Final Portfolio Blog:

Brief Assessment of Achieved Objectives:

I feel that I accomplished many if not all of the curse objectives, such as translating a three-dimensional form to a two-dimensional picture plane; this was achieved when I observed the model in class and the shell outside of class. As far as comprehending the subject’s planar make-up, I feel I do have a better understanding now than I did at the start of class, but I also know that this is a skill I will improve with more time and more practice. I show a comprehension of planar make-up in my shell drawings; each time I revisited the subject I found new information to include in my drawing.  Using a linear approach opposed to a painterly one was difficult for me at first, but I definitely have gained a better understanding of how to do this through practice and critique, it has been beneficial for my work and allows for great detail.

I have accomplished a well-crafted clay model, I spent a great deal of time working on my model and it has helped me understand muscle structure. For example, I now know the leg has attachments higher up in the torso than I had originally thought, I worked on expressing this knowledge in my work by drawing the leg in the proper fashion so it appears more connected to the body. I have begun to utilize anatomical landmarks such as the sternum and the hipbones to distinguish where the plane changes will occur.

My mark making skills have improved as well, I am certain that this confidence has come from practicing both the gesture and contour drawings and I will continue to improve as I do more of this type of work. I also participated in class discussions, critiques and blogged about my experience.

 Improvements since Midterms:

I improved in the second half of the course after receiving feedback that I should show more cross-contours; I began to focus on that in my drawings. This conscious consideration can be seen in my last shell drawing, because the ink in my third shell drawing washed out many of my lines I took a more heavy handed approach than I normally would to ensure my line work would show up through the wash of color. I also tried a few different variations of my drawing style since I have always enjoyed drawings with a sketchy quality I tried be looser with my lines.

I was also asked to pay more attention to where the muscles attach throughout the body, in particular the pelvic region. I reworked my mannequin using additional information from an anatomy reference book and was able to see how all of the muscles grouped together to form the larger mass that I would be drawing.

How I will use what I have learned:

            I will use what I learned in this class to benefit me in my remaining studio classes at Stout, such as being able to include realistic figures in my work for my printmaking course. I will also continue to refine my drawing skills using my new knowledge from this class to complete an entire body of work for my senior show next spring.             

            Since I am an Art Education major, I have selected drawing as my concentration because I feel it is the underlying skill for so many other forms of art, and in order to instruct properly I must be able to express myself visually. This course has improved my observational skills, in that I have definitely discovered visual cues on the human form I wasn’t aware of before.  Gaining an understanding of the plane changes is what has been most beneficial for me as an artist. I feel more confident in my ability to draw the human figure, which is important for me because almost all of my work calls for human imagery. I will also be able to explain the figure to my students as well as help them make corrections in their own work. 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/50154511@N02/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/50154511@N02/sets/72157624051631476/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/50154511@N02/sets/72157623927323009/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/50154511@N02/sets/72157624051726504/

The Human Skull

This past week we focused on the human skull, and 3 drawings will be due this Monday. Each one of the 3 drawings will depict a different perspective, the first one I did in class shows the skull at a ¾ front perspective. We were told to keep in mind that the “face” should only make up 1/3 of the entire skull, which I feel I accomplished. However I did have difficulty with the teeth. I think, because, while I was drawing I wasn’t drawing the skull at actual size, it is about 1/3 larger. I became increasingly confused when I reached the teeth and lower jaw. There are so many plane changes within one tooth and there is a lot more negative space between teeth then I had expected. I think it would be helpful for me to just draw the lower jaw while focusing on the teeth and how they connect to the jawbone.  

Drawing from the previous week

Last week we focused on drawing the human hands. In small groups we took turns modeling and drawing hands. I found it to be very difficult; each finger has three different large plane changes and then smaller less obvious plane changes within those. I spent a lot of the time trying to decipher the negative space between the fingers and feel did fairly well on that part. The part I had the most difficulty with was the plane change from the thumb to fleshy part of the palm; I also didn’t understand the foreshortening of the thumb. Amy was able to help me see how the thumb really looked to the viewer, as well as the planes on the side of the hands. I think I will be able to do this when I overemphasize the planes. I was also having difficulty with the nails; I felt they looked too feminine for the male hands I was drawing. To draw a more masculine nail I widened them at the tips and squared them off at the ends. 

3rd Shell Project

This past week our third shell drawing was due (out of class assignment). 

This project was definitely a learning experience for me, having never worked with the medium of ink before, as stated in a past blog. It was beneficial to experiment with its qualities before I began work on the final piece. I found I really enjoyed the uncontrolled aspect of absorption and the different colors that appear by revisiting portions with a wash. There is an element of control but there are little moments throughout the piece that could only occur by chance (as stated earlier) that I am really happy with. I am most happy about the area where the larger lip meets the first spiral. I need to work on the opening of the shell because it comes across as being a little flat due to the heavy outline. In the next piece I will need to be mindful of outlines as well as working from a new perspective.  

This past week we had the advantage of working from a male model. It was beneficial to see the differences between the male and female form, for instance the male hips appear square and are set perpendicular to the ribcage. In contrast the female hips are tipped slightly forward and appear more rounded. The male also had a pronounced muscular system, which in all honesty was hard for me to depict. Due to the fact that I have been solely drawing the female form in the past few weeks, I had gotten used to seeing a long and lean muscular structure. Viewing the male model I could decipher the fleshiness of the muscles, but when I tried to draw them a bulky quality came across. I need to practice drawing the male form. 

 

Ink Shell:

Last class period was more exploratory than usual because I was trying a new material; Ink. The study of the shell in charcoal was done first and is only about a half hour drawing.  Then I spent time exploring Ink and it’s qualities. I have enjoyed this process because there is an element of chance, depending on the amount of liquid used. I usually have a very controlled style of drawing but have always appreciated the sketchy quality a drawing can have and with this drippy medium I have no choice but to be more gestural. I think I will continue to use this medium. 

In the past few weeks we have concentrated on the lower limbs of the human form. We were to sculpt the lower leg muscles on to our mannequins and then use this new visual knowledge while drawing. Once one has an understanding of the muscles that make up the leg, it becomes much easier to draw it.  I can see now how the thigh protrudes forward and tapers in towards the knee and then the calf extends beyond the knee joint in the opposite direction (dorsal) and tapers towards the ankle. 

More recently we have done a longer study of the foot and ankle.  I spent a lot of time trying to figure out toes because there are so many different planes on one toe it can be confusing.