* Drawing 1* ********************************************************************************* B e g i n n i n g D r a w i n g * S a n F r a n c i s c o S t a t e S p r i n g 2 0 0 7 M o n d a y W e d n e s d a y 9-1 2 P r o f e s s o r : L i s a S o l o m o n * l i s a @ l i s a s o l o m o n. c o m Office 293B * 415-338-1591 * Office hours are Mon 12-1 and are by appointment C o p y o f s y l l a b u s i s a v a i l a b l e a t : h t t p : / / w w w. l i s a s o l o m o n. c o m / t e a c h i n g. h t m l ********************************************************************************* GENERAL COURSE DESCRIPTION: We are going to utilize drawing as our basis for exploration into composition. Drawing has been the most basic of all art skills from prehistoric times to the present. It is essential to all art and design disciplines: painting, sculpture, printmaking, fine crafts, architecture, interior design, industrial design, fashion design, and even for the performing arts such as theater and dance. Drawing is the most democratic of all art forms; it is a common denominator for people worldwide. Drawings are valued not only for their accessibility but also for their intimacy and their use in working through ideas. This is called visual thinking, and along with much practice at making and looking at drawings comes the more evolved stage of visual literacy. The process of drawing develops a heightened awareness of the visual world, an awareness that is both subjective (knowing how you feel about things) and objective (understanding how things actually operate.) It provides a new format for stating what you already know about the world and a system for learning and understanding what you don t. Drawing teaches you to observe, distinguish and relate. We will consider drawing in a very broad scope media of all kind will be used, encouraged and explored. The hope and goal is that by the end of the course you will have a good idea of how things operate in space and how to render them in ways that are meaningful and useful to you. GENERAL COURSE ASSIGNMENTS: You will be REQUIRED to keep an art sketchbook/journal. It should be 9 x 12 in size and can be spiral or book bound. Keeping a sketchbook can accelerate your progress in drawing. It can be used for practicing observational drawing outside the studio or for recording notes on ideas or visual observations in written form. It can function like a scrapbook or diary or a combination of all of the above. It is the best place to work out ideas visually because it is always at hand so you MUST carry it around with you. Use it to take notes during lectures and critiques and as a catchall for things that inspire you. You will receive assignments that you may complete in your sketchbook and you WILL turn it in for a grade. Every Three Fridays or over the weekend you must go and look at art. Where you look and what you look at is your prerogative. Although this course is focused on drawing, you do not need to seek out a drawing or drawing exhibit. You can go to local Museums, galleries, cafes, etc. You must write a onepage response to an artwork you viewed. Consider your initial response to the work; also think about the qualities that make the piece successful or unsuccessful and comment. Please include a postcard or other material from the show ticket stub, press release, etc. Please also include a thumbnail sketch of the piece you have written about. Your responses are due EVERY THREE MONDAYS. Please see other class guidelines at the end of the syllabus.
JAN 24 Introduction to the class, syllabus, materials list Upsidedown drawing HOMEWORK: Read handout on Contour JAN 29 Slide lecture: Contour Blind Contour Studies: Hands on newsprint and bristol Jan 31 Blind and Regular Contour Studies: Vegetables and Feet on newsprint and bristol HOMEWORK: do a contour study of your bed (unmade) including the pillow(s) 18 x 24 bristol, any media + read handout on cross contour FEB 5 Bed Contour Due Cross Contour Studies: ginger/radishes or pinecones on newsprint FEB 7 Show more Vik Muniz Wire Project: 3-D study of your shoe : you are going to re-create your shoe in wire. Think about making contour and cross contour lines with the wire HOMEWORK: Wrap a 3-D object in grid paper and draw the grid, 18 x 24 bristol, any media + Art Response FEB 9 Lat day to add FEB 12 Art Response + Wrapped Object drawing due Slide lecture: Still life/negative space Negative Space: make 3 view finders in class out of index cards. Create drawings of a still life working from ONLY the negative space filling it in 18 x 24 newsprint Start by making thumbnail sketches in your sketchbook FEB 14 Demo on Ink washes Negative Space + Cross Contour: Plant drawing. Today do a series of studies to figure out what you want to do HOMEWORK: Continue on this drawing
FEB 19 Negative Space + Cross Contour: Plant drawing continue min. 24 x 36 Bristol/arches HOMEWORK: Giant Leaf Cross Contour Drawings 2 @ 18 x 24 FEB 20 Last day to drop FEB 21 CRITIQUE: Blind contour hands, vegetables, feet, Cross contour ginger/radish/pinecone, Plant Drawing Wire Shoe Sculpture FEB 26 Gesture: drawing the figure + Contour: drawing the figure FEB 28 Gesture: drawing the figure + Blind Contour and Negative Space: drawing the figure HOMEWORK: Art Response + gestures of objects. Pick 5-10 objects in your house and capture their gesture MARCH 5 Art Response + object gestures due Gesture: Out in Public. Gestures of people in life. HOMEWORK: get a minimum of 50 gestures in your sketchbook. Watch a sporting event, watch TV, watch animals.. MARCH 7 Slides: organizational line Organizational Line: extending your lines and filling space (sighting) draw a pile of chairs, large arches paper, draw while standing HOMEWORK: draw your desk from the perspective of a mouse 18 x 24 Bristol + think about an idea for the next homework assignment: 20 hour NO ERASE drawing!! min. 24 x 36. For this project I want you to think about layering a drawing. Think about documentation. How you can differentiate time frames. What will hold your interest for this long? And remember you are not allowed to erase. MARCH 12 Proposals for 20 hour drawing due + desk perspective drawing Continue Organizational Line HOMEWORK: 20 hour drawing -
MARCH 14 Slides: perspective Exterior Perspective: Draw Outside 3, 50-60 minute drawing of 2 different locales, 18 x 24 Bristol MARCH 19 Exterior Perspective: Draw Outside #2 1 drawing, place of your choice, 22 x 30 Bristol or bigger HOMEWORK: 20 hour drawing + Collect things to bring in for next class drawings MARCH 21 Interior Perspective: Floor and Wall/ Corner of room drawings 22 x 30 Bristol or bigger HOMEWORK : Art Response MARCH 26 Art Response Due CRITIQUE: Gestures: 2 figure from class, 2 other, Organizational Line, Exterior Perspective, Interior Perspective MARCH 28 CRITIQUE DAY 2: Gestures: 2 figure from class, 2 other, Organizational Line, Exterior Perspective, Interior Perspective APRIL 2 Value: 2 and 3 value crumpled paper studies 18 x 24 bristol, HOMEWORK: 20 hour drawing + value scales using at least 4 media APRIL 4 Value: Drapery Study 24 x 36 Bristol/arches HOMEWORK : Art Repsonse + 20 hour drawing!!! APRIL 9-13 :: SPRING BREAK!!! APRIL 16 Art Response Due Value: Drapery Study reduction + re-drawing, 24 x 36 Bristol/arches HOMEWORK: last part of 20 hour drawing APRIL 18 CRITIQUE: 20 hour Drawing, 4 Value Studies
APRIL 23 Figure Drawing: A model in space 3-50 minute poses APRIL 25 Value in Space: drawing by candlelight HOMEWORK : go and create a set of xerox s of objects and your hands/face on the bed. Minimum 5 Last day to withdraw APRIL 30 Xerox reduction drawings HOMEWORK: Final Project Proposals (ideas include: life size self portrait, part of the body self portrait, a time based drawing, intense 2 week observational drawing, multiples) MAY 2 Sketchbooks Due Finish Xerox drawings + Work on Final Projects HOMEWORK : Art Response MAY 7 Art Response Due Work on Final Projects MAY 9 Work on Final Projects MAY 14 & 16 CRTIQUE: Figure drawing, Candlelight drawing, Xerox Reduction drawing, Final Project GRADING SYSTEM An A equals exceptional work, self-initiative, and attendance. You will be given a grade for each class project. Your sketchbook is worth 10% of your grade, your final project is 20% and all other projects are 50%. The final 20% will be based on participation and improvement. Your assignments are due at the BEGINNING of class late work is NOT accepted unless arrangements have been made with the instructor. You can discuss any class or grade issues during class times, or email me to make a separate appointment. ATTENDANCE After three absences, your grade will go down one step with each additional absence. Arriving late or leaving early will be accumulated and applied towards this grade, three occurrences equals one absence. Eight absences will result in a course grade no higher than a D. Attending critiques is the
equivalent of examinations; therefore, attendance is critical to grading. All excuses need to be in writing! It is virtually impossible to get an A in the class if you miss more than 1 class. You are required to make up any assignments that you miss or risk getting F s on them. PARTICIPATION Primary factors in determining the course participation grade are self- initiative, willingness to experience limitations and unknowns, participation in class lectures, demonstrations, and group critiques. Also considered will be your use of time, activities surrounding research, and competence in materials and techniques. Having your needed supplies and being prepared to work is paramount, including doing whatever outside research is necessary to proceed. YOU MUST COME TO CLASS READY TO WORK WITH ALL THE NECESSARY SUPPLIES AT HAND!! COURSE IMPROVEMENT Primary factors in determining the course improvement area are overall change from first to last work, conscientiousness in application of principles or concepts and demonstrated ability to understand concepts. Materials * 9 x12 spiral or bound sketchbook with hard cover * 24 x 36 drawing board * black felt tip pen (giant sharpies are good) * black ball-point pen * black ink + 2 other colors of your choice * bamboo brushes (2 different sizes) * 18 x 24 drawing pad (Bristol) * 18 x 24 newsprint pad (100 sheets) * 3 sheets 22 x 30 Utrecht or Arches cover paper 3 sheets 24 x 36 Utrecht or Arches cover paper [you can also substitute a roll of paper Strathmore or something similar drawing paper] * compressed charcoal (several sizes/ versions of vine) * various pencils/charcoal pencils/woodless pencils * white pastel stick (NOT oil pastel) * white conté crayon * black conté crayon * kneaded eraser * white plastic eraser * art gum eraser * pencil sharpener * spray fixative (always use outside or in a spray booth) * a portfolios (Utrecht has cheap 22 x 30 cardboard ones, or you can make one or out of 2 sheets of 22x30 inch foamcore or chipboard and some packing tape and binder clips) * box/container for supplies * mirror * 16-20 gauge wire * needle-nosed pliers with wire-cutter other materials may be required for certain assignments Art Stores: UTRECHT 149 New Montgomery St. San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 777-6920 PEARL PAINT 969 Market Street, San Francisco CA 94103 Phone: 415-357-1400 Store Hours: Monday to Saturday: 10 am to 7 pm Sunday: 12 pm to 6 pm Gallery and Museum Resources Oakland Art Murmer [http://www.oaklandartmurmur.com/pages/jmap/jmap.php] Fecal Face Gallery listings [http://www.fecalface.com/sf/index.php?option=com_wrapper&itemid=82] SFMOMA [http://www.sfmoma.org/] Oakland Art Museum [http://www.museumca.org/] Berkeley Art Museum [http://www.bampfa.berkeley.edu/]