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.