Students projects

SPRING 2008 MULTIMEDIA PRESENTATIONS CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SLIDESHOW browse slides by clicking on the image or navigation button at the bottom of the page

SKETCHBOOK ETHICS

1. Never go anywhere without a sketchbook
2. Work in your sketchbook daily
3. Use your sketchbook like a diary for remembering places you have been with sketches, cutting and pasting and writing
4. Related artwork found in magazines, newspapers, flyers should be pasted in your sketchbook with your comments
5. Review museum shows, art-related TV programs, notes on art books and magazines you have skimmed
6. Copy master drawings
7. Thumbnail sketches as preliminary drawings of class and homework assignments
8. Use your sketchbook to explore different media
9. Practice sketching spaces & people as they move or sit around
10. Drawings need not be “finished.” You need quantity of works and quality of observations in your sketchbook
11. Surprise yourself with your new perception
12. Carry your sketchbook with you at all times and to each drawing class
13. You may use the sketchbook for some homeworks and assignments.
14. If you are brave, exchange the sketchbook with another student.
15. Enjoy your new habit !

Sketching technique hints

Hold the pencil lightly.
* Straight lines can be drawn easily and quickly.
* Use an arm movement for long straight lines, not just a wrist movement.
* Use one continuous motion or a series of overlapping strokes.
* The pencil should be aimed by fixing your eye on the second point, and drawing the pencil towards it.
* Diagonal lines or incline lines can be drawn by using the same techniques as the straight line, however turn the paper so that the line appears to be horizontal.

Basic PENCIL Techniques
Always draw out 'light', start with an HB pencil to draw out the initial, very light outlines. Use minimal pressure and make your lines just heavy enough so that you can see them - that way if you make a mistake or have to adjust something - you can, without leaving deep indentations in your paper.
Wherever possible avoid 'outlining' the various parts of your drawing with hard drawn edges (unless of course they actually are hard edges!). Once you have roughed out your drawing and you are starting to fill in the details, erase your initial lightly drawn outlines (or leave them if they are "invisible").

Always avoid resting your hand on the surface of your paper wherever possible. Your hands - no matter how particular you may be about washing them - will always be slightly greasy. Where possible use a second piece of paper to rest the hand on, avoiding contact with actual drawing surface. Keeping your paper clean this way, helps greatly if you maybe need to erase applied graphite later (any grease or moisture from your skin effectively binding the graphite into the papers surface - making it harder to erase cleanly).
Never use your finger to smooth out shaded areas on your paper. Always use something dry to work applied graphite. You can buy proper tools for this purpose, cotton wool for larger areas of smoothing and cotton buds for smaller areas.
By using your second piece of paper as a rest for your hand however, you can get away with overworking previously drawn or shaded areas. Just ensure that once your 'rest' paper is laid on your work, you don't then, inadvertently drag it over the surface of your drawing. Lay it down, rest on it, lift it when necessary, then lay it down again, work on it again and so on - never drag it, as this can smudge any soft graphite applied underneath the paper, just as your hand would.

Always keep your harder (detail) pencils sharp. There is just no way that you can apply fine detail to a drawing with blunt pencils. Sharpen pencils with a scalpel and then shape the lead with file boards; this gives a really fine point for that finest detail.
Always wipe the end of your pencil after sharpening. Particularly if you use a file board - but even if you just use a normal pencil sharpener - wipe the sharpened end of your pencil with a piece of kitchen or toilet roll before using it on your drawing again.

Never use a 'hard' rubber on your paper if you can avoid it. All a hard rubber does is effectively 'rip' off the top layer of your drawing paper, taking your mistake with it. This ruins the smooth surface of your paper and whilst you may have removed your mistake - you've also removed your drawing surface. Redrawing or shading over that damaged surface will be very difficult. If you must use a rubber - use a putty rubber, but better by far is to use Blu Tack. Blu Tack lifts the graphite off the surface of the paper without damaging it. The more times Blu Tack is applied to a graphite line, or area of shading, the lighter that line will get.
Always clean up your work once it's finished. Once your drawing is complete clean any smudges on the paper around your work using either a putty rubber or Blu Tack, but do take the time to clean up your page before sealing your work with fixative. By removing any unintentional smudges off of your drawing, it makes it look cleaner, better defined and generally more professional.

Always seal your finished pencil drawing. Once you're certain that your drawing is complete - seal it. Graphite pencil will smudge if rubbed or touched, so seal it in with a sealing or fixative spray (Available at art shops). An alternative is a 'perfume free' firm hold hairspray - hairspray does exactly the same thing as 'proper' fixative sprays - and is cheaper too. Spray these 'fixatives' on lightly though. Too heavy an application can cause a slight loss of really fine detail with graphite work. Several light applications generally work best. Be aware though - once your work is sealed you will be unable erase any mistakes.

IMAGE GALLERY

course schedule

SESSION 1 Drawing elements, basic materials and techniques; dot, line & composition; sketching and process (visual thinking)
Homework: fill up the small (pocket) sketchbook with drawings using line and composition (“Nulla dies sine linea”, L. Da Vinci) "not a day without line"
Tip: find an overall theme and work quickly, without details (use sketching techniques) avoid details and shading

SESSION 2 Drawing techniques: pencil, charcoal, crayons
Practice: tonal still life, drawing process
Homework: make a tonal study/drawing- using various sources (still life, photo, graphic, screen). Bring drawing and resources to the next class. TIp: make collage, compose objects, take digital photo- translate in B&W

SESSION 3 Human figure studies: anatomy for artists, movement and space. Techniques: inks, charcoal, crayons (mixed techniques)
Class work: drawing female MODEL
Homework: for the class with Eric: draw study of body parts, ready to be scanned (use "clean" media)

SESSIONS 4, 5 - COMPUTER LAB with Eric Homework for session 6: make your own logo using mixed media. Tip: make thumbnails and decide what to include in design. TIP:Compose simple version using the following trick: if you have many shapes, use one or two colors; if you have few shapes, use more colors.

SESSION 6 Multimedia project: “Digital Tribe” students are divided into groups (up to 3) Techniques: drawing for electronic media (mixed techniques, 2D and 3D)
C lass practice: group/collaborative drawing
Homework: production of the multimedia project (due in two weeks, on session 8) TIP: please make preliminary sketchesand choose the topic. Exchange contacts with teammates and collaborate on project during the week

SESSION 7 Drawing for time-based media: colour, motion, patterns, duration.- Techniques: dry pastels, colour pencils, various materials
Class practice: drawing for performance art
Homework: production of the project. TIP: divide duties and responsibilities and practice for the presentation. Send invitation to friends

SESION 8 MULTIMEDIA PRESENTATIONS. Be free to invite guests to the event

SESSIONS 9, 10, 11 - Back to Eric /COMPUTER LAB

SESSION 12 Final critique and presentation of the printed project

Invitation for a dialogue
Discussion on a theme: “Beyond Digital”
I would like to invite everyone to share comments, statements and personal experiences on “Creativity after the digital revolution”.

Presenting strategies - for the multimedia project. Please consider answering to the following questions:

What is the general scope of your ideas?

What are your intents for this project?

How to introduce drawing into your project/research?

What would you like people to experience in your project?

What does your project provide that other similar projects do not provide or provide differently?

What are the resources you would like to use for this project?