write a little about the ones uploaded to my Flickr. The reason why I included “Drawing 1,” one of my first pages of 30 second gesture drawings of rib cages, is because it was such a significant foundation. I feel like Professor Fichter really knows what she’s doing in terms of teaching us what order we should add body parts.

In “Drawing 4” I like the feeling of depth with contour lines, even if mine is a big boxy. I find contour lines to be very interesting.  With “Drawing 5” I like the shape of the thighs. Even though I didn’t have time to go back and fully correct the turned ribcage.

“Drawing 6” was a longer drawing and I feel like I got a lot closer to the right shape of the ribs. Also, my proportion to the pelvis was pretty close!

I was really happy in “Drawing 8” when Professor Fichter said I almost had the exact angle of the hips. I just have to remember to also tilt the glutes that much! It also made me glad that I had the right idea for the shape of the legs.

“Drawing 9” comes from gesture drawings including the whole leg. Although I should not have included all lines of the leg in all of them, I learned from that and didn’t in the rest. I was happy with the general shape I had going for these.

This picture (also "Drawing 10") is from my last in class 45 minute drawing focusing on the legs. Adding contour lines gave it more volume.

I have really enjoyed Life Drawing so far and am excited to see what we do next!

Midterm Catch Up

This is my catch up blog to make sure I’ve covered everything I was supposed to.  First off, I thought it was funny I have a page of spines. I guess it’s still art; the beginning stages of learning. Haha.

Here I have some rib cages added onto spines. Lovely little petal-like figures:

At this time, I was having major difficulties getting the length of the torso right. As you can see, it’s super long. Oops. Plus we weren’t including heads (we never have) so I’m not sure why I drew one…? Hmm.

Side note: I really wish I would have written the date on each of these drawings the day I did them. Just to see the progress from specific days. Oh well. Live & learn. I’ve started dating them since. (They’re quite the gentlemen ;) daha)

Here I began to figure out that the rib cage can have a tilt to it! Before then, I had trouble understanding the tilt of it.

Contour lines! Looking at this piece now, it looks like a robo-person. (Everything in life reminds me of a song.. it’s kinda weird. Kanye’s Robo Cop, anyone? Hip hop/ rap = more up my alley) But contour lines… They show change of plane easily and I like that I can get that feeling out of my drawing. I really like an example Professor Fichter showed us of a wooly mammoth. Or was it an ox? Or a bull? Are ox & bull the same thing? Well whatever it was a beastly creature of some sort that was really cool. I would like to find that image again just to look at it.

Looks like we’ve got ourselves a rib cage here. I think this was on the male model. I am learning so much about my own body in this class and it is really cool. Like okay, this might sound really dumb, but I never really thought about how your rib cage is the ENTIRE part of your upper body. I mean, duh, I have always known where it is. Also how it separates way up high by your breast bone. Starting out in this class I never drew it that high.

This was last class (Wednesday, March 2) the female model. I accidentally made her look like a little chunker, but really she is not. She is very thin.

I think this was a minute gesture drawing also on Wednesday. The rib cage looks chaotic so just pretend it’s the bottom line of that and  the top line is a little closer to it, making it more eggy. And the farther away leg is abnormally long, but I got pretty close with the pelvis distance and I was happy with the shape of her thighs. I’m not really sure why because now analyzing it more I realize to anyone else, it really is not that good of a piece. But it’s good for me and that’s what counts.

Model got attitude in this one! Ok I don’t know if you can really see it in this, but you see in orange where Professor Fichter corrected where my leg should go in orange… I HAD it exactly like that!! Then I heard her correct a part on someone else’s so I quick tried to correct it on mine, but turns out I was right the first time! It made me really happy. I would like to go back and correct it more, but no time for that. This pose reminds me of a Greek statue pose and I like it.

Well, that’s 300- oh wait I went over the word amount. Uhh well, at least I have enough. Lo siento.

Dobby & Oliver

Dobby & Ollie... Secret twins? Hmmm.

Skeleton, you are my friend ;)

“Draw what you see” sounds like such a simple concept.  Until you stare at it for a while and then reeeeally look at it.  Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) with gesture drawings, we don’t have a lot of time to observe each and every curve and angle of the bones and muscles of the model.  Around the time I took drawing one I realized I’m not the best at proportions.  I’ve been hoping and waiting for drawing to just sort of… click, but so far it hasn’t & I’m not sure if it ever will. 

Just now I wondered if creativity stems from the subconscious.  Like dreams or thoughts from your “sleeping” brain.  Here come some AP Psych terms from high school trickling into my brain.  What a great class.

I feel really behind in art in general & I often times find myself wondering about other artists processes.  Maybe if I read some more of other student’s blogs I will find an answer.  Supplies is becoming so expensive now a days, but I would really just like someone to tell me what supplies to get to make some masterpiece.

While blogging I often get side tracked by grammar.  My grandma, mom, & sisters are seriously like professional when it comes to spelling/grammar/correctness so I try to imitate their skills.  It’s amazing what elementary mistakes we, as college kids, make.  I’m not by any means saying I have perfect English.  I’m decent, but still working on it!  Haha.

So I need to turn in my portfolio tomorrow to hopefully get accepted into the art program.  That’s what I’ve been working on all afternoon.  O yea… then I came to write my essay on here & got distracted by this blogging so I’ll have to get back to that soon.

This week I’ve set goals for myself; the first one to be on time to class every day.  Monday morning (the 1^st opportunity at this goal) & what happens… late. UGH.  I was really mad at myself because my mom even called me this morning to get me up.  I don’t know what the heck happens, but when I wake up I’m really confused & don’t think it’s time for school yet.  Which leads me to my other goal that will HOPEFULLY help with this: get to bed earlier!  I like to get up early & workout.  Last year I got super good at that & dang… looking at a picture I have hanging up by my desk here from last year… I was in a lot better shape. : (  It bums me out MAJOR.  I partly blame an art major.  Hahaha but for real.  Not even kidding all my friends have a lot more spare time for working out & such.  When I think to switching back to retail or something though, it just doesn’t feel right.  I feel like Graphic or Multimedia type of Design is what I should be doing.
Shoot I don’t have a pic of Oliver yet because I’m taking those tomorrow when he can have the black sheet behind him.  Too bad I can’t make a toga for him out of a little sheet.  He does look slightly Greek, maybe.  Wait, that makes no sense.  Sometimes I wonder if I should go back & read/ edit/ delete out a bunch of stuff when I type up a blog, but then in my head I’m just like.. whatever. I don’t have time for that.  The only people reading this are the ones required to (bahaha sorry you have to put up with this guys!)  Or else… well I guess there probably isn’t an or else.  So that’s that.

P.s. 2 more things real quick.  First, I’m really nervous about having good enough sketches for the Life Drawing Mid Term. YIKES!!!!!  I’m going to actually go look through my Biggie Sketch Pad right nah!  Did I ever say that I also want to be a DJ?  I want to find a good computer program, preferably free to use.  Not garage band or some crap program on this hp.  I can NOT WAIT to get a Mac.  Mac’s have my heart.  But I do kinda like my hp just because it’s been, for the most, part faithful to me. : )

& Second, can I also say that every time I pull Oliver out, I ALWAYS think of the song “Skeleton” by Kate Nash and it gets stuck in my head until I listen to another song.  All of her lyrics are a bit... odd?  But then again, aren't we all so who am I to judge?  I have to admit, I can’t stand the last like, 2 minutes of it, though.  Straight up obnoxious.

Dandy Mug

This is my "dandy mug" I mentioned in one of my first posts. :)

Every Child is an Artist

Ahh I know I need to blog more often!  So much going on it often slips my mind.  I'll work on it.  Well, we've put a lot of muscles on our Skeletons!  Mine is named Oliver because he was wearing a name tag when I adopted him for the semester.  I'm going to upload a picture of him cuz he's pretty cool.  Tomorrow I will have a photo shoot with him. :)
Now when we do our gesture drawings we draw the spine/ front line, the egg shaped rib cage, hips, and thighs.  Then if we have time we can add in muscles like in the abs and legs.  It's really interesting to think about the muscles that we often take for granted and overlook.  The human body really is fascinating.