Wednesday, May 24, 2023

The Expressive Figure 5_24_2023

 

The Expressive Figure Assignment


Concept: Line Phrasing

Materials:

Materials
  •  Vine or Willow Jumbo Charcoal ( Generals), Pencil, Graphite lead and holder, pastel, pen, crayon, etc
  •  Canson Mi Tientes toned paper or Strathmore toned 90 lb drawing paper 12" x 19" or similar Ledger or any similar 60 to 90 lb paper, sketchbook, etc.
  •  Faber-Castell Kneaded Eraser or Chamois cloth

Visualization of the occupancy of space.


Starting with charcoal or graphite, quickly sketch and draw a gestural mannikin of the pose with an emphasis on proportions and action. This should take fifteen seconds or less and be in the spirit of what Michelangelo called "the Flame". Think of it as three helixes wrapping around a central core, like ribbons or strands of flame rising and converging above.
With the template of the mannikin pose as a guide, consider how the volumes of the "peanut", "cylinders, and "ovoid" describe the volumes "in space" and can taper as they move away from us and loom larger the closer they are to us. Be cognizant of this "in and out" spatial occupancy.

Visualize the medial line as a sagittal section through the human figure. On either side of this section is another complete "half-section" - a mirror of itself, and as such recedes back into space away from us. 














Tuesday, May 16, 2023

The Expressive Figure 5_17_2023

 

The Expressive Figure Assignment


Concept: Trajectories

Materials:

Materials
  •  Vine or Willow Jumbo Charcoal ( Generals), Pencil, Graphite lead and holder, pastel, pen, crayon, etc
  •  Canson Mi Tientes toned paper or Strathmore toned 90 lb drawing paper 12" x 19" or similar Ledger or any similar 60 to 90 lb paper, sketchbook, etc.
  •  Faber-Castell Kneaded Eraser or Chamois cloth

Visualization of the occupancy of space.


Starting with charcoal or graphite, quickly sketch and draw a gestural mannikin of the pose with an emphasis on proportions and action. This should take fifteen seconds or less and be in the spirit of what Michelangelo called "the Flame". Think of it as three helixes wrapping around a central core, like ribbons or strands of flame rising and converging above.
With the template of the mannikin pose as a guide, consider how the volumes of the "peanut", "cylinders, and "ovoid" describe the volumes "in space" and can taper as they move away from us and loom larger the closer they are to us. Be cognizant of this "in and out" spatial occupancy.

Visualize the medial line as a sagittal section through the human figure. On either side of this section is another complete "half-section" - a mirror of itself, and as such recedes back into space away from us. 












Tuesday, May 9, 2023

The Expressive Figure 5_10_2023

 

The Expressive Figure Assignment


Concept: Medial Axis and Visualization of Volume

Materials:

Materials
  •  Vine or Willow Jumbo Charcoal ( Generals), Pencil, Graphite lead and holder, pastel, pen, crayon, etc
  •  Canson Mi Tientes toned paper or Strathmore toned 90 lb drawing paper 12" x 19" or similar Ledger or any similar 60 to 90 lb paper, sketchbook, etc.
  •  Faber-Castell Kneaded Eraser or Chamois cloth

Visualization of the occupancy of space.


Starting with charcoal or graphite, quickly sketch and draw a gestural mannikin of the pose with an emphasis on proportions and action. This should take fifteen seconds or less and be in the spirit of what Michelangelo called "the Flame". Think of it as three helixes wrapping around a central core, like ribbons or strands of flame rising and converging above.
With the template of the mannikin pose as a guide, consider how the volumes of the "peanut", "cylinders, and "ovoid" describe the volumes "in space" and can taper as they move away from us and loom larger the closer they are to us. Be cognizant of this "in and out" spatial occupancy.

Visualize the medial line as a sagittal section through the human figure. On either side of this section is another complete "half-section" - a mirror of itself, and as such recedes back into space away from us. 
















Tuesday, May 2, 2023

The Expressive Figure 5_3_2023

 

The Expressive Figure Assignment


Concept: Value as Light and Form

Materials:

Materials
  •  Vine or Willow Jumbo Charcoal ( Generals), Graphite lead and holder, ballpoint pen, Crayon, etc
  •  90 lb drawing paper 12" x 19" or similar sketchbook
  •  Faber-Castell Kneaded Eraser
  •  I pad


Starting with charcoal or graphite, quickly sketch and draw a gestural mannikin of the pose with an emphasis on proportions and action. This should take fifteen seconds or less and be in the spirit of what Michelangelo called "the Flame". Think of it as three helixes wrapping around a central core, like ribbons or strands of flame rising and converging above.
With the template of the mannikin pose as a guide, consider how the volumes of the "peanut", "cylinders, and "ovoid" describe the volumes "in space" and can taper as they move away from us and loom larger the closer they are to us. Be cognizant of this "in and out" spatial occupancy.

Visualize the medial line as a sagittal section through the human figure. On either side of this section is another complete "half-section" - a mirror of itself, and as such recedes back into space away from us. The entire right arm behind the neck moves off into the distance as demonstrated here.


















Wednesday, January 25, 2023

The Expressive Figure 1_25_2023

 

The Expressive Figure Assignment

Concept: Composition of Positive and Negative Space

Figure/Ground Figure and Flux
Materials
  •  Vine or Willow Jumbo Charcoal ( Generals), Graphite lead and holder, ballpoint pen, Crayon, Acrylic Paint Marker etc
  • White or Ivory Pastel pencil or chalk, NuPastel Ivory 279
  •  90 lb drawing paper 12" x 19", Canson Mi Tientes toned paper or similar, sketchbook



The exercise focuses on the figure-ground relationship, that which is defined within the parameters of the figure shape and that which is defined by everything that is NOT defined by the figurative shape. This negative shape (as defined by the contour) is the ground or more accurately "the Flux". Placem










George Platt Lynes







Joseph Sheppard