Weeks Ten & Eleven: Sketching, Composition, Form, Value, Rhythm

VERY productive sketch sessions! Each of you is beginning to find and express your own creative voice. We explored the elements of composition by drawing an agave plant. All of you accomplished the goal of sketching loosely, quickly, and accurately.

Mini Drawing Show:
Shown below are the sketches that were done during Friday's video sketch session. Your skills really shined while drawing BIG! Click on the picture to enlarge for viewing:


above, left to right: Arianna, Nick, Zach
bottom, left to right: Emily, Hilda

I look forward to drawing with all of you after the holiday break. Hopefully you'll get inspired to get a sketchbook going! :-)

Happy Holidays!!! --Rob

Zach

This composition is a big breakthrough in the direction of your drawing style, Zach!! You used loosely sketched lines and different tones to capture the organic contours and color values of the agave plant. What I really like is how you merged your abstract style with a realistic representational style.

Your unique perspective of the classroom ceiling made for an EXCELLENT composition for last week's challenge sketch!



This week's drawing challenge: Find an object that has interesting patterns and textures to draw. Make 3 quick study sketches of it in different positions (sign and date your sketches for me, please). Then, focus on one part or area of the object to use for a dramatic composition, like how we focused on one area of the agave instead of the whole plant. Get expressive with your line work. Fill the whole paper. Include lots of details that will make for a provocative composition. Enjoy!

Emily

Your powerful sketching ability is captured beautifully in these drawings, Emily! Your quick eye for accuracy is matched with flowing contour lines, tones, and cross-hatching (one of your specialties). I REALLY like how you captured the organic form of the plant with delicate contour lines in your study sketches; then powered through a dramatic composition that pushed your pencil strokes in all directions while keeping an accurate representation of the plant. It's all held together with the control and rhythm shown in the movement of your pencil.

And your challenge sketch of the classroom is a wonderful execution of perspective drawing! Great job of using angled lines and shapes and tones to create a fascinating composition.



This week's drawing challenge: Find an object that has interesting patterns and textures to draw. Make 3 quick study sketches of it in different positions (sign and date your sketches for me, please). Then, focus on one part or area of the object to use for a dramatic composition, like how we focused on one area of the agave instead of the whole plant. Get expressive with your line work. Fill the whole paper. Include lots of details that will make for a provocative composition. Enjoy!

Miranda

The rhythm and harmony of your pencil strokes flowed into a beautiful composition, Miranda!!! You kept a sharp eye for accuracy while loosening up with multi-directional lines, especially in the darker tones. Your line work looks like brush strokes in an impressionist painting. Way cool how you used the kneaded eraser to blend the highlights with mid tones. It will be interesting to see how your drawing style develops as you keep sketching quickly and accurately.

Your view of the chalkboard for the classroom sketch divides the paper into a very interesting and balanced composition!



This week's drawing challenge: Find an object that has interesting patterns and textures to draw. Make 3 quick study sketches of it in different positions (sign and date your sketches for me, please). Then, focus on one part or area of the object to use for a dramatic composition, like how we focused on one area of the agave instead of the whole plant. Get expressive with your line work. Fill the whole paper. Include lots of details that will make for a provocative composition. Enjoy!

Nick

The speed and looseness of these sketches make for an amazing development in your skills!! You continue to push through to new levels of drawing, Nick! The accurate line work in your contour study sketch is awesome. The powerful mid and dark tones do a great job highlighting the organic contours of the agave leaves. Your composition looks very painterly. Keep expanding on this sketching style, man!

The lines and shapes of your classroom sketch makes for a strong minimalist composition.



This week's drawing challenge: Find an object that has interesting patterns and textures to draw. Make 3 quick study sketches of it in different positions (sign and date your sketches for me, please). Then, focus on one part or area of the object to use for a dramatic composition, like how we focused on one area of the agave instead of the whole plant. Get expressive with your line work. Fill the whole paper. Include lots of details that will make for a provocative composition. Enjoy!

Arianna

Arianna, you were definitely last week's Drawing Machine!!! You cranked out a bunch of quick sketches that show wonderfully expressive line work--lots of movement and rhythm going on! I really like how you experimented with different ways to capture the organic curves of the agave. With each new sketch your contour lines for the plant's leaves became more accurate. Excellent job of sketching bold lines to show a nice contrast between shadow areas, mid tones, and highlights.

Cool sketch of the classroom! You loaded all kinds of details making for an interesting composition.




This week's drawing challenge: Find an object that has interesting patterns and textures to draw. Make 3 quick study sketches of it in different positions (sign and date your sketches for me, please). Then, focus on one part or area of the object to use for a dramatic composition, like how we focused on one area of the agave instead of the whole plant. Get expressive with your line work. Fill the whole paper. Include lots of details that will make for a provocative composition. Enjoy!

Matt

As always, Matt, your way of seeing things produced a provocative sketch of the classroom!! Your use of negative space gives each of the objects in your drawing just the right amount of breathing room, creating a sense of drama, and making for a very interesting composition. You have a way of creating illustrations that seem to have some sort of story going on. Nice work, man!

This week's drawing challenge: Find an object that has interesting patterns and textures to draw. Make 3 quick study sketches of it in different positions (sign and date your sketches for me, please). Then, focus on one part or area of the object to use for a dramatic composition, like how we focused on one area of the agave instead of the whole plant. Get expressive with your line work. Fill the whole paper. Include lots of details that will make for a provocative composition. Enjoy!

Challenge Reference: Product Design, Perspective

Okay, sketchers! This week you are a product concept artist. Using either 1 or 2-point perspective (vanishing points, guidelines, etc.), draw a concept sketch of a product that people can use to make their daily lives a little easier, productive, exciting. It can be and existing product or you can invent something new.

Remember to start by sketching light guidelines then finish with darker lines and tones for lighter and darker values. Get creative and have fun sketching a design that will change the world! :-) Scroll down for ideas.



Examples of concept sketches:

Week Nine: Free Draw, Texture

Last week was Free-draw Friday and you all spent the hour cranking out some really cool drawings. I look forward to the next eight weeks as we continue to explore observational drawing from real life, as well as from memory, how you feel, and imagination. It will also be exciting to help each of you explore your own directions in making drawing a valuable tool in your future.


And now for this week's drawing challenge: From reference pictures, real life, memory, how you feel, or from your imagination make a drawing of the things you're thankful for. Use the whole sheet of paper for your composition. Add shading and textures to create a powerful illustration. Express what's important to you. Enjoy!

C ya Friday (for the T-day festivities)! ---Rob

Matt

Awesome! Drawing! Matt! Your ability to express yourself as an illustrator truly shines in the drawing of the lobster. (Let's further explore illustration as a potential career for you.)You did an excellent job of showing the texture of the lobster compared to the metal of the pan. The contour lines forming the lobster and the subtle shading are very well drawn. And for Friday's free-draw you pulled out all the stops for some fascinating work from your imagination.

Miranda

Miranda, you've definitely hit your stride in observational sketching!! Your eye for accuracy matches your ability to draw confidently, making drawing a powerful tool for your future. As your line work and shading improves, your drawings are looking more realistic. Your ability to draw accurate contours and textures is really starting to show in your work. You did an amazing job of swiftly sketching the cartoon monster!

Emily

The artist Paul Klee (1879-1940) famously said, "A drawing is simply a line going for a walk." Always a delight to see where your imagination will walk next, Emily! Your rapid sketches after Robert Crumb and your clock are nice little glimpses of your big-time potential for creative expression. Drawing is definitely a solid foundation for your future career. I'd really like you to explore areas such as illustration as a possible career in visual art.

Zach

The free-draw session is just what the doctor ordered for the creature with its arm in a sling. Your furry character (drawn after the artist Michael Sieben) shows a very cool style that I hope you'll explore further. Try visiting the magazine rack at Book Shop Santa Cruz for magazines like Juxtapoz and Hi-Fructose for more art style ideas. Your abstract designs also have lots of potential for development.

Jamee

Welcome back to class, Jamee! You dove in with a wonderfully accurate sketch of the lantern. Your observational drawing skills have come a long way since joining the Sketchers. And the work from your imagination is starting to flourish, too!! Your character sketch shows your ability to draw ideas in your mind out onto paper. Really cool how you used bold lines to show contours and texture.

Arianna

I've seen you make some outstanding drawings from real life, Arianna! And you've pulled off some awesome abstract sketches too. But when given a free-draw session it seems like cartooning is what you enjoy most. Your lively sketches capture the essence of the Nickelodeon characters. Now if we can just get you to blend it all together to make drawing a valuable tool for you to use in your future. Let's tap your true potential in drawing!

Nick

Hilda says that you're drawing all day long in school, whenever you get a chance. In SLV Sketchers you've developed an excellent eye for accuracy and I'd like to keep you drawing things from real life. But you really enjoy drawing from your imagination. You have put together a vast library of symbolic images (like in the drawing, shown above right) and I'd like you to explore putting them together in illustrations that tell stories. I'd also like you to push your potential in creating compositions that combine realism and symbolism. Maybe you can visit the magazine rack at Bookshop Santa Cruz with Zach and check out books on surrealist artists, or magazines like Juxtapoz and Hi-Fructose for ideas.

Week Eight: Form, Texture

The Crate of Realism: bones, skulls, shells, rocks and rusty old stuff

On Friday everyone selected an object from the 'crate of realism' and got into an excellent drawing session to finish our 8-week course. Each of you has found your own drawing style and direction that we'll explore in upcoming weeks. The SLV sketching crew has taken on every challenge I've thrown at you.

And so...

Your final drawing challenge for this quarter: Create a composition by drawing from observation (looking at things and then drawing them), memory (remembering a person, place, or thing), feeling (how you feel at this moment), or your imagination. You can focus on one kind of drawing or mix one or more together. Include what you've learned so far: lines, shapes, patterns, textures, form, shading, contours, etc. Use the whole paper for your composition. Enjoy!

C ya Friday! --Rob

Miranda

For the first few weeks you kept saying that you couldn't draw, even while your drawings kept improving. Miranda, your observational and drawing skills are stellar! Your ability to swiftly sketch accurate proportions of the lantern, the can of Lysol, and the bone is amazing. I especially like how you captured the roundness of the glass of the lantern and the delicate texture of the bone. Take a moment to see how far you've come in eight weeks; check out your first lesson: Click here. You can draw, girl!! I look forward to exploring realism and composition with you in the upcoming weeks.

And check out this drawing highlight of yours: Click here



Your final drawing challenge for this quarter: Create a composition by drawing from observation (looking at things and then drawing them), memory (remembering a person, place, or thing), feeling (how you feel at this moment), or your imagination. You can focus on one kind of drawing or mix one or more together. Include what you've learned so far: lines, shapes, patterns, textures, form, shading, contours, etc. Use the whole paper for your composition. Enjoy!

Matt

A very cool drawing style is really starting to show in your work, Matt! As you've focused on drawing realistically, your line work has become more accurate and delicate, allowing for very natural looking details. Your accurate rendering of the skull is EXCELLENT. And then you let your imagination kick in to invent an awesome composition, complete with a stack of vertebrae from memory and imagination. I REALLY like the shading on the box (eyeglass case?) and the details of the hinges. Let's also explore your talent for cartoons and caricature... I remember a really nice caricature portrait you did of Barak Obama.

Check out a couple of your highlights during the course: Click here and Click here

Your final drawing challenge for this quarter: Create a composition by drawing from observation (looking at things and then drawing them), memory (remembering a person, place, or thing), feeling (how you feel at this moment), or your imagination. You can focus on one kind of drawing or mix one or more together. Include what you've learned so far: lines, shapes, patterns, textures, form, shading, contours, etc. Use the whole paper for your composition. Enjoy!