Assignment #14: Object Self

Due: In the Final Portfolio

You are to choose an interesting object. Be sure to choose one that  is fascinating, and which also has immediately recognizable visual characteristics.  You are to make self portrait as that object.

This project comes in two parts. 

1. The first part involves you making a drawing of your chosen object from life so that it fills a page in your sketchbook.  You may use any media appropriate.

2. The second part involves making a self portrait as that object (it must also fill a sketchbook page).  You are to make it clear in your drawing that the second drawing is you, while at the same time keeping it recognizable as that object.

To recap: make a drawing of an object, and then make a drawing of you as that object.

Standards of craftsmanship will be very high for these last few projects.  Spend as much time as appropriate for each drawing.  Take pride in your sketchbooks!  They will be a valuable asset to your transfer portfolios.

Final Portfolio!

To mark the end of the term, you are to prepare a portfolio of 15 in class drawings from any class period from the whole term, plus your sketchbook with ALL the out of class sketchbook projects.  Hand in your portfolio in a standard clean folio folder large enough to comfortably fit all of your drawings.  Spray fix each dry media drawing (outside and away from any buildings or cars), and slide in sheets of clean loose sketch paper or similar to separate each drawing from the drawings next to it.  This will help to ensure that my taking your drawings out of your portfolio will not smudge them.  Do not ask me to help you decide which of your drawings are best; choose what you think are the strongest and feel free to include written reasons why you chose what you did.  Be sure to sign each drawing and portfolio (without marring your drawings), as I will not be reduced to guessing who did what.

ACHTUNG: For our purposes, an in class drawing means one side of a whole sheet of paper.  If you choose a sheet of paper where you want to include both sides as separate drawings, make it clear to me somehow! 

Neatness and presentation is everything!  You could have the best drawings in the world, but if your portfolio folder is less than desirable I will not want to look inside (a book is often judged by its cover!), and you will therefore have earned a poor grade.

List of assignments to be included in your sketchbook:

·        Skeleton and Skulls project

·        Arm muscles

·        Leg muscles

·        Torso muscles

·        Hands and Feet

·        Hand and Foot Bones

·        Van Gogh copy and self portrait

·        Ingres Copy and self portrait

·        Matisse copy and self portrait

·        Two Emotive Self

·        Two More Emotive Self

·        Famous Self

·        Animal Self

·        Object Self

Assignment #13: Animal Self Portrait

Due: next week at the beginning of class

You are to choose your favorite animal. Be sure to choose one that is fascinating, and which also has immediately recognizable visual characteristics.  You are to make self-portrait as that animal. Note: animal cartoons do not count (no Pikachu or Scooby-doo, for example).

This project comes in two parts. 

1. The first part involves you finding an image of your chosen animal and making an accurate and precise drawing of that image so that it fills a page in your sketchbook.  You may use any media appropriate.

2. The second part involves making a self-portrait as that animal using the first image as a point of departure for the second (it must also fill a sketchbook page).  You are to make it clear in your drawing that the second drawing is you, while at the same time keeping it recognizable as that animal.

To recap: make a drawing of an animal, and then make a drawing of you as that animal.

Standards of craftsmanship will be very high for these last few projects.  Spend as much time as appropriate for each drawing.  Take pride in your sketchbooks!  They will be a valuable asset to your transfer portfolios.

Assignment #12: Famous Self

You are to choose a famous (or infamous) person. Be sure to choose someone who is fascinating, and who also has immediately recognizable visual characteristics.  You are to make self portrait as that person.

This project comes in two parts. 

1. The first part involves you finding an image of your chosen person and making an accurate and precise drawing of that image so that it fills a page in your sketchbook.  You may use any media appropriate.

2. The second part involves making a self portrait as that person using the first image as a point of departure for the second (it must also fill a sketchbook page).  You are to make it clear in your drawing that the second drawing is you, while at the same time keeping it recognizable as that famous person.

To recap: make a drawing of a famous person, and then make a drawing of you as that famous person.

Standards of craftsmanship will be very high for these last few projects.  Spend as much time as appropriate for each drawing.  Take pride in your sketchbooks!  They will be a valuable asset to your transfer portfolios.

Assignment #11: Emotive REdux

Due: next week

Emotive Self Portraits Redux

You are to pick two different self-portrait drawing options from the two you picked last week.  Make a self-portrait for each of your new choices, with each drawing affecting a human facial reaction:

Surprise

Fear

Skepticism

Shame

Excitement

Anger

Disgust

Disdain

Remember, be as melodramatic as possible.  Subtlety is great, but for drawings like this to work they need a theatrical quality.  Each drawing must be meticulously finished from observation only.  It must also fully develop elements of light and shadow. This means you may not work from photos or any other 2 dimensional references, and you must be sure that you draw as anatomically accurate as you are able.  To do this you must spend hours in front of your mirror at home studying your face in different poses.  Leave any self-consciousness at the door.  Each drawing should fill a page in your sketchbook.  Good luck.

Assignment #10: Emotive Self Portraits

Due: next week

Emotive Self Portraits

You are to pick two of the eight self-portrait drawings options below; make a self-portrait for each of your choices, with each drawing affecting some human facial reactions:

Surprise

Fear

Skepticism

Shame

Excitement

Anger

Disdain

Disgust

Be as melodramatic as possible.  Subtlety is great, but for drawings like this to work they need a theatrical quality.  Each drawing must be meticulously finished from observation only.  This means you may not work from photos or any other 2 dimensional references, and you must be sure that you draw as anatomically accurate as you are able.  To do this you must spend hours in front of your mirror at home studying your face in different poses.  Leave any self-consciousness at the door.  Each drawing should fill a page in your sketchbook.  Good luck.

Assignment #9: Matisse Self Portrait Project

Due: next week

You are to choose a Henri Matisse portrait drawing.  In the same manner as the Van Gogh project and the Ingres project, make a copy of the Matisse drawing and make a self portrait drawing in the same scale, style, and position as the copy. Matisse was all about line quality.  His line has an unselfconscious whimsical quality that is also extremely confident.  In copying his line you cannot possibly be authentically unselfconscious, but you have to look that way.  Spray fix!

There are a number of websites that are great image resources: artcyclopedia.com, and artchive.com, but also try Google images.  Be creative in how you search for images.  They’re definitely out there . . .

Hint: Be sure to choose drawings, not prints that look like drawings.