Fan Lee Warren Laney College

Art Department Fall 2017

Classroom AC125 Wed. 12:00 pm-5: 50 pm

Office Location: AC125A Office Hours: Wed. 11:00am-12:00 pm

Office Phone: 510 464 3266 Email: fwarren@peralta.edu

Drawing and Composition

Art 22 Intermediate

Course Syllabus

“Drawing is the basis of art. A bad painter cannot draw. But one who draws well can always paint.” Arshile Gorky

Course Description:

This class is a continuance in the development of concepts and skills that was introduced in ART 20 and ART 21. A variety of drawing materials, techniques and theories are explored.

Course Objectives:

1. The goal of this class is to facilitate student’s comprehension and development of their own work and personal voices.

2. Students will continue to explore how19^th Century artist have influenced the drawings of contemporary artist

Student Learning Objectives:

1. Student will be able to demonstrate an increased awareness of the basic vocabulary of drawing: line, shape, value, color, form and space; and to organize these visual elements and their relationships.

2. Student will be able to set goals for independent projects.

3. Student will be able to evaluate the effectiveness of composition within individual works of art.

4. Students will be able to Prepare and present portfolio for professional and educational assessment.

Class Procedures & Policies

Assignments

Drawing assignments will be given weekly. You will be required to use time in class and outside of class to complete the assigned work. The more you draw the more you will learn and build your drawing skills. Each assignment will begin with an exercise and/or preparatory sketches to practice skills, build experience and develop ideas for final drawings. Assignments are given with a specific due date. If you have any questions about an assignment or don’t understand the instructions… please ask questions.

Class Blog

http://drawingandcomposition.blogspot.com

The class blog contains information and demonstrations about each drawing assignment.

Independent Projects

Before midterm each of you will begin working on an independent project(s). This is a requirement of both intermediate and advanced students. You can begin as early as the third week of classes or wait until the week after midterm to begin. Along with developing the ideas for your work you will create a written description of your project(s), with visual references and timeline for the completion. This written description will be presented as part of your midterm review. Please see list of topic ideas on the last page of this handout.

Sketchbooks

A notebook/journal, which is used for idea development, plans imagery, collecting examples and experimentation. It should be no smaller than 81/2” x 11” and no larger than 18”x24”. If well developed this sketchbook may provide you with extra credit.

Critique

On the day an assignment is due we will have a critique. It is required that you attend and participate in all critiques. Do not miss critiques, even if you have not finished an assignment. It is mandatory to put up your work to receive credit for your participation. Any and all critiques are about the work. The comments made are not personal. We are all here to learn about drawing and each of our assignments is an exercise and experiment with drawing. Try to keep that in perspective. In class critiques we take the time to discuss and evaluate all the work and thought you have put in to each assignment. It is your opportunity to talk, ask questions and receives feedback about your drawings from your classmates’ and myself. It is important to hear what is said about other work and that you offer your own ideas. Private conversations during critique are inappropriate. If you want to rework a drawing based on comments offered during critique, you are welcome to do so. You can resubmit work at any time to try and improve your grade.

Participation and Attendance

You are strongly encouraged to attend all classes as participation crucial to your success as well as your grade. This is a studio class and drawing is hands on activity. What you miss can never really be made up. If you miss a class, you are responsible for finding out what material was covered and making up any assignments. This means coming directly to the instructor and/or speaking with a classmate who understands instructions completely. Come to class on time. The accumulation of 3 occurrences of tardiness (10 minutes late or more) or early departures (10 minutes early or more) will be the equivalent of (1) absence. Classes often begin with a lecture, demonstration or important announcements. Please be on time and expect to stay until the end of class. You are permitted one 15 minute break during the class period. Please make sure not to take this break during a critique, discussion and/or demonstration. An accumulation of 8 or more absences will result in failure. No texting or phone calls during class time.

Grading.

Grading:

Grades are based on your ability to meet the following criteria:

1.Quality of your work - effort and enthusiasm visible in your work, timely completion and thoughtful presentation of your work and the careful organization of your portfolio for midterm and final reviews.

“Excellent, inspired” work is graded with an A

“Good” work is graded with a B

“Average” work is graded with a C

2. Verbal and physical participation in class and critiques.

3. Preparedness for the completion of assignments and class work.

4. Regular attendance: Each absence after the 2 allowed absences reduces the overall grade by a third of a point: (for example: An A becomes an A- an A- becomes a B+)

5. Evidence of growth and improvement- including effective demonstration of techniques and concepts discussed and/or demonstrated.

Extra Credit

Up to 3 extra credit drawings can be done to make up for accumulated absences. These drawings must be equivalent to or greater than the amount of effort and time put into our in class or homework assignments and turned in before the last week of classes.

Midterm Review

At midterm, portfolios will be reviewed to access your work / progress. Please keep all of your work for this review.

Final Critique

There will be a final critique at the end of the term. Your final drawings should be complete and ready for presentation for this critique. During this critique we will also hold a class potluck.

Course Schedule

Introductions- Review Syllabus and Materials List

Slide/ Video Lecture: Review Fundamentals of Drawing and Composition

Prepare Materials and a paragraph or more on what you want from drawing and/ or why you want to draw. Exercise: sketching and contour line drawing – explore materials

Oral presentation of written paragraphs and group discussion

Exercise: contour line drawing, create dynamic composition with multiple drawings of one object HW: Exercise: Master Copy, find and research an artist you want to learn from

Critique: contour line drawing – all sections

Exercise: Drawing from an Image HW: Exercise: Master Copy, find and research an artist you want to learn from

Work on: Master Copy

Continue: Master Copy

Critique: Master Copy Assignment

Midterm Reviews: Individual Presentation of Completed Assignments

Exercise: Compose 25 drawings of one object on one sheet of paper

Continue composing 25 drawings of one object on one sheet of paper

Critique 25 drawings one object

Intensive Focus; Individual Projects

Final Critique, Present Individual Projects for Review and Class Potluck

SPECIAL INTEREST / INDEPENDENT PROJECT TOPICS

Architecture

Conceptual – Process over Product

Figurative

Landscape

Master Study

Mixed Media / Collage

Narrative

Non- Objective

Political

Portraiture

Response / Reactive Drawing

Self-Portraiture

Subject / Content Specific

Technique Based

Time, Energy, Movement

*YOU CAN ADD TO THIS LIST OF IDEAS. PURSUE THE IDEA THAT INTERESTS YOU. LOOK FOR & COLLECT EXAMPLES IN YOUR SKETCHBOOK. WE WILL DISCUSS YOUR IDEAS AT MIDTERM REVIEW OR WHEN YOU FEEL READY TO BEGIN.

Intermediate and Advanced Drawing and Composition Materials List

Please bring any and all drawing materials you already have or want to try!

1 stick “Grumbacher”-Jumbo Medium grade vine charcoal

1 each “General’s” Charcoal pencil 4B or higher

1 only “Cretacolor” Woodless Graphite 8 or 9B

1 only “Derwent” white drawing pencil (Chinese white)

3 pack “Alphacolor Char-Kole” Compressed Charcoal

3 pack “Alphacolor Soft Pastels” – White

1 set Color pastels – 12 or more assorted colors

1 each “Neo Color” black and white crayons, water-soluble

1 only Sumi Brush

1 small jar Sumi or India Ink

Small tube White Gouache (“Windsor and Newton” or “Designers”)

1 only 1” brush (inexpensive)

1 only Kneaded Rubber Eraser ”Design”

2 each “Magic Rub” Erasers

1 only “Staedtler” Click Eraser

1 only 1”wide tape (masking or other)

1 pad 18”x 24” White Drawing Paper (24 sheets or more)

(“Canson” or “Strathmore”)

1 pad 18”x 24” Newsprint (rough texture, 100 sheets or more)

1 only Spray Fixative or Hairspray

1 only Masonite Drawing Board

Several soft cotton rags

Optional

1 only Cardboard portfolio (Utrecht) or other portfolio

1 sheet Sandpaper (60-120 grit)

Extra sheets higher quality colored or textured papers

(ex. Arches Cover or Rives BFK)

Recommended locations to purchase supplies:

Dick Blick / The Art Store 811 University Avenue Berkeley 510 486 2600

5301 Broadway Oakland 510 658 2787

Artist and Craftsmen Supply 2573 Shattuck Avenue Berkeley 888 217 3150

Utrecht Art Supplies 1909 University Ave Berkeley 510 649 0808

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When drawing portraits, like with still lifes, it helps to identify lights and darks with your charcoal, as well as get your proportion right. This is easiest to do with vine charcoal (due to it's temporary nature).

Once you establish what you feel is the basic building blocks of your piece, you can start to fill in your darks using compressed charcoal. The ways of doing this depend on your comfort level. Some people choose to abandon their vine charcoal and use only compressed from this point on. Others (such as myself [that being Maya]) choose to switch between vine and compressed. I'm heavy handed and indecisive and have learned that when I use only compressed charcoal I end up with a lot of unwanted lines and a value scale that lacks lights and whites.

This is also a point where more details can be added. Though it is up to personal preference on how to do so. Some people choose to focus on one area at a time (such as below with the left eye and nose) while others choose to work on and develop the piece as a whole (such as the first video). Again it all goes down to personal preference and comfort level. Both options have pros and cons.

It helps to create a ground with vine charcoal before going in with your compressed charcoal for dark areas. Just to be sure you're happy with the placement.

Continuing the process, using which ever method you prefer, should begin to yield your final (or thereabouts) piece. You should maintain a wide range of values and try to use harsh lines sparingly.

This is a semi completed piece. My blacks are defined with compressed charcoal but I still have enough value created with vine charcoal to give me the option to go back in and work more on some of his features. Portraits are just a matter of working into the piece until you get your desired result.