Derek Brueckner's Figure Study 1 Course

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Homework Assignment # 1: Tonal Drawing Self-Portrait Assignment with hand

Homework Assignment 1: Tonal Drawing Self-Portrait Assignment with hand

Assignment Summary:
Using a mirror and observational drawing skills students will depict themselves in a self-portrait tonal drawing which will also incorporate at least one hand. Incorporate a background and have the entire drawing present a progression of space (Progression form foreground to middle ground to background)

Size: 18 x 24 inches on white cartridge paper

Materials: Tonal Drawing on white cartridge paper (18 x 24 inches) using a choice of

black charcoal pencils with compressed charcoal & white chalk, and/or black & white conte sticks, or black & white oil pastels. Please no graphite! (no graphite pencils, no woodless pencils or no graphite sticks)

Subject Matter Details/Requirements:
Portrait parameters are defined as depicting yourself from the collarbone to entire head.
The face should take up a minimum of 50% of the drawing page and the hand should take up a minimum 20% of the drawing page. At least 75% of the face should be unobstructed (in clear view). Potential obstructions of the face could include costume accessory, hand, etc.

The frame of the mirror could be included if it is in your field of vision when composing the requirements with in this assignment. Remember you still must have the face take up a minimum of 50% of the drawing page.

Lighting:
In order to keep the lighting consistent when developing the tonal aspects of the drawing it is strongly suggested that some sort of artificial lighting close in proximity to the face is used to create effective range of dark and light tones (effective highlights and shadows)

Process:
This assignment requires a process of observational drawing. Be prepared for a layering, editing and revising during the drawing process.

Objectives and Evaluation Criteria for Assignment (Repeat of Formal Ideas presented during class):

1) Process from Beginning to Completion of Drawing - Progression of Layers from Rough and Tentative Drawing Material Applications to Strategic use and Layering of: Detail, Contrast and Rendering Control):
Tonal drawing involves layering process that starts tentatively (drawn lightly and rough with soft edges) With this type of drawing in early stages initially map out subject matter into basic shapes of light and shadow (planes & other basic shapes) No detail should be in the beginning stages of drawing and start in the center work directly out and around from initial shape. Use initial shape as building block and reference for comparing proportion and choosing composition.

Tentatively (and lightly) map out entire composition before committing to: detail, exact locations of shapes, levels of high contrast, thick layering of drawing mediums, and sharp edges. Anticipate editing with a combination of additive and subtractive processes in the drawing. As in previous tonal work anticipate at times a messy process of restating and editing to occur during the layering process. Remember for a rendered drawing the ultimate goal is to absorb all lines into shaded areas.

2) Range of Tones, Edges and Mark Making:
Anticipate strategically using a full range of grayscales (dark to light tones) and range of edges (hard/sharp to soft/out of focus edges) during the entire drawing process. During the early stages of the drawing use only soft (tentative/out of focus) edges and light to middle grayscale tones to tentatively map out entire drawing. As well utilize a full range of mark making from smudged to raw marks, short to long marks, curved to angular marks, and various pressures of gentle touch to pressing heavily on the drawing surface. When investigating mark making, tones and edges keep in mind that your eraser can be a drawing tool as much as any other drawing medium.

3) Accurate Proportion, Scale and Potential Perspective Concepts:
Utilizing measurements, horizontal/vertical alignments and potentially even some 1pt & 2pt perspective concepts for background. When working from observation generally use the theories of perspective (vanishing points & horizon line) at later stages of drawing as a tool for checking accuracy of proportions, scale, etc. In any assignments whether working from observation or imagination generally you should not lock into horizon line and vanishing points until proportions are resolved in background.

4) Composition: Locate an interesting viewpoint with a reasonable level of difficulty that will have a unique and complex interaction of shapes through out picture (including border of drawing) and choose a composition that is conducive for presenting the subject matter requirements (listed above) for assignment. Is the view of the face going to strait on and symmetrical or will the face be depicted in a 3 quarter view which is asymmetrical. Either way how do you formally organize your shapes to create an interesting but unified composition?

5) Strategic Levels of Contrast:
Increasing or decreasing contrast in strategically chosen areas will assist in depicting the illusion of 3 dimensional forms and the illusion of the portrait, had or foot and space. Often a subtle progression of decreased contrast (along with hard to soft edges) from foreground to background will need consideration in the final stages of the layering process to convey a convincing illusion of 3 dimensional forms and space.

6) Forms/Volumes & Space:
Clear depiction in the illusion of 3 dimensional masses in space that progresses in a clear manner from foreground to background. Over lapping of forms and strategic use of detail, contrast, range of edges, grayscales, angles and composition will all be crucial in achieving a strong illusion of 3 dimensional mass and depth of space.

7) Strategic Use of Detail:
Anticipate that progressively there will be less detail as the viewer moves back into the space of the picture plane. Various levels of detail will also be required on some forms or planes located in the foreground (such as the face/head and or hand) and at times in the middle ground depending on the spatial location of the subject matter. This is the final stage of the layering process. Make time to allow for some careful finishing touches and to strategically refine or layer over select rougher areas in the work. In some ways this has connections to the ranges of marking in the drawing and layering process.

Some Examples of Assignments from Previous Classes:

Note: Often a single example of work may not demonstrate all the required objectives for a particular assignment. Instead students should collectively consider: the required objectives for each assignment, the multiple examples presented on this website and during in class presentations. As well ideas discovered through a student's independent research in combination with various examples and ideas presented by instructor will ultimately be the best approach for synthesizing ideas and reaching the requirements (and unique outcome) for any particular course project.

Link to Additional Information for Assignment 1 and Additional Images

- Examples of Tonal Self Portraits without hands

Homework Assignment # 2: Model in Thematic Representational Environment

Assignment Summary:

Create a new drawing by copying a figure drawing completed (from a long pose) in class. Within this new drawing depict the figure in a thematic environment. The figure and in particular the environment should formally depict a progression of space. Utilizing and/or thinking about light source will also be beneficial for the drawing.

Generally this environment will present a representational (realistic) space with accurate perspective and proportions but options of different representational juxtapositions from media culture, science fiction, various global cultures and/or historical time periods can be utilized as well within the environment. If utilizing global cultures be careful about issues regarding cultural appropriation.

Size: 18 x 24 inches on white cartridge paper
(If you wish to use other types of paper, discuss paper options with instructor)

Materials: Tonal Drawing on white cartridge paper (18 x 24 inches) using a choice of black charcoal with charcoal pencils, and/or black & white conte sticks.
(Instructor recommends black & white conte)

Objectives of Assignment:
-To demonstrate the ability to depict mass and planes (figure and other subject matter) in relation to space while utilizing variations of light and shadow in a black and white drawing.

-In order to get space depicted in the drawing assignment, incorporate a room with an open door, or a window with a view to the outside, or large long walls that angle into a deep space. Generally more detail, higher contrast and sharper edges are required in foreground with a gradual progression of out of focus edges, less contrast and detail towards middle ground to background areas) note the assignment examples do not depict an open door or a window with a view to the outside,

-Explore various drawing sensibilities from controlled to manipulated and expressive mark making on drawing surface.* (generally more control and detail required in foreground with a progression of more expressive mark making towards background).

-This assignment is meant as a culmination of the various black and white drawing materials and formal ideas experienced within this figure study course.

-For this assignment and as in the previous homework assignment people will be expected to develop themes in relation to subject matter as well as their formal approaches to drawing materials.

Subject Matter:
Select volumes, planes and space that will present a definite sense of foreground, middle ground, and background (deep space) in the drawing. Generally a combination of organic and geometric shapes will give a composition good visual variety in the drawing.

*This assignment requires an emphasis of drawing from observation but you can also incorporate an expressive interpretation which should connect to the themes and concepts in the work, but do try to have more detail and clarity as subject matter progresses to foreground. Select expressive characteristics should appear intentional with in the context of observational drawing.

Thematic Content:
Here again the use of thematic content is an important concern. As discussed in previous homework assignment Thematic Content may involve choosing symbols, metaphors, allegories, narratives, myths, icons, motifs or combining some of these choices.

Thematic content may also be like a word in a poem where a given word has multiple layers of meaning but connects to the poem’s overall theme. Once again you as the artist have the goal of trying to bring multiple layers of meaning into the completed assignment.

Formal Issues and Examples of Various Black and White Drawings:
Below are links which may assist in researching formal issues when depicting subject matter in black and white drawings. These are ideas in the links below have been covered in class and in the previous homework assignment in course.

This link below will present examples and ideas about drawing objects.
*This link will also present various formal issues that will include: process of drawing, additive and subtractive layering of mediums, mark making, mixing of black and white mediums, strategic depiction of (or lack) of detail and contrast.
*Variation of edges in shapes from sharp edges (hard edge) to soft edges (blurry edges) and all of these issues considered in relation to space and composition.
https://derekbruecknercourseinformation.blogspot.com/2022/09/thematic-objects-minimum-3-thematic.html

This link below will offer some formal examples of drawing exteriors using various options of black and white materials. Over all these examples in the link below present a very good depiction of deep space and in some examples offer a very good use of atmospheric perspective.

Example of exterior drawing with atmospheric perspective:

Notice the strategic use of sharp in focus edges with detail and high contrast in foreground. As subject matter progresses from middle ground to background the detail and contrast decreases. The furthest areas in the background have low levels of detail, low levels of contrast and very soft edges. The environment for the figure can be a more compressed space but ideas of of atmospheric perspective should still apply for this assignment.

http://derekbruecknercourseinformation.blogspot.com/2009/04/exterior-rendered-drawings.html

3 Examples of Homework Assignment by Students:

Note the exterior space presented in the window in the above last image

An examples of Homework Assignment by Students unresolved/unfinished, but off to a good start:

EVALUATION CRITERIA:

Thematic Content (20%)
Thematic Content may involve choosing symbols, metaphors, allegories, narratives, myths, icons, motifs or combining some of these choices.

Connecting Thematic Content with Formal (5%)
How does the formal ideas in the work connect with the Thematic Content?

Formal Ideas in Work (75%)

Formal Ideas Evaluation Breakdown:

Anatomical Proportions (35%):
As in the line drawing assignment proportions of the figure will be very important for assignments in the figure study course.

Layering Process (10%):
Begin the drawing with basic planes of light and shadow, gradually build up drawing thinking about the flowing ideas below. Mistakes are inevitable, consider a layering and editing process as you gradually accumulate layers on the drawing. Consider additive and subtractive processes but do not obsessed with perfection during the early stages of the drawing. For gesture drawing you will need to rely on repetitive practice and instinctual processes more.

Strategic Use of Detail (10%):
Through practice the goal is for a refined rendering style that offers a strategic use of detail and high contrast in the foreground. Ideally the drawing will progressively decrease in detail and contrast as the viewer reaches the background. Do not get overwhelmed with the need to have detail and precision in the entire drawing.

Strategic Use of High and Low Contrast (10%):
Increased contrast can assist the edges in the foreground to appear sharper, while the edges of forms in the background begin to slightly dissolve if contrast is low.

Strategic Use of Hard and Soft Edges (10%):
Generally hard (sharply in focus) edges should be in foreground areas while edges progressively become softer (out of focus) as shapes progress to background

Rendered (Shaded) Figure Drawing Objectives/Requirements

Formal Requirements of Tonal Figure Drawing

For any assignments regarding the black and white rendering (shading) of the figure the following ideas will need to be considered; anatomical proportions, layering process, articulation of detail (and progressive lack of detail), different levels of high and low contrast, the strategic use of hard and soft edges, grayscale, full range of mark making will be required.

Anatomical Proportions (45%):
As in the line drawing assignment proportions of the figure will be very important for assignments in the figure study course.

Layering Process (15%):
Begin the drawing with basic planes of light and shadow, gradually build up drawing thinking about the flowing ideas below. Mistakes are inevitable, consider a layering and editing process as you gradually accumulate layers on the drawing. Consider additive and subtractive processes but do not obsessed with perfection during the early stages of the drawing. For gesture drawing you will need to rely on repetitive practice and instinctual processes more.

Strategic Use of Detail (15%):
Through practice the goal is for a refined rendering style that offers a strategic use of detail and high contrast in the foreground. Ideally the drawing will progressively decrease in detail and contrast as the viewer reaches the background. Do not get overwhelmed with the need to have detail and precision in the entire drawing.

Strategic Use of High and Low Contrast (10%):
Increased contrast can assist the edges in the foreground to appear sharper, while the edges of forms in the background begin to slightly dissolve if contrast is low.

Strategic Use of Hard and Soft Edges (10%):
Generally hard (sharply in focus) edges should be in foreground areas while edges progressively become softer (out of focus) as shapes progress to background

Full Range of Mark Making (3%):
Within the layering process of the drawing allow there to be different types of mark making where drawing strokes (and applications of drawing materials) will range from being loose, textured and expressive to controlled and smooth.

Strategic Use of Grayscale (2%):
Consider a range of grayscale in the work, particularly when there is a desire to create difference or similarity form one form to the next. This is related to strategic use of high and low contrast but focuses more on the gray tones between the extremely light and dark areas in the drawing. When using black and white materials a sensitivity of mixing black and white will be required.

The grayscale in a drawing is achieved by layering a black medium and allowing different levels of the white of the paper to come through in a drawing, OR a grayscale is achieved by mixing black and white mediums to achieve the range presented in the above grayscale. Often drawings use a combination of both methods (utilizing the white of the paper AND mixing the white with black drawing mediums together)

Creating your own grayscale for each drawing medium will assist in learning about each drawing materials characteristics, plus will allow you to practice depicting and to be more sensitized to the full range of grays in a drawing.

Keep in mind that for this course grayscale will emphasize depicting light and shadow. Generally translating colour into grayscale will not be part of the assignment requirements.

Drawing Material Choices:

Black and White Conte:
Strategically using a full range of mixing black and white conte. With this medium layering will be required. Eraser will rarely be used but if an eraser is required a rubber eraser with offer the most success. A needed eraser will tend not be successful with conte.

Compressed Charcoal:
Is easily manipulated and can be erased with rubber eraser. Dark areas can be easily added to create strategic areas of high contrast in drawing.

As an option white chalk or conte could be strategically placed and or mixed in compressed charcoal drawing.