the delphic expanse

Assignment #1 -- Preinstruction Drawings

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Assignment #1 -- Preinstruction Drawings

Postby Misplaced » Mon Oct 11, 2010 9:51 am

From the book (1979 Edition):

PREINSTRUCTION DRAWINGS:
A VALUABLE RECORD OF YOUR ART SKILLS


At this point, and before you read further, I would like you to do four preinstruction drawings to provide a before record of your drawing ability -- that is, before you are "contaminated" by the theory that follows. This request usually comes as bad news to beginning students; the anxiety level goes up and tension mounts. But if you do them now, by the time you get to the first instructed drawing... you will feel confident that you can learn to draw and you will be ready to try.

The drawings have proved to be invaluable in aiding students to see and recognize their own progress. A kind of amnesia seems to set in as drawing skills improve. Students forget what their drawing was like before instruction. Moreover the degree of criticism keeps pace with progress. Even after considerable improvement, students are sometimes critical of their latest drawing because it's "not as good as da Vinci's." The before drawings provide a realistic gauge of progress. After you do the drawings, put them away and we will look at them again later in th elight of your newly acquired skills.



There are four drawings in this assignment:

Before you begin: Use pencil and inexpensive paper. Each drawing may take ten, fifteen, or twenty minutes, or longer if you wish. Be sure to date the drawings, as they will provide a record of your present level of drawing skill.

1) Draw a picture of a person without looking at anyone. There are no specific directions for this drawing, only the general direction to "draw a person."

2) Draw a picture of someone -- head only. Draw someone watching TV or sleeping, or draw yourself by looking in a mirror. Do not use a photograph.

3) Draw a picture of your own hand. If you are right-handed, ddraw your left hand in whatever position you choose. If you are left-handed, draw your right hand.

4) Draw a picture of a chair by looking at a real chair, not a photograph.

After you finish: On the back of each drawing, write your assessment of the drawing -- what is pleasing to you and displeasing to you about each drawing. These comments will be interesting to you at the end of the set of exercises.

(If you are comfortable, you can share your critiques of your work in the thread as you post your work. That's your call.)

Since these are "before" drawings, comments on other's works are allowed, but not critiques. This is just to establish the skills we currently have.

IMPORTANT: The next assignment does not come until the fourth chapter of the book. If you have a copy, I suggest you also take time this week to read the first three chapters in preparation of next weeks assignment. You can do the work without the book, but it helps to understand the theory behind this type of instruction! :mrgreen:

Now get your pencils and your papers out and get to work!
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Postby Reanok » Wed Oct 13, 2010 8:40 am

I finished doing the drawings for this assignment. Since this is a busy week for me. I'll try to post my notes from the drawings . Some of the drawings didn't turn out quite the way I planned them to.
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Postby bluetiger » Wed Oct 13, 2010 3:40 pm

I finished assignment #1

(1)draw a person with no reference:
Image

I am less than pleased with this. I found I do not like drawing without a reference picture. However I chose a male body to see how well I could remember the musculature.

(2)draw someone head only possibly sleeping:
Image

This does in fact resemble my granddaughter, but she looks older than I intended. She is a pretty twelve-year-old who looks older (but not eighteen!)

(3)draw your hand:
Image

I am fairly pleased with this. Hands are very hard for me so I wasn't expecting much.

(4)draw a chair:
Image

This is my favorite of the first assignment. This is my little rocking chair that fits my short legs. It turned out just the way I imagined it would.
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Postby Reanok » Wed Oct 13, 2010 3:56 pm

Nice Job Bluetiger.The first picture I drew a person from memory without a picture I just drew a portrait instead of a body since I'm so out of practice drawing people. I drew a self portrait looking in a mirror I didn't realize how hard it was to draw one after so many years of not drawing people at all. Faces take more practice to draw to get the proportions just right since I was wearing glasses. I had an easier time drawing my hand and the chair drawing.
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Postby Misplaced » Wed Oct 13, 2010 4:32 pm

Nice BT! :mrgreen:

And way to go to get the job done, Reanok.

I need to get my act together and get mine done. I am a master procrastinator. LOL
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Postby crystalswolf » Wed Oct 13, 2010 4:38 pm

Very cool drawings BT!

Misplaced wrote:I need to get my act together and get mine done. I am a master procrastinator. LOL

Right there with you.
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Postby crystalswolf » Wed Oct 13, 2010 5:50 pm

Sorry for the double post. Started feeling guilty that you guys finished the assignment and I hadn't even started, so I did one. Had to bribe DD to stay still long enough.

Draw a picture of someone -- head only. Draw someone watching TV or sleeping, or draw yourself by looking in a mirror. Do not use a photograph.

http://crystalswolf.deviantart.com/#/d30pn20


My drawings are so cartoonish. It does look very much like her but younger and the nose is far longer than it should be. It didn't help that she had just showered and as I drew her, her hair started to dry and curl.
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Postby bluetiger » Wed Oct 13, 2010 5:54 pm

Guys, I mentioned this in the happy news thread. I got a chance to go to the beach for fall break. I will be gone Friday morning to Wednesday afternoon.

So when I don't comment on what you put up, please don't be offended :D
I will catch up on everything as soon as I get back.

If I can slip out to the Krispy Kreme and use their wifi Monday maybe I can start on the next lesson at the beach. I am eager to see what you guys do!

Sorry to bug out just as we are starting, but this is a rare opportunity for me. That is why I jumped on the first assignment quickly.

(whisper: I'll be working on my 'Trip as Future Guy' fic at the beach)

Crystalswolf, that is beautiful. I bookmarked your DA page so I can zoom over and check out your drawings.
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Postby crystalswolf » Wed Oct 13, 2010 6:01 pm

BT, have fun! Dig your toes in the sand for me ;)
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Postby Misplaced » Wed Oct 13, 2010 7:53 pm

BT -- Me: JEALOUS!

Have fun! And I'm thrilled you'll be working on the Trip as Future Guy fic too. Woohoo! (Any chance of Morgan somehow being a part of that. Seriously, best Tucker kid in Fanfic EVER!!)

And, CW, your drawing is great! My stuff is very cartoonish. :lol: I spent a lot of years developing my cartooning style. I stopped drawing "realistically" in high school. *sigh*

I should have some work to post tomorrow, myself.
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