Exercise 2 – Objects

Here I have made four contour drawings on one 18″x24″ page. Each drawing (except for the sea urchin shell) has an in progress and final image. After trying all of the pencils I decided using HB for the initial sketch and then going back over the emphasized areas with the darker 2B and 4B pencils worked best. I preferred drawing the fabric objects because the lines did not need to be as precise in order to convey the image.

Object 1 – Sea Urchin Shell from Sanibel Island FL

Object 2 – OSU Scrunchie

In-progress object 2

Object 3 – Sunglasses

In-progress object 3

Object 4 – Face Mask

In-progress object 4 

Homework 2 – “The Secret of Drawing – the Line of Enquiry”

Reflection

The “The Secret of Drawing 1 – the Line of Enquiry,” brought to my attention the dynamic relationship between art and science. I think there is often a preconceived notion that people who are analytical or science-oriented are not creative or artistic. However, this documentary proves that notion wrong. The impact behind the art work of Leonardo Da Vinci on modern medicine (particularly on the surgeries performed by Francis Wells) surprised me. Da Vinci’s drawings almost appear more alive and more informative than photographs because you can see the strokes, the detail, and the thought which was needed to create the images. I found a similar liveliness in the art of John Adams Audubon and George Stubbs. It was ironic to me that these artists were able to capture the life of their subjects even though they often used dead specimens.

The biggest takeaway I gathered from this documentary was how to use drawing as a way to learn more about the world and yourself. Da Vinci’s artwork, along with that of Cassiano dal Pozzo and Audubon, gave me a deeper appreciation for history in relation to art. These artists have managed to capture moments in time through their drawings and have provided important insight into the natural world. While art is often used as a form of expression, it can also be used to explore the world around you. Exploration was a key component to Russell’s moon drawings. In an age when traveling to space was likely unfathomable, Russell was fascinated with the moon and was able to expand his view of the world by drawing it.

 

“The Secret of Drawing 1 – the Line of Enquiry,” Produced by the BBC, Hosted by Andrew Graham-Dixon, 2005

Exercise 1 – Contour & Blind Contour Portraits

Blind Contour 1

Blind Contour 1

Blind Contour 2

Blind Contour 2

Blind Contour 3

Blind Contour 3 

This blind contour exercise was quite difficult, but it resulted in some interesting images!

Continuous Line Contour 1

Continuous Line Contour 1 

Continuous Line Contour 2

Continuous Line Contour 2

Continuous Line Contour 3

Continuous Line Contour 3 

I found the continuous line contour drawings to be much easier than the blind contour since I could look at the page. I also found that using my hair was a good way to move around to different parts of the face without drawing a lot of lines across.