MANDALA

Yesterday the class finished work on the Mandala Project. Below are three examples of the variety of images made.

Calli 

Calli has created a very striking design with her bold use of large black and white shapes buffered with patterns and textures appearing as gray tonalities.

Emma

 Emma has established strong rhythms and movement by repeating and rotating triangular shapes. Her use of bold lines and dark shapes add weight and clarity to the design by containing the finely patterned areas of gray.

Hannah

Hannah has created a vey soft and delicate design. The overall tonal range is high key. The line work is very thin and fragile complemented with airy, cloud-like shapes and stippled value.

MANDALA

Sim

Yesterday the class began work on the Mandala project. Sim's drawing above is a work in progress. Directions for this project and the powerpoint presentation are located on the class Canvas page. We will continue working on these drawings on Monday with a critique at the end of class. Wednesday we start a collage project. Be sure to get colored construction paper.

LINE DYNAMICS: Asymmetry

Calli

Jessica

Yesterday the class continued exploring Line Dynamics in an asymmetrical balance by employing line weight variations (Calli's drawing) and the Distal Cues (Jessica's drawing). Observe the way thick, dark lines advance and thin, light lines recede in Calli's drawing. In addition, when grouping lines together they tend to shed their Line characteristics and act more like Value.

By drawing objects lower on the picture plane larger and diminishing the size as they recede (or move up the picture plane), Jessica has created the illusion of depth. Furthermore, overlapping objects helps establish foreground and background.

LINE DYNAMICS: Symmetry

Yesterday the class made symmetrical drawings within a "continuous field arrangement." The objective was to create the illusion of depth using line weight variations, shape and texture. Take note how the thickness of the line changes its location in space (i.e. thick lines advance, light lines recede). In addition, repeating lines to create texture simultaneously creates tonal variations.
In the last hour of class, students began symmetrical compositions employing the Distal Cues. My example is at the bottom. We will critique this work at the beginning of class on Monday.

Calli

Emily

Nick

Paige

Distal Cues: Symmetrical Balance Demo

MANDALA

Yesterday the students continued working on their Mandalas. We will critique these drawings first thing Monday morning before moving onto the collage project "Parts of the Puzzle."
As you finish these up pay attention to line quality and how it affects depth and placement in the design. In addition, try to achieve a balance and rhythm through similarity and repetition of black, white and gray shapes (patterns and textures). Below are a couple of progress shots.

Ciera

Ismena

MANDALA

This week students are working on creating Mandalas. The objective is to create a bold design of black, white and gray shapes. This project is the culmination of all the previous Line projects exploring line dynamic, pattern, texture and line as value. Below are some examples from previous classes.

LINE DYNAMICS

This Wednesday the class made drawings exploring line dynamics and creating depth by employing the Distal Cues.

Juan

Juan's drawing is an example of asymmetrical balance. This is achieved by following one's intuition. Notice how the largest circles and those with the darkest lines appear to be closer. Thinner lines and smaller circles recede.

David

Jenifer

David and Jenifer's drawings are examples of symmetrical balance. Symmetry is achieved when the right side more or less "mirrors" the left (or top and bottom). David's drawing illustrates radio waves pulsing around a central form of cylindrical and round shapes. Again, notice the way darker lines and larger forms are used in the foreground diminishing in size as they recede to create a sense of depth.
Jenifer has created a very sharp and clean design. The diagonal lines recede to a location of the paper and the horizontal stripes of diminishing positive and negative areas re-enforce the depth.

MANADALA

For the past two days the class has been working on Mandala's. Anthony has created a beautiful design of puckered and bloated circles decorated with clear and varied patterns. Ben's drawing illustrates a crab-like form opening from the center supported by claw pincers or moon shapes. Furthermore, he has very skillfully rendered a variety of shapes and values.

LINE DYNAMICS

Austyn

Hannah

Joey

Last Wednesday, the class made drawings exploring the characteristics of line. In the top series, the drawings employ line, shape and texture within symmetrical compositions. The composition below is an example of an asymmetrical composition. In addition, take note of how he has employed atmospheric perspective.

Omar

LINE DYNAMICS

Last night the class made drawings addressing symmetrical and asymmetrical compositions. The objective was to create images illustrating depth employing the Distal Cues (see tab above).

Amber Barnard

 Amber's drawing illustrates a "funneling" effect. The width of the lines and the spacing between the lines adds to the sense of recession.

Katelynn Pizzio

Katelynn's drawing illustrates a combination of angular forms and curvilinear forms. Her drawing is rich with pattern and tonal techniques.

LINE: Characteristics and Dynamics

Yesterday class began with a discussion on the characteristics and qualities of different kinds of Line. The first drawing was an inventory of four different kinds of line. Hayley's drawing below illustrates straight lines and curved lines with varying degrees of velocity. The dynamics increase in power and intensity towards the bottom of the paper. Notice how the changes in format influence the stretching, pulling and compacting of the lines within.

Hayley Irvin

The second drawing focused on straight lines, curved lines, angular lines and the combination of all. Sarah's drawing clearly illustrates how thicker lines advance in space while thinner lines recede. The spaces with one type of line are very unified whereas the combination of different lines adds variety and dynamics increasing the visual interest of the images.

Sarah Greathouse

We finished the day with a series of line drawings addressing shape, texture and depth within a composition. Tayler's drawing is an example of a symmetrically balanced composition with accented lines around the circles reinforcing their position in space. In addition, the rows of circles implies a linear path. The horizontal lines add texture as well as value increasing the sense of depth. Note how the lines get closer together as they recede.

Tayler Marsh

Heather's drawing is asymmetrically balanced. Depth is created primarily by overlapping forms and changing the size from large to small. The parallel lines on the frame shapes add texture and value providing a surface that stands apart from the background.

Heather Monnot-Griffith

LINE: Line Dynamics

Taylor Ruffin

The objective of the day was to create the illusion of space by means of line drawings. We discussed cropping, symmetry vs. asymmetry and the distal cues (see tabs above for more info). Generally speaking the most dynamic compositions include diagonals and curved lines. Taylor's drawing above exhibits a curving central axis of discs moving away from the viewer and then back. The horizontal parallel lines establish the ground plane converging towards the horizon line. In addition, she has made the ground plane (foreground) a lighter value and the sky (background) darker.

LINE DYNAMICS

Ayda Uraz

Kacie Brunk

Today students made drawings exploring the various methods of creating the illusion of depth within their compositions using line and mark-making techniques in ink. The Distal Ques are explained in the menu above. Ayda's drawing above very skillfully  illustrates atmospheric perspective. Notice how the line quality and size of the objects diminishes as the image recedes into space.
Kacie has employed line weight variation, overlap, value and gradations as well as size change to suggest a deep sense of space.

Mushky Rice

After completing two quarter sheet compositions, students changed the format to a half sheet with the same objective of creating a deep sense of space.  With her use of dark values to recede, overlapping shapes and variable line quality, Mushky has effectively addressed the objective of the project while adding a psychological twist with the subtle distortions applied to the shapes and lines.

LINE DYNAMICS

Annette Kirchner

Nesho Dimov

Trevor Stroupe

Rebecka Craig

Class began with a lecture covering the Principles of Design. Following the lecture students continued with line studies but on a larger scale.  The objective was to create dynamic compositions using the various line techniques investigated on Tuesday with the addition of paying special attention to establishing a sense of depth. Students began with quarter sheets and ended with a half sheet that is to be completed for homework.  We will look at the results of the half sheet compositions first thing tomorrow morning.
Annette's drawing above makes great use of thick and thin lines spiraling into the composition with fluid, wavy lines rising to the surface. Nesho's drawing is a good example of the influence of drawing tools and mediums.  His pen has a brush like tip which allows for calligraphic lines and dry brush techniques. Trevor's drawing exhibits powerful, expressive lines reminiscent of grinding steel. And lastly, Rebecka's drawing illustrates the cool clarity achieved with even, smooth, mechanical lines.