perspective

Time Grows Foreshorter

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Drawing Stuffs Due 10/19/16

new_perspective

This week in class, we discussed some of the remaining odds and ends of perspective in preparation for the final push on this unit in ART104: Drawing. If you were one of the folks who missed, you have some catch up to do, since what we learned is crucial for drawing non-square forms that extend back in space. You know, bottles and screwdrivers and pens and… hey… wait a gosh darn second… those objects sound familiar! Project 1, anyone?

To help refresh the memory of those who were in class and bridge the gap for those who weren’t, I have linked two videos on drawing ellipses and cylinders in perspective. You must watch the first one; the second is optional. Both include tips on drawing round forms when they are foreshortened.

kaiba_foreshortened

Seto Kaiba from Yu-Gi-Oh: he may not be King of Games, but he’s King of Dramatic Foreshortened Hand Gestures!

Uh… okay… what is foreshortening? It is the term used to describe the apparent shortening that occurs when an object recedes rapidly in space relative to your point of view. You are probably familiar with foreshortening from anime and comic books, where it’s often used as a dramatic device. However, it is part of regular ol’ life drawing as well. Because of the optical distortions of foreshortened subjects, rendering them on paper can be difficult (leading to colorful language and the massive consumption of melted cheese on the part of more than one frustrated artist).

But never fear, my intrepid Drawing students! With foreshortening (and with drawing more complex shapes in general), you have a not-so-secret weapon: any object can be conceived as encased within a tightly fitting envelope box. If, you can draw the box in perspective, you can draw the object in perspective. And boy, do you know how to draw boxes!

Video 1 (Mandatory Watching)

This video shows how boxes in perspective become guides for drawing ellipses and cylinders. The presenter is working in three point perspective, which we haven’t really discussed, but the only difference is that the vertical lines also converge slightly. Don’t worry about this detail, though.  The basics are otherwise the same. Pay particular attention to the info about the axes of the cylinder, which we touched on toward the end of class on the 12th.

Video 2 (Optional Watching)

This video also discusses ellipses and cylinders in perspective, but it goes into more precise, geometric detail, which may be helpful to you technically minded folks. It also has some nice tips on one point perspective.

What You Need to Do (and Know) to Get a Good Grade on Project 1

All the info above is intended to prepare you for finishing Project 1, which is due at the beginning of class on Wednesday, October 19. Don’t forget, no late work is accepted in ART104, so don’t blow this off or show up without anything. You will automatically get a zero, no exceptions. Since Project 1 counts for 10% of your total course grade, that will be a significant blow.

If, for some reason, you are not finished, turn in what you have. Partial credit is better than no credit. That said, since we have been working on this for three weeks, I am expecting everyone to have put between 6 and 9 hours into the project. Aaaannnndd… I will be looking for drawings that show that investment. If you’ve fallen behind… well… time to make drawing your bestie for the weekend.

no_shadeAs you draw, remember that you are working with contours. I know it’s tempting, tempting, TEMPTING to add shading to make the drawing feel more complete, but that’s not what this project is about. Your goal is to make a strong  piece of art with lines alone.  You can, of course, draw more than just the outline of each object. Consider making contours of the cast shadows, the highlights, the interior details, etc. All good as long as you stick to contour lines; no shade!

dark_side

Ten Tips for Project 1
Read Them, Live Them, Love Them ( They Help)

  1. draw_lightDraw with light lines. LIGHT lines. You know… opposite of dark… resists all shadow… bathed in radiance… LIGHT!
  2. Work general to specific. Most people get better results starting with boxes in perspective, and then gradually refining down to the desired form from there.
  3. For more complex objects, such as a hammer, you might want to construct it out of two or more perspective boxes, one for each section of the tool.

    Here’s a short video with some examples on drawing objects starting from boxes (simple and complex)

  4. Work all over the page; don’t get sucked into perfecting one object. Block in the whole composition, and then go back and refine.
  5. Check that symmetrical objects like bottles and bowls are the same (mirrored) on either side of the center line.
    symmetric_asymmetric

  6. Measure often with multiple methods: angles from different points, horizontal and vertical plumb bobs, relative proportion (size of Shape A vs. Shape B), etc.
  7. positive_negative_shapesLooking at the shape of the space surrounding the object you’re drawing  can also help you see if you’ve got it right. In other words, look at the negative shapes.
  8. Learn from the kitteh at the top of this post: change your perspective to reveal things you wouldn’t otherwise notice. Turn the drawing upside down or take a photo with your phone.
  9. Step back and take breaks so you can re-approach the drawing fresh.
    take_a_break.jpg

  10. When in doubt, check the project guidelines.

line_qualityOnce you are TOTALLY SATISFIED that your drawing looks and is composed how you want it, put the finishing touches on it by adding line quality. Finally, you can draw dark!

Questions? Let me know. I’m also happy to review your drawing-in-progress if you like. E-mail me a photo, and I will reply with feedback. Otherwise, get ‘er done so you can enjoy that well-earned celebratory rush that comes from checking off a big item off the to-do list.

finishing_a_project

Rounding the Corner(s) on Perspective Drawing

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Drawing Homework Due 10/12/16

This week you have two tasks my dear drawing students:

number-one-Project 1: The Next Generation

As you know from our discussion in class, I am pushing the due date of Project 1 back one week in order to give you enough time to develop a really strong contour still life. Project 1 will now be due Wednesday, October 19 at the beginning of class.

As part of this change, we are adding another checkpoint along the way. For next week, 10/12/16, block in your chosen composition using light contour lines that are result of careful measurement and observation. Do not draw any dark lines just yet; we are going to review the “correctness” of your proportions and perspective next week prior to you putting finishing touches in place. In other words, keep everything light enough to erase until after we’ve taken a look at the drawing together in class.

**IMPORTANT NOTE**
no_photography.gifPlease draw from life not from a photograph. You don’t learn very effectively if you work from something that has already been flattened into two dimensions. There are also distortions in photographs that may wonk up your drawing. *Gasp* They might even jank it! Bottom line, photos = bad for Project 1.

Some Step-by-Step

  1. Set up your chosen still life. What you choose will be based on the conversation we had in class regarding your thumbnails.
  2. light_cat.jpgIf possible, put a directional light on the still life. This makes it easier to see details and separations.
  3. Put your paper on a piece of board or cardboard as a backing. Ideally, to avoid skewed perspective, you will work vertically like we do on the easels in class.
  4. Measure the overall envelope. If you have objects that extend off the page, the envelope will encompass just what you see within the borders, meaning it may bisect certain objects.
  5. Measure and lightly mark the interior envelopes around each object.
  6. Lightly sketch each object in proportion and according to what you’ve learned about perspective. Use angles and horizontal and vertical “plumb bobs” to ensure everything is correct. Check and double check with different types of measuring to for best results. Can’t remember how to measure? Checky check:

  7. Have I mentioned draw lightly? Hey… you know you should draw lightly! Do not add dark or thick marks yet. Everything needs to be erasable.
  8. Work general to specific. For example, a wine bottle starts with an envelope box and then a neck and body cylinder and then the added details of shoulders, bottle top, etc.
  9. Make sure you step back regularly to evaluate the drawing. Does it feel “right”?
  10. Bring your drawing to class on Wednesday, October 12 so we can discuss it one-on-one. It should be far enough along that we can discuss both the individual objects and the overall composition, but it shouldn’t have any final finish in place, because you will likely need to make changes depending on our conversation.

TwoEllipse Mania!

Draw 10 ellipses in your creativity journal. Each ellipse should utilize a different proportion. For example, one might be 1 to 2, another 1 to 3, a third 2 to 5, etc. You may draw them vertically, horizontally or diagonally, but follow the steps introduced in class on Wednesday, October 5.

bender_ellipse

Drawing Ellipses Step-by-Step

  1. Draw a rectangle to the desired proportion using a measuring stick. A ruler is not necessary. As always, start with light marks that can be easily erased.
  2. Find the midpoint of each of the four sides of the rectangle.
  3. Lightly trace arched lines between the points to create the ellipse.
  4. It can help to feel your way with scribbly sketching. Draw as lightly as possible around and around the circumference until you find the right curve. You can then darken that correct line.

Watch Out for…

bloated_ellipseEllipses that seem to be retaining water…

Your ellipse should touch the sides of the rectangle only at the midpoints. In other words, it should “kiss” the box, not rub up against it. We want our ellipses G rated! If your ellipse touches more than the midpoints, it will look bloated.

invisible_footballAny ellipse that seems ready for the big game…

If your lines curve too sharply from top/bottom midpoint to side midpoint, your ellipse will look pointy like a football rather than gradually curved like a circle in perspective.

 

 

What’s Your Angle, Two Point Perspective?

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Drawing Homework Due 09/28/16

calvin_and_hobbes_perspective

“Calvin and Hobbes” by Bill Watterson knows all, sees all… including the value of perspective! Notice Calvin’s room is rendered in two point perspective in the second to last panel. 😀

As we sally forth on our sometimes brain-melting discussion of linear perspective, your homework explores more about the two point variety. For next week, complete the following tasks due at the beginning of class on Wednesday, September 28:

number-one-

Watch this video on using two-point perspective to draw boxes or scenes from your imagination. It is applicable to what you will be doing on your homework worksheets.

As you watch, some of you may be asking, “Hey, what about that confusing envelope box thing?!? This guy doesn’t make and subdivide no stinkin’ envelopes!” (I’ve totally mastered the idiomatic speech of SCC students, haven’t I?) Remember that envelope boxes are only necessary if you want to lay out relative scale, such as when you’re trying to draw what you see while keeping each thing in proper proportion. You can use envelopes to lay out a scene from your imagination, but it is not necessary if the relative scale of the objects is not an issue, (which it is likely not for this pretend cityscape).

For more information and a written breakdown of what you saw in the video, you can check out the related lesson on The Virtual Instructor.

TwoComplete the second section of the perspective worksheet packet you received last week. This means pages 6, 7 and 8 (the final three sheets), which cover two point perspective. For pages 6 and 7, you can draw directly on the worksheets. For page 8, use a separate piece of paper to create your cityscape. Since you will spend a little time on this task, choose a decent, unlined piece of paper (in other words, not from your creativity journal). The paper should be at least 8 1/2 by 11 inches to allow you enough room to work. You can use a piece of computer paper or a sheet of newsprint from your pad.

Work neatly and use a ruler or straight edge for making lines. You may draw in graphite or charcoal. Start light so you can easily erase mistakes and/or excess lines.

Have fun and be creative. What kind of cool things can you put in your city? Maybe it’s the City of Townsville and Alien Monkey Monsters are attacking in their box-shaped spaceships. Feel free to play a little.

number3As with last week, do an image search on the wide world o’ the web to find a piece of artwork or a photograph, this time demonstrating two point perspective. Make sure it is an actual artwork or photograph and not simply a diagram or pre-made perspective study.

precise_google_image_searchOnce you have found a suitable two point perspective image, click “view image” from the image search. This will take you to a page that hosts the image online. You know you are on an image-specific page because the url (web address) at the top of the browser window will end in .jpg, .gif or .png. Copy the entire url and paste it in a comment on this post. The image won’t go live until you hit “Reply”. I have provided an example for you in the comments.

For more instructions on making comments on our blog, check out the step-by-step instructions.

 Be prepared to point out the horizon line, vanishing points and orthogonal lines to your classmates next week. 

Don’t forget to work those wacky creativity journals. We’re almost halfway to the first review, so, if you’ve been falling behind, now is the time to get caught up. Let yourself loose, and see what’s possible!

question_in_perspective.jpg

Questions? I’m just an e-mail away. Have a glorious week full of inspiration and adventure!

A Zoom with a View: One Point Perspective

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Drawing Homework Due 09/21/16

spiderman_perspective.jpg

My Spidey sense is tingling… from the stunning one-point-perspective in this illustration!

Your homework for this week, my fine drawing students, is all about point of view… one point perspective point of view! In order to receive homework points PLUS the glorious knowledge that your point of view is on point, complete the following tasks. They are due at the beginning of class on Wednesday, September 21.

  1. Work through the homework handout pages 1–5, otherwise known as the stuff covering one-point perspective. Reminders:
    • Do not do the last three pages, which are on two-point perspective. You can read them over if you want to get a sense of what’s next, but don’t attempt the exercises yet. We will cover two-point perspective in class next week.
    • Work neatly (do as i say, not as I do ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ). If it helps, feel free to use a straight edge for making lines.
    • For page two (the photographs), you do not have to mark the vertical lines, but, if you’re feeling saucy, you can use a colored marker or pen rather than the specified pencil. It may be easier to see your lines that way.
    • For the cityscape exercise on pages 4 and 5, you may draw in your creativity journal if you prefer it to the sheet provided. Spend a little time on this drawing to make something wall-crawler-level cool.

  2. Noodle about on the interwebs to find a piece of artwork or a photograph that demonstrates one point perspective. You can use an image search in Google to point you to examples. However, you should spend a little time looking until you find, not only something you like, but something with a one-point perspective scheme you understand. Please choose an example that is an actual artwork or photograph and not simply a diagram or pre-made study of perspective. Be prepared to point out the horizon line, vanishing point and orthogonal lines to your classmates next week. 
    the_droids_were_looking_for.jpg
    Once you have found a suitable one-point perspective image in image search, click on “view image” to go to that image as it is hosted online. You know you are on an image-specific page because the url (web address) at the top of the browser window will end in .jpg, .gif or .png. In my experience, .jpgs are the most reliable file for use on WordPress. Copy the entire url and paste it in a comment on this post. The image won’t go live until you hit “Reply” (and until I approve the comment if you’re a new user on the blog). Incidentally, you don’t have to provide commentary on the image you chose, though it is a nice nod to the artist or photographer to list his or her name and the title of the piece. I have provided an example for you in the comments.

    For more instructions on making comments on our blog, check out the step-by-step instructions.

That’s it! Except… don’t forget to work in those creativity journals. Twenty juicy-good pages full of play are your goal for the week. In fact, I hereby challenge you go totes wackadoo with the experimentation!

Have a great week! Send questions my way via e-mail if ya got them!