Other Stuff

I thought I'd post a couple of images of work I am doing outside of Life Drawing. The above in progress work is 4x6 feet acryclic gel, interior latex, and soft pastel on wood panel. Each mark is reminiscent of curvature of the human spine.

These Pastel drawings are in the process of being matted. There are 6 in the series. Each drawing features multiple layers of 3 dimensional fabricated 'bodily forms'. Tamera referred to them as 'fleshy' pouches, which I am in love with and disgusted by at the same time.

Final Reflection & Portfolio

I realized about half way through the semester that I wasn't going to meet the course objectives nor my own standards if I continued at my current pace. I pushed myself as hard as I could throughout the duration of second quarter & felt that I exceeded my own expectations.

Life Drawing at Stout has taught me a great deal about the human body, rendering forms, and handling drawing tools. I find myself utilizing the things that I have learned, such as cross contour and line quality, in nearly everything I do outside of class.

I have spoken quite a bit about confidence throughout my blog. The one thing that I will carry with me above and beyond anything from Life Drawing is higher confidence in my drawing hand. I need to be pushed to realize my capabilities most of the time. I am very pleased with most of the drawings I created this semester and will use my new found confidence to explore new facets in my art.

Link
Click here to view my semester's work.

an example of a quick gesture drawing from the end of the semester for comparison with earlier drawings

This & That

I am gaining confidence as the semester comes to as close. I would like to dedicate more time than ever to my sketchbook from this point forward. It is unbelievable what a difference it makes in my drawing to practice daily. I can render the human body practically from memory now, and I am proud of that. The graphite sketch in the previous blog was merely a doodle on my art history notes.

Sketch Book Things III

Gesso, Pastel, Graphite

Sketch Book Things II

Soft Pastel

Graphite

Sketch Book Things

Pastel & Tea/Ink Washes

Here are a few images from my sketchbook. They are all related to life drawing in one way or another.

Aside*

11x14 Pastel Study from Life

I am leaning toward figurative work outside of life drawing. The image above is a 30 minute portrait from life. I began by drawing the skeleton in garish, inaccurate colors. These colors are still semi visible in the pit of the neck and the breast plate. I am enjoying the subtlety of these structural marks in contrast with the delicate handling of complex color in the skin. I would like to further these observations in nude (or nearly nude) studies from life.

20 Minute Pose 22x30

*Note the changes in the foreshortening of the foot and calf, and the flattening of the shoulder and back from the short sketch to the longer drawing. The mark making in the second is much more delicate and refined as well.

10 Minute Sketch for Long Pose 22x30

30 Minute Pose
22x30

Drawing Digis

Hands have proven to be the MOST challenging area of life drawing. I struggle because I am accustomed to making large sweeping gestures when drawing from life and then going back in to rework details. I get caught up in the complex forms within the hand and my drawing style becomes tight and cramped.

Hands are helping me to learn how to recognize and render plane changes better than other body parts. I am improving my cross contour line work because the contours in the hands can be so dramatic.



10 Minute Hand Study 22x30

Craniums & Stuff

Image;
Amy's Lecture Notes 4/26/10

Yesterday I began to explore the skull bones. We learned the proportions of cranium to face, which are probably surprising to many, but I had a good idea prior. This doesn't mean, however, that I was able to draw the skull right away! It's going to take a lot of practice to learn how the bones of the face sit in relation to the cranium. I find that I've been elongating the cranium and shortening the height of the face. Drawing from the maniken skull rather than life was very beneficial to my understanding of the bone structure. I am planning on doing a few more skeletal based studies to further my understanding of the figure.

My first attempt at rendering the skull

Shell Drawing III

22x30 Shell Drawing III
Charcoal, Pastel, Tea


Close Up of Wash Detail

Color

This is my first attempt at drawing from a live model in color pastel. I chose to do this study in a 5x7 format simply because it is the given format for our 'daily paintings'. I immediately regretted working this small. I have grown accustomed to large gestural marks whether painting or drawing, and trying to place these delicate accurate marks proved to be frustrating. I think it was good for me to attempt these, simply to learn better control of my tools.

Proportion, Proportion

Attempting Proportion

Life & Shoulders

I learned about the anatomical structure of the scapula and it's relationship with the rib cage and shoulders today. The human figure is always so much more complex, even visually, than I had assumed before our lectures on anatomy. I have been drawing these areas of the body all semester, yet after today's lecture, I am seeing them completely different.

We drew from a male model for the first time this semester today. It was actually a difficult transition. Male and female anatomy actually differs quite a bit, from muscle development, to bone structure, to how they carry excess weight or lack of.

Today becomes Tomorrow

http://figuredrawings.com/

I found this website today that I believe I will be frequenting this semester. It has some great image references as well as a plethora of writing relevant to my studies.

Staining Experiments

I've been experimenting with creating stains from loose tea. I've struggled to control india inks in the past. I tend to have issues with over-saturation and control, leading to a murky mess. I decided to explore teas and coffee instead. This week I took 5-10 containers at a time and attempted to create stains with varied amounts of loose tea and water. I experimented with different brands and varieties of teas as well. Here are a few images of the more successful dyes I've created. Brush control became my next issue. I learned that I prefer to use a foam brush, although the marks can appear 'manufactured' if you aren't careful. I am really enjoying the subtly of the less saturated hues and the color variation in the others. I am also interested in the way that the moisture is interacting with the charcoal where the lines become heavier. This may be something worth taking further outside of life drawing.



*The last image was an attempt at wet on wet staining and drawing. I think it turned out a bit cheap-hotel-watercolor looking.

Spring Break Blues

I was surprised by the poor quality of the drawings I was making during my first class period back after spring break. I didn't think much about making work, let alone drawing while I was away. Charcoal felt awkward and foreign to my hands yesterday. I have been drawing so much in the last couple of years that I had no idea how rusty I could become from a week off. If a week off sets me back this much, I think I could become artistically disabled from a longer hiatus. It scared me! Looks like I need to dedicate a bit more time and frequency to my sketchbook. My sketchbooks have always served as more of an outlet for writing than drawing. Either way, my hands and mind are working together and that serves as good practice.

Midterm Portfolio

I began this semester in life drawing a bit frustrated. I took drawing and design at the University of Minnesota as a freshman. We had a fairly long section concerning life drawing from live models that consumed our an entire four hour long class period. I wasn’t aware of the considerable amount of anatomy that I was about to learn at this course at the University of Wisconsin Stout. Just days into the semester I learned a great deal more than I had at the U of M.

I have always enjoyed drawing in a quick and gestural manner, so life drawing tends to come natural to me. I was never pushed to study proportions and detail at the U of M. I have been challenged in Life Drawing at Stout to question my mark making, which has opened my eyes to another dimension of drawing. I realized that the marks I was making prior to this class were intuitive, but not necessarily educated. This has been a struggle for me throughout the semester. Challenging myself tends to be the best way for me to learn.

Studying and creating muscles from clay has proved to be the most challenging aspect of this class although vital in understanding the human figure and how to draw it. I have also noticed that this better understanding of these three dimensional organic forms has improved my drawing in general. It has given my abstract work a dimension that it lacked previously. I am looking forward to furthering my knowledge of drawing, the human body, and organic form.
Click on the link below to view several images from my drawing this semester.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/42667240@N08/

Image: A quick drawing by Amy highlighting some of what we've learned this Spring Semester.

Channeled Whelk Shell

22x30'' Pastel Pencil

The channeled whelk, Busycotypus canaliculatus, from the Indian River Lagoon. Photo courtesy of K. Hill, Smithsonian Marine Station.

http://www.sms.si.edu/irlfieldguide/Busyco_canali.htm

The Channeled Whelk is the home of a large snail. It can be found in along the eastern coast of the United States as well as California. This snail prefers intertidal or subtidal sandy habitats.


This shell is typically 5-8 inches long. It's body is pear shaped.

"Shell of a channeled whelk showing the characteristic large body whorl and straight siphonal canal. Photo courtesy of K. Hill, Smithsonian Marine Station."

http://www.sms.si.edu/irlfieldguide/Busyco_canali.htm

The Walker Art Center

Franz Marc
The Large Blue Horses

Walking into the "Benches and Binoculars" exhibit was overwhelming. Art work from floor to ceiling and wall to wall made me feel very small! I have been studying art history for a grip. Seeing so many works of art in person at once was stunning and humbling. "Large Blue Horses" by Marc stood out to me. The composition features three dynamic figures of horses. The brushwork is handled loosely. The color palette is fairly limited but fully saturated and bold.

The work I am invested in currently has parallels to Marc's "Large Blue Horses" that I was fortunate enough to see first hand at the walker. It is interesting to think about the concept of contemporary in 1911, when this was painted. The techniques that were developed one hundred years ago are still influencing the art world today.

Confidence

Confidence is an issue we must all confront.

As a student, it is difficult to judge one's own talents & downfalls. I find that the more time I spend on a drawing, the more I begin to doubt myself. The longer I seek perfection in the marks I am making, the more disappointed I become with inaccuracies.

I have always preferred to draw in a gestural manner. Allowing myself to submit to the materials & the subject somehow gives me confidence. The imperfections this creates are appealing to me. If my subconscious is able to create something beautiful then I know that I am capable.

I am Britt & So it Goes

I am in my second semester of my 5th year of college. I began school as a Graphic Design major at the University of Minnesota. I transferred to UW Stout to pursue a degree in Art. I am taking life drawing at UW Stout one year before I graduate. I wish I would have taken this coarse much sooner, as I assume it will be beneficial to my other areas of study.

As far as my personal work is concerned;
I tend to shake excessively. Professors and friends over the years have even encouraged me to see a doctor. I have learned to incorporate this quirk into my work. Most of my current work has what I have jokingly named 'wiggly style'. I was finally put on a medication that reduces my trembling but I am content with the style that it helped me develop. My current chosen medium is pastel. I constantly find myself exploring that gray area between drawing and painting. The image I have provided is a small section of a larger painting/drawing featuring a fabricated skyline in acrylic, charcoal, and pastel.