Assignment #1

Sophomores:

DUE: Monday, 9/16

Make an observational drawing using ebony pencil. You can make a still life of your choice, or draw a corner of a room, or draw yourself using a mirror. Use one strong light source. Make sure to include a full range of value. Include all the parts of chiaroscuro: (highlight, halftone, deep-shadow, reflected light, cast shadow). Make sure there is a foreground and background.

Examples: 

 Vincent Van Gogh, "Still Life of Shoes" oil paint

 Brian Duey, pencil

Juniors:

DUE : Tuesday 9/17

In your sketchbook, make 2 drawings of words. Pick one word per drawing. Think about the shape of the word, the placement of the word on the page, the size of the word, the word's meaning, etc. Objective: to improve drawing skills, increase comfort with drawing, to be able to make an image that is representational of a concise idea.

Exampes:

 Mel Bochner. "Blah". Monoprint.

 Roy Lichtenstein "Varoom!". Oil on canvas.

Seniors

DUE - Monday 9/23 (Kappa) or Tuesday 9/24 (Omega)

Research an artist whose work you find interesting. Fill 3 pages (just front) or 1.5 pages (front & back) in your sketchbook of images and text. Fill no more than 50% of the space with images. Have at least 3 different images of work by the artist. Fill the rest of the space with your response to the work.

Questions you can ask yourself can include:

What is my emotional response to the work?

What are some themes I can see throughout the artist's work?

What are the formal qualities of the work (Principles of Art/Elements of Design)

How was the work a reflection of the time period its from?

How does the art reflect the culture of the artist?

How was it made? What was it made with (medium)?

What could be the intention of the artist?

What do I notice first about it?

What does it remind me of? What do I associate with it? What does it reference?

What adjectives would I use to describe it?

(If part of a series) How does it relate to the others? How does it differ?

(If part of a series) What do the pieces do together that they do not do separately?