Gesture Drawing

Intro and Advanced Drawing and Painting

Gesture drawings are sometimes used as a warm up exercise.  Before you sit down to do an elaborate painting/drawing it is good practice to get your mind engaged in the process of creating art by making quick studies of an object/person/landscape.   Changing the line quality of your drawings can help emphasize certain characteristics of the subject.   The exciting thing about gesture drawings is they are never stagnant.  You should purposefully make quick movements with your hand or your whole arm.  Capture the essence of what you are drawing without details.  Action drawing, could describe some types of gesture drawings.  Action drawing involves representing the movement of the subject, for instance a person running, stretching, jumping.  The lines you draw will emphasize the "action" of the figure.

I like the way artist Jill Saur writes about Gesture drawing below.

“Gesture drawings are quick, loose drawings. You don't stop the motion of your hand while doing it. Also, you don't take your pen off of the surface to move it to another point, you just drag it over…
…the gesture drawing focuses more on the inference of the figure, not an exact replica of what you see.  Practicing quick gesture drawings will train your eye-brain-hand co-ordination to pick up on lines and see where they are in relation to other lines.  Before you begin a fine drawing or painting, gesture it first to get a 'feel' for what you are going to do.”  

  Jill Saurr  http://dailyartclass.blogspot.com/2010/11/gesture-drawing-definition.html
Awesome website showing gesture drawings: http://studentwork.isabelmar.com/24/gesture.html

In class we will be drawing several quick sketches of objects and people.  In the beginning we will only be concerned about trying to get proportions correct and capturing the essence of the object on paper.   We will be looking for lines that define the movement and the proportions of the subject matter.

Sketchbook Assignment:

You are required to do a dozen gesture drawings in your sketchbook.  Draw your dog, parents, friends, hands….anything you like, as long as there is variety. The gesture drawings should be timed.  Try 30 seconds to 2 minutes.  Make sure you are timing yourself and stop when the time is up.  Due 9/11

Contour Drawings

Intro to Drawing

Last week in class we warmed up to drawing again by doing several gesture drawings.  The quick lines that we drew are quite the opposite of what we will be doing when we are creating contour drawings. We will look carefully at the edges of our subject and draw slowly.

Mona Brookes, author of Drawing for Older Children and Teens, writes:

"By following what appears to be the outline edges of an object, you can create an impression of it.  Contour Drawing is a style of realistic drawing, but it doesn't capture the kind of three-dimensionality that you can achieve with shading."

Below notice the way Pablo Picasso uses a line to represent most of the edges of the figure below.  He tried to keep the correct proportions and successfully portrays the physical characteristics of the model.  Learning how to create contour drawings is a fundamental skill that all artists should develop. Your in class assignment is to create several contour drawings of your hand. 

We will also try a couple Blind Contour drawings.  This is when you draw using one continous line and do not look at your paper. something without looking at your paper using

Class assignment:   Draw a contour drawing of the vase will flowers.  Try very hard to just draw a edges with a line. Do not shade in at all!  Think about the negative and positive space on your paper.  As yourself where you are going to place the bottom of the vase on your paper so you still have room for the top of the flower.  Think about proportions (the size relationships of the parts of the flower and the vase).

Sketchbook Assignment: Draw 5 contour drawings of your hand and for Extra Credit draw 3 contour drawings of your foot. Due 9/18





Contour Drawing



Outline







INVEST in your art..pour your energy into it.

Advanced Drawing and Painting

Clara Lieu, “Self-Portrait No. 31″, from ”Falling“

Sometimes an artist puts everything into
a series of works of art. The artwork carries the essence of the person with it. An artist that does just was the inspiration for our first project (it will be a difficult one). We are going to jump right in draw a self-portrait that has expression. 

Clara Lieu an artist and Professor at Rhode Island School of Design created a series of expressionistic self-portraits that are executed so perfectly (if there is such a thing as a perfect work of art).  

Take a look. In your sketchbook write your reaction to her self-portraits. Which one do you like the best and why? I also want you to look up some creative self-portraits and put the links of them in the comment area of this post. 

Lieu's self-portraits 

Yearbook Agenda

Yearbook


Let's start from the very beginning...

• What is in the Yearbook?

Today we are going to look at yearbooks from a very long time ago, as well as, some more current issues.  Some aspects of the yearbook never change, but as with everything progress and innovation comes into play.  Your goal in the next couple of days is to create a list of things you like from the older year books that aren't in the current yearbook.  Also, think about design.  Can any of the designs from former yearbooks help influence the design of the yearbook being produced in 2014?

• Vocabulary

Here is a link to a vocabulary list that is being developed. Begin by learning the terms on this list and we will add more as the class progresses. It is important we all understand how to communicate and begin using correct terminology. 

Initial Vocabulary list

Art Club

Art Club

We will begin Art Club in the middle of September.  We haven't decided on the date for our first meeting, but as of now Art Club will meet on Mondays after school.  We encourage everyone to come to our meetings to find out what Art Club is all about!

What's Your Cause?

Art Club

At the end of the year some members of Art Club participated in a an event called, "What's Your Cause?".  Students created works of art that represented their cause.  The pieces were powerful and beautiful.  Members also made things to sell to help raise money and awareness for their cause. I am very proud of those that participated!  Congratulations for making a difference in the world with your art.  

Welcome !!!

Course Information

Hard to believe it is the beginning of the school year and the end of a beautiful, but brief summer. I hope everyone is rejuvenated and ready to start the new year.  I am very excited to meet everyone and get started creating art!               Mrs.Kaiser

My fall schedule is:

4th Period: Intro to Drawing and Painting

room c14   course contract and info

5th Period: Intro to Drawing and Painting

room c14   course contract and info

Second Lunch

6th Period: Advanced Drawing and Painting

room c14   course contract and info

7th Period: Balcony Duty (in case you are looking for me)

8th Period: Yearbook

room c16  course intro and questionnaire

Art Club starting date will be determined...soon. 

My email address is: lkaiser@branfordschools.org

Final Ceramic Pieces

Ceramics

Love these pieces by graduating students Alexandra and Allison.  Congratulations! You will be missed next year. 

Alexandra A., Slab Box

Alexandra A, Sgraffito

Allison C.

Allison C

Allison C

Alexandra  A.