2-8-15_3

Observational Drawing

Week 3: Assignment 3 Discussion

Assignment 3: Drawing Exercise—Egg Still Life

By Friday, February 6, 2015, create a still-life arrangement using at least three eggs as your subject matter. The key objective in this assignment is a fully rendered, smooth surface using the entire value scale, so the less detail in the scene the better. Do not include reflective surfaces or glass objects. Consider the surface that your subject is on and include cast shadows as part of your composition.

• Start this project by creating a value scale using various vine charcoal, compressed charcoal sticks, and charcoal pencils. This should run along one side of your composition as in the example.
• Again, take some time to set up your light source so that your shadows are extreme.
• Once you are satisfied with the lighting, take a moment to observe your setup from your drawing position, note your eye level, and work to maintain it throughout the drawing process.
• Use your vine charcoal to quickly sketch in your scene lightly and loosely in the first three to five minutes of the drawing process.
• Step back and assess proportions and perspective using the sighting methods discussed in Week 2.
• Then, start to block in the darkest tone first, using charcoal sticks to render an image of the scene in front of you.
• Consider that the entire picture plane should be in tone with the exception of the brightest highlights, or the areas closest to the light source.
• Gradually, move tone out of the darkest areas by slowly releasing pressure on your drawing tool(s).
• Begin blending and creating gradual transitions using one or all of your blending tools, such as a chamois cloth, plastic eraser, or blending stump.
• Continue to refine and add detail to your drawing. As you do this, continuously assess the consistency of your light source—textures should be rendered based on a consistent light source, just as objects are. Consider that only the areas of the scene that are closest to the light source will be whitest (where the white of the paper shows through) and the areas that are blocked from or farthest away from the light source will be darkest or black.
• When you are finished, you're encouraged to photograph your arrangement to include with your drawing.

My Work: 

I am so sorry that this assignment is so late. I did not have any eggs, not even plastic ones, so I had to wait until payday to be able to go buy some for this assignment.
I feel that I did a much better job on this one than I did with the sphere. It did seem that the longer I looked at the setting, the more shadows I saw. Even the shadows seemed to have shadows. I tried my hardest to get the lightest lights correct, and I know that the first egg isn't great. I did re-draw this a few times as well, but I like how this one came out.

My Instructor Feedback: 

Hi Bridgette,

Thank you for posting your egg still life drawing! I've recorded a VoiceThread video for you. 

https://voicethread.com/share/6522446/

You are tenth on this recording. Please feel free to post questions or comments if needed. Thank you,

Pat

Classmate Feedback: 

Formal critique for Bandell Bridgette ...........................Timothy Courtney 2/9/2015 10:57:18 AM



I do not have a big critique since you did a outstanding job on this assignment. You have your shading down and the texture as well I can really tell that it is smooth and I can also tell where the light source is coming from as well. I say keep on keeping on. You seem to know what you are doing.

2-8-15_2

Observational Drawing

Week 3: Assignment 2 Discussion

By Wednesday, February 4, 2015, complete the following exercise:

Create a value scale of 10 to 12 values using the HB, 2B, 4B, and 6B drawing pencils. Then, on the same piece of paper, draw a sphere with a cast shadow using as many values from the value scale as you can.

• Begin by lightly sketching in the geometric shape of the sphere and of the cast shadow using an HB or 2B pencil.
• Then, block in the darkest tone or the core of the attached shadow first and render it black using a 4B or 6B pencil, working to soften and eliminate the initial sketch lines of your geometric shape.
• Next, gradate the tone out toward the lighter areas using a smooth gradual transition, or halftone, from the core, or darkest area, of the shadows to the extreme highlight, or the area closest to the light.
• Add a light value to the background around your sphere to allow the contour edge of your highlight area to be defined from the background. Leave the white of the paper to show through for only the most extreme highlight areas; the rest of the composition should have tone.
• Try using a chamois cloth, Q-Tip, or eraser to pull tone out from the darkest areas to create a smooth, gradual blend from dark to light.
• Define the reflected light, or light that bounces off the surface plane and reflects back onto the edge of the sphere where the form and the cast shadow meet.
• Focus on allowing the values to bend and slightly curve to define the rounded form of the sphere.
• Fill in the cast shadow with a gradual blend from dark to light. The darkest part should be closest to the bottom of the sphere. Consider the tonal variations in a cast shadow, and feather the edges to indicate translucency, as opposed to a solid-opaque object.

Written Discussion
Write a one- to two-paragraph response that addresses the following discussion questions:

1. Why it is important to use the entire range of values when shading?
2. What are some key considerations when approaching shading on a realistic rendering?
3. In your opinion, what is the hardest or most confusing part of shading?

My Work:

I believe it is important to use all of the values when you’re shading so that you can add depth to your design as well as set a relative “space” between the subject and its surrounding. Some of the key considerations when I was approaching this assignment that I had to keep were to remember that the shadow isn’t another dimension, but an addition to the existing plane. I had to remember that even though the shadow is 2-dimensional, the way it falls on the table and across the ball were different and they couldn’t be drawn exactly the same because it was different depending on where it was and how close to the subject it happened to fall. In my opinion, the hardest part of this assignment was remembering to not press the same amount of pressure on the pencil when I wanted a different value and to use the pencils in different ways, holding it different depending on the type and thickness of line I wanted. I think that I did alright considering all the trouble I was having trying to get the shading values correct.

Instructor Feedback: 

Hi Bridgette,

Thank you for posting your sphere! I've recorded a VoiceThread video ( under the introductory prompt on this page) for you.
https://voicethread.com/share/6520581/
The top video is the lecture. The bottom video contains your feedback. You are Tenth on this recording. Please feel free to post questions or comments if needed. Thank you,

Pat

2-8-15

Observational Drawing

Week 2: Assignment 3 Discussion

Assignment 3: Drawing Exercise—Basic Still Life

By Friday, January 30, 2015, create a still life made up of at least three to five overlapping objects, such as a cylinder, a sphere, a cube, and a cone. Make sure the composition is a side-view, positioned on a straight baseline. The objects should be opaque and smooth objects as opposed to glass or reflective metal surfaces, and preferably of white or light, solid color. Do not select objects that have text, graphics, or a great deal of detail or texture on them.

Determine a composition that will include the table or surface plane of your arrangement. Light your scene using a spotlight or a lamp with the shade removed. Position yourself so that your eye-level is slightly above the tallest object. Place your paper on a drawing board or an easel set to one side of you so that you are making minimal head movements to view your scene. Use graphite pencils 2B, 4B, and 6B on your Strathmore drawing paper.

• Relax and take a minute to observe your setup from your drawing position.
• Quickly sketch in your objects, table or surface plane, and cast shadows as basic geometric shapes using a light pencil, 2B. Try to record the entire scene using a quick gestural sketch in the first three to five minutes of the drawing process.
• Keep your eyes on your subject at least 90% of the time and avoid looking down at your paper for prolonged periods.
• Once you've recorded your scene, step back, assess the proportions and perspective, and make any necessary adjustments.
• Use the pencil sighting method explored in W2: Assignment 2 to check for accuracy.
• Draw in light and shadows, or the values that you see as basic shapes using line or broad, blocked-in shapes of tone using shading. 
• Concentrate on refining the perspective so that it is correct and all objects are consistently drawn from the same point of view.
• Gradually, add more detail and refine your drawing to make the objects more precise in form and proportion.
• Switch from your 2B pencil to the softer 4B and 6B, and notice the difference in effects. Switch back and forth between the pencils to match the type of line you want to create.
• When you are finished, you're encouraged to photograph your arrangement to include with your drawing.

My Work:

I struggled with this assignment from the very start. I've never been very good at drawing anything with more then a flat plane and my imagination. Once you introduce that third dimension and shadows, I'm clueless. But, nevertheless, I tried my hardest. I drew this one four times and I had to re-draw it again and again, because I felt it wasn't good enough. My mother is an artist and has already attended school so I asked her if she could give me tips or tricks and she told me to take a non flash picture of my setting that I was to draw and then put it on the computer and flip it upside down. She said that this would force my eyes to see the shapes of everything and not the items themselves. So, I tried it her way and this was my result. Even though it isn't perfect, I would have to say this one is the best out of all of the ones I did complete. I plan to keep practicing, but I think I'm starting to get the hang of it. I did include a picture of what I was drawing, but only because I think it might help in getting feedback from the instructor if she could see where I went wrong.

Instructor Feedback: 

Hi Bridgette,

Thank you for posting your basic still life! I've recorded a VoiceThread video ( under the introductory prompt on this page) for you.
https://voicethread.com/share/6500772/ The top video is the lecture. The bottom video contains your feedback. You are fifteenth on this recording. Please feel free to post questions or comments if needed. Thank you,

Pat

2-7-15

History and Analysis of Design

Week 3: Assignment 2 Discussion

Assignment 2: Studio Assignment

Deadline and Deliverable

By Friday, February 6, 2015, create a poster promoting a social event, such as a theatrical, political, advertising, or cultural event, based on one of the historical periods covered in the lectures. Develop thumbnails and roughs along with a written rationale for the design. Include the design and supporting materials used to create the design in a PDF and post the PDF to the Discussion Area.

Steps to Success

1. Read the lectures and choose a historical period on which you will base the poster. Research the historical period online and find images and typography that match the style you will use. Cite the sources of your research using MLA style.
2. Decide on the social event you will promote and write a rationale for using the historical style. Validate your rationale by using direct quotes from the lectures, textbook readings, or other valid sources. Cite the sources of your research using MLA style.
3. Complete at least six thumbnail sketches and two rough designs as preliminary work.
4. Complete the final design.
5. Combine the inspirational images and type, thumbnails, roughs, and final design into a single document. Create a PDF and save it as W3_A2_lastname_firstinitial.pdf.
6. Write the rationale and post it to the Discussion Area. Attach the PDF to theDiscussion Area.

My Work:

    Sketches

Final Design

When I first started this out, I had read the lectures over and over and decided that I wanted to stick with the Industrial Revolution theme as in the lectures this week. I didn’t know very much about the Industrial Revolution other than what was in the lectures, so I went online to start searching. I found that there weren’t very many good reasons for having a poster or billboard like I wanted to find, so I decided to go with an advertisement for a hair growth serum. The reason I decided to go with an advertisement is that “While in earlier times, it would be unusual for an individual to travel much beyond the county or state of her birth, with the appearance of new forms of transportation technologies -- railroads, steam ships, automobiles, and airplanes -- whole new vistas of travel, cultural exchange, and commerce appeared.” (The Industrial Revolution) Therefore making it easier to get new products being sold my traveling salesmen. When researching things that traveling salesmen sold, there were a lot of random inventions, potions, and serums. I decided that a hair growth serum would be the most fun to work with.

I like to play video games in what little free time I do have, and one of my favorite games to play on my fiancé’s Xbox360 is Fable III. This game is based in a British town and in the game it is during the heart of the Industrial Revolution. I realized this after reading the lectures for this week’s lesson. So, I paid closer attention to the posters on the game and saw that there were quite a few and for many different reasons.

I found a few advertising posters from the Industrial Revolution while looking for inspiration on Google Scholar and decided to make my poster look something like the ones I found online. I used an advertisement from the Industrialization, Urbanization, and Immigration in the Gilded Age article for cocaine toothache drops as my guide for style and authenticity.

I used a parchment type texture for the background because with this being the age of industrialization, the paper would have been rough textured and not uniform in color for the most part. I went to dafont.com and was looking for a wood type font for the poster and ended up finding Woodcut and was quite pleased with the way it stood out and was very legible on the poster. I also used Baskerville Old Face that was a stock font already in my computer for the body of the poster. I put a picture of a man that is clean shaven on the left above a “before” ribbon, and on the right, an “after” picture of the same man but with a beard grown that I found in an old newspaper clipart image. The name of my salesman is a name from the video game I mentioned earlier because I couldn’t think of anything else at the time of designing. Overall, I am happy with the outcome and I believe it is generally true to the time period.



Works Cited:
"Industrialization, Urbanization, and Immigration in the Gilded Age."Hist111/industrialization. Web. 15 Dec. 2014.

Olson, James. Revolution in America. Ed. Robert Shadle. Vol. 1. Westport, CT: Greenwood Group, 2002. 313. Print.

Video Game Screenshot. Fable III. 2010. Lionhead Studios.

"The Industrial Revolution." 1. NCSU.com. North Carolina State University. Web.

"Woodcut." Dafont.com. 29 June 2012. Web. 4 Feb. 2015.

2-5-15_2

History and Analysis of Design

Week 3: Assignment 1 Discussion

Assignment 1: Journal Assignment

Deadline and Deliverable

By Tuesday, February 3, 2015, read the two questions given in this assignment and submit your responses in a single post to the Discussion Area. Do not post your answers as an attachment.

Steps to Success

1. Review the content of the lectures and reading assignment.
2. Write a response to each question using direct quotes from the lectures, textbook readings, or other sources to validate your answers.
3. Cite your sources using MLA style. (For information on how to properly use direct quotes and cite sources according to MLA style, go tohttps://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/. Additional help on using MLA style and writing essays is available in the Student Portal under Academics → Tutoring Center.)
4. Participate in class as described in the Review and Critique section.

My Work: 

The industrial revolution was the beginning of many mechanized systems that were new and amazing in the times which launched mass commercial reproduction into everyone’s lives. The invention of a steam power made things like a cast iron printer possible in 1800s. “The next improvement (in 1827) was the creation of a four-cylinder steam-powered press that could print 4,000 pages on both sides per hour. This press was developed by Cowper and his partner, Ambrose Applegath”. (Impact of the industrial revolution) The process was also improved again by a papermaking machine invention in 1801 by John Gamble that allowed for long uninterrupted sheets of paper to be produced continuously, and the Linotype machine created by Ottmer Mergenthaler which made it possible for the long sheets of paper to be printed at the same time and was demonstrated for the first time in 1886 in the offices of the New York Tribune (The Impact of the Industrial Revolution)

Larger typefaces being produced were used on billboards and posters for advertising and were getting increasingly larger. “Font foundries continued to produce larger type, using traditional methods. With some typefaces twelve lines deep, the metal type for each letter could weigh up to one pound. Metal type was brittle and, often, the printing surface would be concave.” (The Impact of the Industrial Revolution) Wood typesetting came back into practice, this time using a lateral router designed by Darius Wells in 1827.

Experimenting with emulsions in 1822, Joseph Niepce created sun engravings which was the beginning of what we know today as photography. This process had several iterations before the most famous of the first commercial companies became available, Kodak in 1887.

Multi-color images emerged with lithography in 1837, chromolithography in 1940 and reached its height between 1860 and 1900. Boston became somewhat of a hub for lithography producing vividly colored posers, magazine and book covers by William Sharp, as well as holiday greeting cards by Louis Prang. This medium widespread quickly across the nation and was used for many commercial needs such as labels on canned goods in grocery markets.

Material was being pushed out en mass and with speed, trying to meet the demand of not just the upper but now also middle class who could afford the furniture and literature available at lower prices. “Industrialization lowered publishing and production standards dramatically in the 19th century… The use of high speed presses and machine made paper, and the rapid releases of large editions of for a mass market, meant that the care and craft of hand press production disappeared under commercial pressures.” (Graphic Design History A Critical Guide) This relentless demand resulted in a downturn in quality and that spurred the birth of the arts and crafts movement. In 1884 John Ruskin and William Morris sought to bring about the return to expressions of individualism. The Artworks Guild was formed and expanded into the Combined Arts Society in 1888 which saw to it that high quality hand made goods such as furniture and books were once again available to serve society.

The introduction of Japanese art influenced the art nouveau movement which spanned 1890-1910. Flowing lines a focus on nature and animals and exceptionally high quality are telltale signs of art nouveau which was also eventually applied to furniture such as in Louis Comport Tiffany’s lamps. However art nouveau made its way to the people in a widely available form as well, posters, and were found everywhere from private collections to advertising across major cities.

The major difference between the two movements is the arts and crafts movement focused much more on the work being specifically crafted by hand and art nouveau focused more on the ornate and flowing lines even if some tweaking needed to be made by machine at one stage or another. What the art and craft movement and art nouveau have in common is the desire to produce high quality craftsmanship, focus on nature and both gave growing importance to the role of designers. “This movement followed the ideas that were first presented in The Century Guild Hobby Horse asserting that the designer-illustrator who worked in printing was equal in status to other classical artists like painters and sculptors.” (The impact of the Industrial Revolution).



Works Cited:

Drucker, Johanna, and Emily McVarish. Graphic Design History: A Critical Guide. 2nd ed. Boston [u.a.: Pearson, 2013. Print.

"The Impact of the Industrial Revolution." Art Institute Classroom, web. 20 Dec. 2014. Lecture.

2-5-15

History and Analysis of Design

Week 2: Assignment 2 Discussion

Assignment 1: Studio Assignment

Deadline and Deliverable

By Friday, January 30, 2015, create a 2-page, double-spread illustrated book or magazine layout for an article about one of the influential historical figures covered in this week's lectures. You will use typography as one of the main design elements. Also, integrate one of the illustrations shown in this week's lectures into your design. Include the design and supporting materials used to create the design in a PDF and post the PDF to the Discussion Area.

Steps to Success

Read the lectures and decide on one historical figure you want to write about. You may choose one of the artists or typographers covered. Decide on a purpose for the article.
Research the historical figure online to find additional information. Use direct quotes from the sources that you find to support your writing. Cite the source of the quotes and of the information correctly using MLA style.
Choose an illustration from the lectures. If your article is about an artist, you will want to use one or more of the artist's illustrations.
Choose the typography you will use for your headline. If your article is about a typographer, you will want to use type that matches the typographer's style. The typography should look like it came from the historical period covered in the article.
Complete at least six thumbnail sketches and two rough designs as preliminary work.
Design the 2-page double-spread in Adobe InDesign or Adobe Illustrator. Make a PDF of the design and save it as W2_A2_lastname_firstinitial.pdf.
Write 1 paragraph stating the purpose of the article, its possible target audience, and the place in which it might appear. Attach the PDF of your design and post the rationale along with the PDF to the Discussion Area.
Participate in class as described in the Review and Critique section.

My Work:

For this assignment, I chose to base my design around the works of Albrecht Dürer. As I started to research Albrecht Dürer, I became very engrossed in his works. He was a very talented painter, engraver, printmaker, mathematician, and theorist. I was particularly interested in his Apocalypse Series (1498) and that's what I chose to focus on in this assignment. I wanted to give my magazine article a bit of a renaissance feel, so I chose to use the popular colors of that time (azurite, orpiment and umber). I also searched for different typefaces that would fit into my design and I decided on 2, (1492 Quadrata Lim Bold and Kingthings Italique), which I downloaded from Dafont.com. I wanted the purpose of this article to spotlight Dürer's success not only as a talented artist but also a man that was ahead of his time in regards to his vision. The possible target audience for this article would possibly be spiritual and artistic persons wanting to read about a spiritual man and his works. I believe that this article may appear in maybe an art magazine or a Christian magazine given the fact that Albrecht Dürer was a religious man.


Works Cited:
"Albrecht Dürer." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 29 January. 2015.
Bailey, David. "The Engraver." The Engraver. Web. 30 January. 2015
"Apocalypse (Dürer)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 29 January. 2015.

Typefaces:
"Dafont.com." Dafont.com. Web. 29 January 2015.

Images:
"Apocalypse (Dürer)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 30 January. 2015.

Instructor's Feedback: 

Bridgette,
Good beginning! I'd like to see you revise your design a bit to show the modern feel and innovation of Durer. Just make small changes...save your original as a copy and work off of that. The design should look like a slightly revised version.
Take a look at the Society of Publication Designers for inspiration. Click here>>
Click here for audio feedback>>

My Revision: 

Instructor,

After listening to your analysis and thinking about how to accomplish the changes you mentioned, I went ahead and redesigned the entire assignment, using all the same images with the exception of the symbol, and I added some images of Etched Letterhead from the time period that you would have found in a printed material most times. I changed the font around and the layout as well. I hope this is better.

Bridgette

(If you click on it, you can see the changes)

***NOTE: No, I do not normally use wikipedia, but I was dealing with a sick 5yr old at the time and was distracted and in a hurry the first time around.***

2-2-15

OMG, he's asleep!! 



Bryan hasn't slept in over 3 days for longer than an hour without waking up with the worst tooth pain he says he's ever experienced. He's tried amoxicillan, which worked but only for a few hours at a time, and only if he used the kids pink kind, not the grown up pill form. He tried clove oil and it didn't touch it, peppermint oil, that worked for one night, but only when it was one tooth. Now it's three... We have tried everything I have for pain, motrin, acetaminophen, naproxen(his script), and nothing was helping. Orajel made it worse, his coworker told him to try menthol cough drops, and they didn't do much he said... and then... after looking online and researching and more looking and nearly 4 days.... I found something that smells like spiced jellybeans from my grandma's house. The stuff is called Eugenol... and apparently it tastes like shit (Says Bryan) and the application hurt him some.... but after 5 minutes his pain went from 13(on a scale of 1-10) to 6, and then after 5 more minutes, the pain had died down to where he said it was just a 2(scale of 1-10) and he laid down and fell asleep!! ^_^ 

I'm awake and doing homework so I can't go to bed, but I feel so much better now that I know that my research has paid off and he's feeling better enough to sleep.... he'd been up for 40 hours straight and needed sleep badly. Luckily hes got today and tomorrow off too, and we are supposed to be going to David's Bridal to look at wedding dresses today sometime ^_^ . So hopefully the eugenol helps him through all of that and more! Making him an appointment with a sliding scale dentist tomorrow and hopefully having those teeth removed soon. I can't bear to see him in so much pain. I'm just glad I was able to help. Even if it doesn't help for an extended period of time, a little at a time is better than nothing but waking up hearing him puking his guts our from the pain he's in and having to drink cold water every 30 seconds to try keeping it numb-ish. 

2-1-15

Dreams? Paranoia? Nerves?

That is what I'm trying to figure out. I'm a very paranoid person and I'm always scared something bad is going to happen but lately I've been having some weird dreams... Like this one last night.. 

I had gotten paid on the first of the month, like always, and I sent Bryan to the store for medicine or something... OH, and gas in the truck... and when he returned home, he had books.. upon books upon books.. Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master Guides, Novels, Game Cheats, and more! He had spent well over $100 on books that we really couldn't afford because of bills, gas, the wedding, the people we owe,.. So I got upset and told him that he shouldn't have bought the books and he responds that it's ok because he put $10 in the gas tank, and looked at me, he was completely serious. I became INSTANTLY livid... I started yelling at him and telling him that we can't afford this, and that ten dollars isn't enough gas to get us through an entire week until he gets paid and if this is how he's going to spend our family's money that he was going to be SOL, because I just couldn't do it. I told him I was finished(meaning with the conversation) and got up to go to the kitchen and he stood up, grabbed me, pulled me in really close and started crying. (now this is a big deal, because it takes a lot to make this man cry.) He started asking me not to leave, that he didn't want to upset me and that he didn't want me to leave him. He didn't want me to be "done" and he was sorry and that he'd return the books and he was so sorry. All of a sudden, I felt horrible, like a slave driver. I didn't want him to comply and submit, I just wanted him to understand that we couldn't afford to spend money on these things right now. I looked into his eyes and he looked so vacant, broken. Like I had taken all the joy from him. I reached forward to touch his face and I woke up. 

I'm so at a loss of words for how this dream/nightmare made me feel... I'm hoping its nerves and paranoia. But I can't stop running through the what ifs... 

1-28-15

Observational Drawing

Week 2: Assignment 2 Discussion

Assignment 2: Sighting Discussion

By Wednesday, January 28, 2015, complete the following exercise:

The first step in drawing is to understand the basic structure or geometric shape of the object you are trying to depict. In addition, it is important to be able to depict the surface your arrangement is sitting on. Set up a still life with three objects of different simple shapes (i.e., a book, a cube-shaped box, a ball, a can, a kitchen funnel, etc.). To establish the baseline or surface plane of the composition, arrange your objects on a straight horizontal plane such as a table. Position yourself in front of the arrangement, with your eye level just slightly above the tallest object so that your table line runs parallel to the bottom edge of the paper. Visually simplify each object by imagining the geometric shape or a combination of shapes that it most closely resembles. Consider how the bottom plane of each object connects to the surface of the table and work to ground your objects convincingly. Use a #2 or a #4 graphite pencil.

Use the pencil sighting method to determine the scale and relationships between your objects using a basic unit of measurement, and make sketch lines where your measurements fall. Keep the measurement lines visible and lightly sketch in your objects as simple geometric shapes.

This should not be a detailed rendering. It is an exercise in using sighting to create a simplified sketch of your composition. An additional step may include blocking in a broad indication of the big lights/big darks.

Written Discussion
Write a one- to two-paragraph response that addresses the following exploration of technique: In your own words, describe your experience using sighting. Explain how you used the technique of sighting to draw your subject in proportion.

Your answers should be based upon your personal experience with this exercise, as well as the course content and assigned readings, should utilize relevant vocabulary, and should be written using correct spelling and grammar. Post your sketch with your written response to the appropriate Discussion Area.

Revisions

Submitting a revised assignment based on feedback from your instructor is strongly encouraged. This will help ensure that your assignment is completed correctly and allow you to develop your work to its fullest potential. Revisions provide an opportunity to improve your grade and are due by the end of the week. Instructor feedback on revisions will be included in the Gradebook.

My Work: 

For this assignment I had taken the three items (a paperback book, a ball from my son’s bedroom, and a cylindrical box of salt) and I arranged them at least a dozen times before I was pleased with the placement. I wanted to make sure that the objects were close enough together to show relation to one another, but not too close as to over crown each other. I had to take the items and out them up on a folding chair on top of my kitchen table to be able to have the objects have a good grasp on where the horizon line was asked to be in the assignment. After I finally had the objects set up to where I felt comfortable, I took a few minutes to make sure I was using the correct procedure for sighting, I used the tip of my pencil and the closest point of the paperback book spine as my basic unit of measurement. I found that making the image show a spatial relationship was a lot harder than I initially thought it would be. Especially with the sphere. I used cross contour lines to try and depict a third dimension for the ball. I believe that I did obtain a good concept of proportion in my drawing as far as relating how large each object was to each other, however I also know that I have a lot of improvement needed for this to be perfect.

My Instructor's Feedback: 

Hi Bridgette,

Thanks for re-posting and very nice work on your drawing using the sighting method. I've recorded a VoiceThread video (under) for you.
https://voicethread.com/share/6493566/ The top video is the lecture. The bottom video contains your feedback. You are ninth on this recording. Please feel free to post questions or comments if needed. Thank you,

1-28-15

Observational Drawing

Week 2: Assignment 1 Practice Exam

Assignment 1: Exam

Grading Summary

These are the automatically computed results of your exam. Grades for essay questions, and comments from your instructor, are in the "Details" section below. Date and Time Started: 1/28/2015 12:57:12 AM Time Spent: 01 min , 25 secs Points Received: 30 / 30  (100%) Question Type: # Of Questions: # Correct: True/False     5         5     Multiple Choice     5         5

Grade Details - All Questions

Question 1. Question : The structure of an object can be thought of as the framework that supports the surface planes of the form. Student Answer:  True  (Virtually everything in life can be visually interpreted as its closest basic geometric shape or a combination of basic shapes that define the structure of an object. These shapes are used as “building blocks,” and they allow us to simplify subject matter for the purpose of establishing perspective and spatial relationships in the overall composition. This structure can be thought of as the framework that supports the surface planes of the form.)  False Points Received: 3 of 3 Comments: Question 2. Question : Foreshortening is the illusion of an object or subject coming toward the picture plane or the viewer. Student Answer:  True  (Foreshortening is the illusion of an object or subject coming toward the picture plane or the viewer. For instance, a drawing of a person pointing toward the artist would result in a foreshortened point of view of their hand and arm.)  False Points Received: 3 of 3 Comments: Question 3. Question : What is the first step in the 4-step drawing process? Student Answer:  Geometric shapes and platonic form  The “stick still life” or gesture (Step 1 in the 4-Step Drawing Process is: The “Stick Still Life” or Gesture, shown here. The “stick still life,” is a gestural sketch used to spontaneously capture and describe the basic structure and balance of your drawing. This is approached by quickly mapping out the relative position, direction, and proportion of your subject matter using “stick” lines that define the center axis of each object.)  Big lights and big darks  Transitional values and detail Points Received: 3 of 3 Comments: Question 4. Question : What is Proportion? Student Answer:  The relative scale and relationships of the parts of a single object  The comparison in size of multiple objects to one other  a only  Both a) and b) (Proportion refers to the relative scale and relationships of the parts of a single object or the comparison in size of multiple objects.) Points Received: 3 of 3 Comments: Question 5. Question : Object Relationship is also referred to as spatial relationships. Student Answer:  True  False Points Received: 3 of 3 Comments: Question 6. Question : In steps 1–3 of the 4-step drawing process, your goal is to sketch in all parts of the drawing as quickly as possible using a very tight and controlled approach. Student Answer:  True  False  (In steps 1-3 of the 4-step drawing process, you goal is to sketch in all parts of the drawing as quickly as possible, but the approach is to make sure to sketch lightly with very loose and gestural strokes. Using a very tight and controlled approach is counter-productive to the process.) Points Received: 3 of 3 Comments: Question 7. Question : Sighting does not use object or spatial relationships to define the scale and/or placement of objects within a composition. Student Answer:  True  False  (Sighting is a method of determining visual measurements and object relationships by starting out with a basic unit of measurement and comparing it to other areas of a scene to define scale and placement. Sighting helps to record object relationships, such as where the top line of one object falls in relation to an object behind it. Object relationships are also referred to as the spatial relationships within a composition.) Points Received: 3 of 3 Comments: Question 8. Question : What is the Horizon Line? Student Answer:  The eye level of the artist (The horizon line refers to the eye level of the artist. This line establishes the perspective of the rest of the piece, so it is important that the artist maintains a consistent eye level or view of the subject they are drawing throughout the drawing process.)  The illusion of an object coming toward the viewer  The relative scale of a single object  An imaginary line that runs down the center or middle of an object Points Received: 3 of 3 Comments: Question 9. Question : What does the key objective for breaking objects down into basic geometric shapes require? Student Answer:  Grounding your objects convincingly to the surface plane  Planning the necessary volume or space that each object needs to exist in space  Answer a)  Both answers a) and b) (The key objective for breaking objects down into basic geometric shapes is to ground your objects convincingly to the surface plane and to plan the necessary volume or space that each object needs to exist in space.) Points Received: 3 of 3 Comments: Question 10. Question : What is the second step in the 4-step drawing process? Student Answer:  Big lights and big darks  The “stick still life” or gesture  Geometric shapes and platonic form (Step 2 in the 4-Step Drawing Process is: Geometric Shapes and Platonic Form, shown here. At this stage, begin to think about your stick still life as simple. Three-dimensional forms that have depth and are defined in illusory space. This should be approached as a method of searching out the basic shapes and forms of your scene. The background and the surface plane that your arrangement is sitting on should be included to avoid the impression that your objects are floating in space. Consider each element of your scene, and lightly sketch in its closest geometric shape, or break it down into more than one geometric shape.)  Transitional values and detail Points Received: 3 of 3