E-mail for SCC faculty and staff has been down since Friday afternoon. If you need to reach me, leave a comment on this post with your e-mail address, and I’ll get back to you a.s.a.p. Hopefully I.T. will have things fixed shortly. I’ll let you know when I can access my inbox again.
I already sent out an e-mail to this effect, but I want to double down on the info just make sure everyone gets the word.
In the happy glow of anticipation for the holiday weekend (and then in the subsequent glow of gorging myself on comfort food), I have decided not to require an additional assignment in ART104 for this week. Please make sure you finish your drapery study homework before our next class meeting on November 30 (details are here).
Otherwise, enjoy your break!
Looking for something fun to do tonight, Friday, November 18? Of course you are! So why not check out the anniversary party at Studio Luloo in Oaklyn, NJ! The bash starts at 7 pm, and Salem Community College CGA major extraodinaire Billy Bollinger will be playing with Podacter, his self-described “dum dum punk band” (way to sell yourself Billy).
If that’s not reason enough to bestir yourself (and why the heck wouldn’t it be?!?), all the money earned goes to wicked good causes.
In Billy’s words:
All proceeds from the door will be donated to Studio Luloo, keeping the space alive and able to continue being a cool spot for local bands and to benefit their awesome community outreach programs like COMMUNITY ROCKS!
On top of that, if you pick up a cd, cassette, or vinyl from my band, all money made at our table will be donated to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU.ORG) to help defend basic human rights. We will also have a donation jar conveniently placed out in case you really hate physical records.
YAY thanks for listening ya’ll and let’s smash fascists, racists, sexists, and homophobes together!
Studio Luloo
215 W. Clinton Ave
Oaklyn, NJ 08107
Studio Luloo is BYOB for those who are of age and located directly next to “a pretty dank brewery, a pizza place, and a water ice place lovingly named Yum Yum’s.” (Billy’s words).
In addition to Podacter, the lineup (described oh-so-succinctly by our Mr. Bollinger) is as follows:
For more information about Podacter visit podacter.bandcamp.com.
This is such a great idea. It’s exciting to see people fighting the good fight. I so very very much want to go, but I have to work :(. You all need to attend and tell me about it so I can live vicariously! Go… change the world (and maybe enjoy a beverage and some music while you’re at it).
D’oh!
For this fine pre-Thanksgiving week, PartyPeople, we are going to anticipate those fancy tablecloths soon-to-be dribbled with cranberry blips and gravy bloops by practicing our wipe out drawing skills on a mini-still life of drapery (fabric). Did you know wipe outs are the gravy of charcoal drawing? Yup… they cover everything and are just a tad on the messy side. 😛
The goal of this assignment is to apply what you’ve learned about visual measuring PLUS what you’re currently practicing with value blocking to a more complex subject. Think of it as a benchmark for how well you’ve absorbed the learnin’ so far: like a take home test only more… dusty. By the way, it’s okay to be intimidated by drapery’s undulating forms, but remember it can still be broken down into simple masses and shapes just like everything else we’ve encountered in class.
Although I am assigning this homework now and strongly encourage you to do it this week so you don’t get overwhelmed next week when you get new content thrown your way, you will not turn it in until our next class meeting, which is Wednesday, November 23. No need to send me images unless you need help or feedback, both of which I happily offer. In the meantime, here are assignment details, some step-by-step and examples to help you succeed.
As stated above, you will be creating for this homework assignment a wipe-out still life of drapery.
D’oh!!
No, no, no… not that kind of wipe out! We’re talking about a drawing where you use erasers to wipe away areas of a preliminarily established value in order to render forms.
D’oh!!!
Erasers. Kneaded (a.k.a. cat yack) erasers are designed to lift charcoal gently. White vinyl erasers, like the kind that come on the end of most mechanical pencils, can be used for more aggressive removal, but be careful not to tear your paper.
Pin the cloth to a wall or drape it over something and arrange a few big, distinct folds. Three or four will do. You can get fancy if you want, but you’re learning, so I’d rather you demonstrate excellent technique on something simple than mediocre technique on something complex.
Nothing says awesome like charcoal hands!
I may add some photos of these steps for you this weekend, but, for now, here’s a description of the need-to-do.
Here are a few examples of charcoal drapery studies. They’re not all wipe out drawings, but they give you some benchmarks nonetheless. FYI: you do not need to set up compositions as complex as these. Again, three or four vertical folds in your cloth will do.
Don’t forget to check back into the blog next Wednesday for the at-home assignment that will take the place of our usual in-person meeting.
Always remember and never forget that your second project in ART104: Drawing is due next Wednesday, November 16 at the beginning of class. We will have our critique first thing, so please come on time and prepared, especially since this assignment is worth a big ol’ 10% chunk of your grade. For more on Project 2’s nitty and gritty, please review the guidelines.
If you already read the guidelines (or listened in class) you know that this past Wednesday, November 9, there was a task due related to Project 2, namely submitting a photograph of your initial gray and white block in. 
Some of you were on it. Others… I don’t know…. Maybe you were so burned out by late-night election drama you forgot. Maybe you have a project-instruction-eating pet with a mission to foil on-time homework submission. Hey, stuff happens. Although you can’t get back the points already lost, you CAN send me a progress-shot-for-advice anytime between now and Wednesday. I’m here to help if you need it.
In that spirit, below is some more information on value-blocking to guide you. FYI: the photographic examples in the step-by-step are from a painting demo I did earlier this year, so it’s not exactly the same as charcoal drawing. However, the basics align.
Value blocking is a method of working from general to specific to build the overall composition of an artwork using distinct shapes of light and dark.
Blocking in the overall value scheme is certainly not the only way to begin a two-dimensional artwork, but it’s pretty darn-tootin’ effective. Why? Because you are able to quickly see relationships between parts of your total drawing before you get locked in. Formal elements like value change relative to what’s around them. Example: a light gray looks lighter next to black than it does next to white. Don’t believe me? Check out the the crazy pic below. That really is the same gray in the dots!
Not only does value blocking help you see relative values, but, as stated, it’s a method of working general to specific, and that’s pretty much always a good thing in art. 
Considering the big picture before focusing on details saves you from the revisions, reworking and regret that often accompany trying to obsessively perfect things a section at a time. Nothing drives you to copious amounts of chocolate faster than realizing you drew the best eyeball in the history of ocular-themed artwork, but you have to get rid of it because you didn’t plan how it would work with the rest of your piece.
The basic process of value blocking begins by considering your subject in terms of two values: white and a light/middle gray. If you are working from a source such as a still life, landscape, model or photograph, make the decision that every piece of light and shadow you see is either white or gray. If an area is bright, say values 1–3, leave it white. If it is darker, make it gray.
Note: it is absolutely, positively, stick-six-post-its-on-it crucial to see the light and dark areas you’re blocking as distinct shapes. The shadow under an eyebrow, for example, should be considered every bit as real and defined a shape as the eyebrow itself.
Once you have laid out your entire image in white and gray shapes, refine, refine and did I mention refine? Make a second pass adding a third value, usually a darker gray or black to separate values 8–10 from the mid-tones. Refine your shapes as you work. Depending on your project goals, you can then make additional passes, each time extending the range of values.
Because of its relative speed and its ability to help you break down complex forms into manageable shapes, value blocking is an incredibly powerful tool. In fact, I use it all the time, particularly for figure drawing, where capturing essence quickly is crucial.
For more information on the process, please check out the following video tutorial and the step-by-step below:
That’s all folks!
P.S. If you voted, bring proof in the form of your voter registration card, “I Voted” sticker, photos from the polls, etc. That’s assuming you want the offered extra credit…
Happy Friday, my intrepid Drawing, Printmaking and Web Design students! It may be fall break, but there’s never a wrong time to introduce a shiny new extra credit opportunity!
As you may or may not know, Salem Community College has an online literary and art magazine called From the Oak Desk. It is published monthly and features the work of current students. Supercool… check it out.
Anyhoo… I will award 10 extra credit points to anyone who, between now December 15th, submits a piece representing the work they’re doing in my class(es). In other words, printmaking students should submit a print from class, Drawing students should submit a drawing from class and web designers should submit a mock up or website from class. The submission process for From the Oak Desk is as easy as snapping a photo and sending an e-mail.
Actual fries I got from a Middle Eastern restaurant just down the street from me in Philly. Hand cut with grilled peppers and onions… if that doesn’t make you want to be an engaged, exhibiting artist, I don’t know what will!
Go for french fries (which always sound amazing after being all productive and crap).
FYI: this is a one-time only offer, meaning you can only get points once. Don’t spam Professors Lucente and Martin with a new e-mail every time you make an art. Rather, choose wisely. The caveat is that, if you have more than one class with me, you may receive extra credit in all of the above if you submit appropriate pieces for each. These multiple submissions can be sent to the From the Oak Desk jury in one e-mail.
So this thing happened on Tuesday….
Yeah….
What can we say about it?
Huh… well, it was… something. The rough and divisive nature of both the campaign and the election has certainly produced strong emotions in people on both sides of this aisle. As you are no doubt aware, protests are happening nationwide. There is a lot of uncertainty floating around about what happens next. Heck, reading the comment section on any given political article or Facebook post is like staring into the time vortex (don’t do it; you’ll go insane).
If you feel anxious, are being bullied or simply want to vent some feelings because of this turbulent transition, I am willing to listen. I am in no way a trained counselor, but sometimes talking helps. Outside of that, make sure you are engaging with friends, family and others who will give you support. For more serious discussion, you may wish to contact Salem Community College for information about what counseling resources exist in the area.
Stay strong, my wonderful students!
Don’t forget to vote! I dragged my lazy tush out of the snuggly bed at 6:45 a.m. in order to cast my choices for a less apocalyptic future. Your turn!
FYI: lines may be long. As the woman in front of me commented, “Whatever people are feeling, they’re feeling it strongly!” Leave yourself a little extra time and bring a distraction. It’s so very worth it (and not just for the extra credit).
“Still Life with Pitcher and Apples” by Pablo Picasso (charcoal on paper, c.1919)
Below is a link to a pdf with a detailed description of what will be expected of you for our second project in ART104: Drawing.
Guidelines for ART104 Project 2: Achromatic Master Study
Just as with Project 1, you are responsible for knowing and understanding all the project requirements, so put those literate eyeballs to good use!
As you know if you did the aforementioned reading, Project 2 requires you to select a master work of art to use as a basis for creating a full value drawing. Below are nine thumbnail images of the possibilities from which you can choose. Clicky click any of them for a bigger view. You need to let me know your selection on Wednesday, October 26 during class.
Still Life with Herrings by Chardin
Still Life with a Skull by Champaigne
Still Life with Salt Tub by Claesz
Still Life with Pitcher by Picasso
Still Life with Fish by Manet
Basket of Fruit by Caravaggio
Basket of Plums by Chardin
Goldfinch by Fabritius
Still Life with Pitcher and Fruit by Cezanne
Plunged as you are in the midst of full-on busy semester, it’s tempting to just pick the thing that looks easiest and go with it. I suggest, however, that you take time to really consider what you’re most interested in trying and learning from. Consider the composition and subject and also squint to see the underlying value scheme. FYI: artworks that seem simple on the surface, can actually be surprisingly difficult due to subtle use of darks and lights.
And, as it says in the project guidelines, don’t be afraid to declare, “Challenge Accepted!” Pushing limits is how we go from meh to AWESOME.
Comment or e-mail!
Happy Friday, my effervescent drawing students! As you know, we are entering the wonderful world of value in ART104. Hooray!
If anyone is interested, here is the presentation (in PDF format) that I gave on Wednesday, October 19 on the formal element of value: The Value of Value
Annddd… below is your friendly neighborhood reminder of what you need to complete and bring to our next class.
Finish Your Value Scale!If you didn’t get it done in class, complete your value scale of ten 1″ x 3″ bars representing a range from 1 (white) to 10 (black) . Render this in conté crayon (what some of you know as “Blick sticks”). You can also use a kneaded eraser to knock back values if they get a little too dark. Be as neat as possible and create an even progression so that your scale can be effectively used as a guide. The final product should look something like this:
Draw a Sphere!Draw it from your imagination but shade realistically in a full range of values using conté crayon or vine charcoal. You may work in your creativity journal or on a separate piece of paper. For the purposes of this exercise, assume you are rendering a white sphere on a white surface.
Ideally, rendering the sphere is no problem, because you paid attention during the demo and maybe even took some of those helpful things… what are they called? Oh yeah… notes.
In case you were just too burned out after critique to register what we covered, however, here is a step-by-step demo to ensure everyone is on the same page with regard to this important process.
When it’s lit by a single light source, a sphere will have a dark side and a light side (just like the moon). Sketch a light line perpendicular to the direction of the light to indicate the separation between the two sides (see image under step 2). Some artists call this the terminator, not because it looks like evil robot Arnold Schwarzenegger, but because it marks an ending to the light (which I guess IS kind of the same as evil robot Arnold Schwarzenegger).
REMEMBER: all values on the light side will be lighter than any value on the dark side. The human eye can play tricks, making you think that the reflected light, for example, is as light as the light side values. However, it’s not true for examples like ours with a single light source.
Do the Handout!Of course, smooth shading isn’t the only way to establish value. You can also use repeated lines or dots to simulate a full range. This method relies on visual blending, which is what happens when your eyes automatically average closely placed blacks and whites so they appear gray.
To practice creating value with lines and dots, complete the worksheet you were given in class. Read the brief description of each technique, and then shade the circles accordingly. Your goal is to recreate the light and shadow the example sphere. FYI: you will have an easier time doing this worksheet if you have already done a blended sphere.
And finally…
Don’t don’t DON’T forget… in addition to homework, your creativity journals are due for midterm review next class. Make sure you pack yours so you can get credit for your work so far!
Please also bring back any conté crayons, charcoal or erasers you borrowed to do your homework.
See you Wednesday!
that often accompany trying to obsessively perfect things a section at a time. Trust me, nothing drives you to copious amounts of chocolate faster than realizing you painted the best eyeball in the history of occular-themed artwork, but you have to get rid of it because you didn’t plan how it would work with the rest of your piece.
see the light and dark areas you’re blocking as distinct shapes. The shadow under an eyebrow, for example, should be considered every bit as real and defined a shape as the eyebrow itself.
Del's Digital Classroom 
You must be logged in to post a comment.