Independant Drawing

3D Drawing

Project description:

Develop and construct a ‘cube’ drawing of an object, person, or place through 6 orthographic viewpoints; top, bottom, front, back, left side, right side. Think of this as a 3d drawing, you will have to create 6 drawings and fashion them together into a 3d object such as a cube, rectangle, etc. 

Goals:

To produce a 3D representation of an object, person, or place through a 2D medium. Explore the possibilities of combining sculpture and drawing. Enhance rendering skills, use of color. Experimenting with viewpoints

Materials:

Can be created through any material/media, just keep in mind how the structure of the 3d object will be formed and connected.

Requirements:

This drawing should concentrate on capturing the many viewpoints of an object, person, or place.

You may choose how to capture the top/bottom/front/back/left/right views.

The size of the finished piece is up to you. Go big, go small, create numerous constructed objects.

Your drawing must incorporate at least two types of media.

The drawing must be presented in a professional manner. Borders are optional, yet you must figure out how best the present the piece. Suspension is one recommendation.

The finished piece must be stable enough to hold in your hands in order to rotate the object and view the numerous faces.

Methods:

Try and choose a subject that contains numerous sides. Stay away from symmetrical subjects. Pick an object/person/place that you can create some interesting viewpoints from. Look into box construction and what materials and fastening products would work best. 

Individual Drawing Assignment

Angela Walker PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Complete a drawing based on one of the strangest thoughts that you've had since attending MICA. Allow the piece to act as a tool that teaches the class either about how you think, or your personality. GOALS: To break the boundaries of cautiousness amongst students. Often times art is about expanding boundaries and creating new ways of thought; by completeing this assignment students may find that they fell less restricted in their options for other assignments, and freer to create more in depth projects. MATERIALS: Many materials and techniques are possible. Consider the connotation of the materials used, do they play into the thought pattern, or represent you in any way? REQUIREMENTS: Consider all possible shapes and sizes for the piece. If the thought you had was vivid or overwhelming, a larger scale drawing might work better than a smaller one. If the thought was convoluted, perhaps a uniquely shaped canvas or 3D rendering with drawings on it would suit the piece. METHODS: Consider trying a conscious stream of thought. Start writing everything that you're thinking. Whatever comes out may tell you something about yourself that you hadn't previously known. TIPS: Be creative and bold.

Project description:

Create a new self portrait everyday. The self portraits may be figurative or abstract.

Goals:

To amass a collection of self portraits that can serve as a larger more complete portrait of the self.

Materials:

Anything.

Requirements:

There must be at least one self portrait per day.

Methods:

Spend time exploring what a self portrait can be and how you want to represent your self.

Tips:

Be ambitious everyday, but don't get hung up on making a masterpiece each time. Remember that there is always tomorrow. Try a variety of formats and materials and try to think about different aspects of yourself as you create these portraits.

Independent Drawing

Jackson Grove

Project description: Create and draw your own epic scenario, like an illustration, but not necessarily.

Goals: Make the viewers eye flow through out the piece fluently; allowing us to move about and find something everywhere we look. Challenge yourself to go beyond waht can be expected of you. Incorporate subject matters that you have never heard of rendering.

Materials: Any material may be used (graphite/charcoal/ink is preferred

Requirements: For this piece, the grander the scale, the better. The scenario must have a minimum of 5 main subjects going on. Must be panoramic in size (or cycloramic). Preplanning will be required of you for a successful outcome, because knowing everything going on in the piece ahead of time will make it look much more united and fitting. Its not easy making things work on the spot.

Methods: Write down things that interest you, do they relate? If not, they can, because in this drawing your imagination is the limit (cheesy phrase, but true). Try creating your own city or town and write down what you kind of things are going on, whether stores or homes, you decide. This will take a lot fo preplanning so make sure you do not just pre-sketches of the layout, but of the individual subjects within as well. Try to render in a neat and thorough way. Keep the light source consistent.

Tips: Don't let it get too confusing to look at! Try different ways of dividing the piece up so that there's a certain order in different sections. Try writing out a story for your piece and make that into your illustrative drawing. Let yoru artistic voice and personality work its way through the piece. Don't be afraid to take risks and don't be afraid to have fun. Be a winner. Find the fear, become the fear, become the night.

Independent Assignment

Christian Lorenzo

Project description:

Make a drawing based to your current, most prominent, aspiration as an artist. Whether it is to learn, or to aid, or to make money, as an artist you have a driving cause.

Goals:

To explore your standing as an artist. A fun reminder of what you came to MICA for.

Materials:

Any materials and techniques related to your idea.

Requirements:

The piece must not be self-explanatory.

Methods:

"Meditate", and really clear your mind of the burden of the assignment and have fun with it!

Tips:

• Be creative and bold!
• Make good use of the idea map.
• Fully explore the possibilities of material. Often material choice is the key to achieving your goals.

☻

Independent Drawing Assignment

Project Description

Make a drawing in response to/based off of a selected song.

Goals           

To portray music in a visual form, and communicate the artist’s response to the selected song. The final drawing should ideally convey a particular mood (or variety of moods).

Materials

All materials/techniques are possible.

Requirements

The piece is uninhibited in material, scale, and presentation. The final drawing may be representational or abstract, as long as it is a reflection of the selected song.

Methods

Listen to/analyze the song and develop a word list consisting of adjectives that describe the song, its mood, its message, and its effect on its audience.

From the word list, select a word (or two) that best encompasses the song as a whole. This word should be the foundation that the final drawing is built upon.

Develop a series of sketches, both representational and abstract, in response to the song. These sketches should serve as compositional/conceptual experiments and should include a variety of approaches in response to the song.

Execute the drawing after selecting the most successful idea/concept/composition from the sketches.

Independent Project

Project description:
This will be a portrait(s) of anyone of your choice. The portrait will be accompanied by another drawing, of your choice, making it into a diptych. These two pictures have to relate to one another.

Goals:
To achieve a like-ness in the portraiture and to be able to relate the portraiture to an object/place/thing.

Materials:
Any materials could be used.

Requirements:
The drawing should be no smaller than 14" x 14".
Two images are required.

Methods:

• Plan out a couple of sketches to help with composition.
• After portrait is done, make a list of things the person reminds you of. This could be related either with their physical appearance, or their personality.
• Keep portraiture at hand while drawing the other half.

Tips:

• Make a museum quality piece, and be ready to present it well. Consider how you will hang it for critique. Leave nothing to chance.
• Be sure to make a list of things the person may remind you of.
• Sketches!

Michael Rich

Drawing 2

Project description:

Home is where the heart is. MICA is made up of many individuals from different backgrounds. Most of the time our homes mold us into what we are today. You will make a drawing that is based on what you consider to be "Home". The approach may be as literal or non-literal as you choose.

Goals:

To explore yourself and find the location that molded you into the artist you are today.

Materials:

Many materials and techniques are possible but something related to your major or upbringing is suggested.

Requirements:

The drawing has almost limitless parameters. The material, scale, presentation are dependent on what the artist may see their home as.

Methods:

Research your state and city. Find some history of the area. Look up definitions of home.

Develop six sketches of your house. Then from there develop 6 representational sketches of home. They can be as loosely representational as you want them to be. From those sketches build a final composition and put it to paper.

Execute the drawing.

On critique day, you will be asked to give a brief presentation of your project following an open discussion of it.

Tips:

Think and research!

Make use of your resources. Be open conceptually. The word home may not be as literal as you might think it is. Think about what influences from home helped mold you as an artist and as a person.

Good Luck!

Independent Drawing Assignment

Project Description:

Create a drawing of a landscape that is architectural in nature.  The final product should clearly address natural symmetry, and take on a systematic approach to the ambiguities of atmosphere.  

Goals:

To develop a better understanding of environment and habitat in order to realize how everything is a related product of its culture and surroundings.   

The final image should bare a connection to one or more of the ideas generally associated with landscape - such as its mapped-out division created by imperialism, the gap between civilization and savagery, deforestation, the exchange and consumption of natural resources, urbanization, wildlife and habitat conservation.

Materials:

All drawing materials are valid. 

Requirements:

Final product is open to all dry mediums, etc.

You must consider the elements of scale, space, and structure and how they work together as a sort of blueprint to what we actually see in reality.  

Highly suggested: use of measuring tools (compass and ruler),

                               graphing paper

Methods:

Generate a few preliminary sketches.  

Gather information/ do some research on your area of interest.  You must choose an actual place that exists - whether it is of the Great Plains or the interior of your local Catholic Church. How much you choose to interpret and reconstruct/deconstruct from this realistic setting is up to you as long as there remains some definite visible clarity.

Expressively execute and illustrate the quality of the atmosphere; the certain ambience; mood that you are trying to depict with the use of your materials.  

Tips:

Spend some time just sitting and observing the environment of the place you have chosen to depict (either physically or through film clips, photographs, etc.).  

Meditate.

Try exploring abstraction to get a better understanding of the underlying order of what is plainly visible.  Observe what comes “naturally” while creating your sketches.  

How do we begin to create and make order out of what we see?

Independent Drawing

Samantha Brodowski

Independent Drawing Assignment

Description:  Create a line drawing using shapes found in a pre-existing pattern

Goals:  to explore the advantages and limitations of an acrylic toned wash system incorporated into a drawing

Materials:  primed paper or canvas, acrylic paint, water, sponge, paper towels, charcoal

Requirements:  should be at least 20” square to allow for movement and variety in large, open strokes. No maximum.  1” border if using paper.  All forms and values are to be determined by the spontaneity of the wash.

Methods:

·         Stretch and prime canvas/paper

·         Prepare wash by adding small amount of acrylic paint to water in a container. Not too thick, but not too thin.

·         Cover entire drawing area with wash.

·         Use the sponge, paper towels, or even your fingers, etc., to take out desired areas and change the consistency and opaqueness of the wash color. Let dry.

·         Come back in with charcoal and find and outline shapes to create an overall composition.

Tips:

·         Choose one color for the wash only! This is a TONAL drawing.

·         Choose a theme for your drawing and the forms/figures will find YOU and emerge from the wash.

·          You can also use chalk pastel, colored pencil, etc. (be creative!) to do the line work. This can add more color and variety of line.

Fixed

I have fixed the photo links on the final self portrait examples. Scroll down to see.

Independent Drawing Assignment

Project description:
Design an automobile using a series of iterations, starting first at the sketch level and working up to a finished product that should be reminiscent of in quality of something one might find on the showroom floor.

Goals:
To explore and learn more about transportation and its ever-changing and advancing tendencies and technologies. It would be wise to think about alternative power sources and low-cost materials when designing a vehicle, while simultaneously attempting to alter / eliminate any existing factors that one might find either outdated or flawed.

Materials:
Sketchbook / Drawing paper / Toned paper (optional)
Pencils (2B for sketching, Pen or 4-6B for details)
Prismacolor Markers / Photoshop CS+ for final rendering, either one
Black/White Conte/Charcoal for use on toned paper (optional)

Requirements:
6-12 sketches of the basic shape (include at least one perspective that shows the front end and one that shows the rear) and at least one fully rendered mock-up of the vehicle.

Methods:
Begin with a series of sketches that clearly illustrate the thought process involved in developing the design. Try to block in the basic geometric shapes involved in your vehicle, and be sure to consider the location of the wheels (if there are any) and the seating position of the passengers (two in front, two in back, two doors, four doors). Consider the purpose of the vehicle (city commuting, off-roading, driving enthusiast

From here it is recommended to start tweaking some details of the car. Sketch some close-ups of the important design elements of your vehicle, such as headlights, rear lights, expressive curves / lines, and anything that you feel might need additional elaboration.

Once you’re confident that you have a design that expresses not only the physical aspects of your vehicle, but also the goals you have in mind, begin a finished, rendered drawing. Clarity and execution are key here; your audience should not have any second thoughts about what they are seeing.

Tips:
Make an effort to break the mold of the automotive industry. Go above and beyond the conventional standards, while keeping not only style, but safety, cost, and functionality in mind. Present your design in a creative way; traditional presentations are fine (like this, for example) but presenting in a different format (powerpoint, website, brochure, perhaps even stop motion) is encouraged.

Independent Drawing

Lydia So's Independent Drawing...

Compare Or Contrast

Project description:

Create a project that shows a pair of things. They could be opposites or they could be the same. It could be you and your alter ego, light and dark, so on and so forth. It doesn’t have to be tangible, it could be abstract.

Goals:

Understand the connection between two things through their positives and negative points and express it.

Materials:

Many materials and techniques are possible.

Requirements:

The drawing has almost limitless parameters. The material, scale, presentation is all entirely dependent upon the artist’s interpretation concept.

Methods:

Before you start sketching, Plan out a couple sketches and concepts on how you want to do this paring of objects. The drawing must show the relationship of the two. After deciding on which one sketch should be the final, execute the drawing. Scale is determined by you.

Tips:

Make a museum quality piece, and be ready to present it well. Consider how you will hang it for critique. Be considerate of how you organize your objects or conceptual ideas and how the negative spaces will apply to the picture.

Drawing II MICA Spring 2011: Independent drawing assignment

Sophie Moore's Independent Project

Project description:

You will make a abstract drawing that is based your family tree. The approach may be as literal or non-literal as you choose.

Goals:

To explore and learn about using text and abstraction together. To successfully present information in a creative but clear way.

Materials:

Any dry material on any surface. GOOD PAPER!

Requirements:

The drawing must include names and dates of the people included in family. Must be presented in a way that makes sense for the information that is being expressed.

Methods:

RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH.

Sketch compositions.

Count it out.

Make it.

Tips:

Make a museum quality piece, and be ready to present it well. Think creatively about how to produce it.

Final Self Portrait Examples

FINAL DRAWING PROJECT

Project description:

The final drawing is a life sized self portrait consisting of the entire figure set in a convincing environment.

Goals:

To create a drawing demonstrates a mastery of the techniques and topics covered throughout the year. These include form, light, space, value, composition, materials, and concept.

Materials:

Many materials and techniques are possible.

Requirements:

This is to be a life sized, representational self portrait. The minimum size is 36” x 48”. It may be as large as is practical. The drawing should show the figure from head to toe, although it is acceptable for an object or objects to block some of the portrait. The figure should exist in an environment that is spatially convincing and has a clear, consistent light source. The drawing will be in full value. Strive for a good range of deep darks and white lights. The drawing must demonstrate an understanding of structure, perspective, value, design and concept. There must be at least a one inch border on your paper.

The drawing must represent a minimum of ten hours of work, not counting preparatory sketches.

Methods: (See the timeline below for important due dates)

· Choose a pose from any image in art history.

· Begin with roughs and thumbnail sketches, placing yourself in the chosen pose. These can be in sketchbooks. Explore pose possibilities, lighting, and overall composition.

· Working from your sketches and life, develop a mock up of the final drawing on 14” x 17” paper. This drawing should have all of the major compositional elements in place, clearly explain the lighting situation and have all major environmental issues decided. This drawing does not have to be rendered volumetrically. We will discuss these in class.

· Execute the final drawing using appropriate materials.

March 29^th :

Quick sketchbook ideas and rudimentary thumbnails indicating a direction and possible designs will be looked at and discussed.

April 5^th :

Finalized thumbnail(s), approx. 14” x 17” showing concept. At least one thumbnail at this point should be a 3-4 value mock-up of the final piece, showing design intent. For discussion.

May 3^rd :

Final drawings due and critiqued. Full critique day.

Tips:

· Be creative and bold!

· Follow the schedule outlined above, but you may begin working on the final drawing at any time. Do not wait until too late to begin this project. Budget your time well. There should be a minimum of 10 hours of work put into the final drawing. The grade will be worth approx. 20% of your homework grade.

· Do not try to make your drawing pretty, but make it clear. Show me broad, clear, solid forms and good design sense through the use of value. USE THE SAME TECHNIQUES WE HAVE BEEN USING IN CLASS.

· Use figures drawn in class or master drawings to help you with poses. We can set up a pose in class to help if need be.

· Make serious preparations. Do not begin the final attempt without a clear idea of where you are going.

· Above all, work hard and have fun, and dare to go above and beyond the bare minimum of the assignment.

· Fully explore the possibilities of material. Often material choice is the key to achieving your goals.

· Make a museum quality piece, and be ready to present it well. Consider how you will hang it for critique. Leave nothing to chance.

· Larger rolls of paper can be found in most art supply stores. The final drawing should be on medium to heavy stock paper, the heavier the better. It may be wise to split the cost of a large roll among several of you. Consider working on toned paper to allow you to utilize white chalk for highlights.

· Use materials that will allow rich value possibilities. (Even a 6B pencil may not be sufficient.) Compressed charcoal, conte, etc.

Due date:

Wednesday, May 3^rd . This will be a full critique day. There can be NO extensions.

Midsemester Reviews

Welcome back!

A reminder that we will be holding midsemester reviews Tuesday night. You will need the following:

In class system drawing(s)
System portrait
In class collage
Collage homework
Mixed media representational object drawing
Conceptual object drawing
Printed copy of your independent drawing assignment
Sketchbooks

The reviews will be held in our regular room. While reviews are ongoing, the class will be drawing from the statuary in the building. Please bring a variety of drawing materials and your drawing boards, as well as any special paper if you wish.

Reviews will be every 15 minutes, and like last semester I would like two people set up at the same time. Please come to your scheduled review 15 minutes early to hang your work.

I will be meeting with students in alphabetical order beginning at approximately 4:15. The order will be as follows:

Sam
Elena
Claire
Turner
Jackson
Sahm
Christian
Sophie
Alex
Analena
Michael
Fiona
Lydia
Hannah
Angela
Kirsten

See you tomorrow.

SL

Independent drawing assignment

Over break I want you to write up your very own assignment using the template below. Substitute your own wording below each heading. You will give me a printed copy after your review.

Project description:

You will make a drawing that is based on the object you have chosen. The approach may be as literal or non-literal as you choose.

Goals:

To explore and learn the practical and expressive possibilities of varieties of drawing materials. To develop methods for generating ideas and connecting subject to materials and concept.

Materials:

Many materials and techniques are possible.

Requirements:

The drawing has almost limitless parameters. The material, scale, presentation are all entirely dependent upon the artist’s interpretation of the idea map. Consider traditional and non-traditional drawing materials. Your final piece must fit the parameters of a “drawing.” Color is acceptable.

Methods:

Carefully review your mixed media representational drawing of your object.

Develop a series of about a dozen shapes derived from your object. Sketch them out clearly in your sketchbook. These could include geometric shapes found within it, shapes suggested by a movement the object makes, or shapes that this object merely suggests. For example, a pencil sharpener may suggest shapes found in a pencil.These shapes may become the elements used in creating a considered, balanced, linear design. Shapes may be duplicated, enlarged, shrunken, distorted.

Next, refer to your “idea map” and consider it along with the shapes and forms you have just drawn.

Now that you have narrowed down the conceptual possibilities of your object, as well as its physical attributes, start making decisions about what your drawing might look like, what materials might be best to convey the drawing, what the composition might be, what scale you should work in, etc. For instance, if your object were a teddy bear and the overriding theme of your “idea map” was security, then that is what your drawing should convey, regardless of whether you create a literal representation of the object or a more abstracted one.

Execute the drawing.

On critique day, you will be asked to give a brief presentation of your project following an open discussion of it.

Tips:

Be creative and bold!

Make good use of the idea map. Do NOT let your concept get too diffused. The main theme of your concept should be immediately identifiable in your drawing. If the general theme is one of playfulness, but you would like there to be some dark undertones, that’s fine. But we should feel the playfulness first. Think of an illustration of the witch’s house from Hansel and Gretel, or the inside of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. The concept should be developed as layers.

Fully explore the possibilities of material. Often material choice is the key to achieving your goals.

Attempt to have ALL aspects of this project driven by your concept. Don’t let anything become haphazard.

Make a museum quality piece, and be ready to present it well. Consider how you will hang it for critique. Leave nothing to chance.

Concept drawing

Based on what I saw tonight it seems that there is still A LOT of work to be done. Don't put it off.

I expect to see quality work next week, especially given the time frame of this assignment.

No excuses next week. Find a way.

Elevate your finished piece; make it the finest crafted, refined, resolved drawing you have made to date. Leave nothing to chance. Consider EVERYTHING. No sad fourth grade craft projects, please.

Surprise us with your ability to think about drawing in new and expressive ways. Take risks.

Be inspired by other artists. YOU DO NOT EXIST IN A VACUUM!

HOW you draw something can be as important as WHAT you draw. This is the lesson of the system portrait. Heed this.

Good luck.

REMEMBER

Elevate
and
Surprise