The Expressive Figure 5_4_2022

 

The Expressive Figure Assignment

Concept: Emphasis

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 draw a gestural mannikin of the pose with the 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.

Choose three poses and explore the quality of :

Emphasis

Impart more data in some areas and counterpose that with areas of less data. Detail is balanced against vagueness as a total effect.

Be reminded that some aspects of the body, ( faces, hands, feet, and genitals ) have  increased frisson or "irradiance", and will attract the eye more easily and this will have to be factored into how you calibrate where the eye will go. The artist may have to intentionally obliterate or "ghost" a too realistic head or hand because it upsets the sequence within the drawing proper. This sequential trajectory of the eye starts then, to impart a narrative, as the artist consciously ( perhaps subconsciously as well) imparts data throughout the drawing much as a novel imparts data through a sequence of chapters.

Brush and Ink with Hake brush

very loose and non specific(brut) quality

Pen and Ink on top-

 finishing the drawing with concentrated data specific marks

The Expressive Figure 5_6_2021

The Expressive Figure Assignment

Concept: Creating trajectory with proportional emphasis

Materials:

•        Graphite Pencil or Lead Holder
•        Charcoal Pencil Generals 6B
•        Canson Mi Tientes toned middle grey or similar.
•        Carb Othello Pastel Pencil White #100

             

Starting with a searching topological line, loosely define the edges of the figure using a graphite pencil or lead holder with a soft lead. Do not press too hard- let the weight of the pencil shed graphite. Allow the stroke to be idiosyncratic and expressive.  Define the shadow shapes as well as the contour. 

Over this loose expressive drawing, define three areas of interest with the emphasis on hierarchical importance. A primary attractor, a secondary attractor, and finally a tertiary attractor. The primary attractor should have the most contrast- use the darkest dark and the white pastel pencil to emphasize this "frisson". The second most contrasty area should exhibit less "frisson" include less white and less dark. Finally, the tertiary attractor should have the least amount of contrast, exluding the white pastel and relying only on the value of dark.