The sixth session of the Drawing Foundation class for Fall 2015 was held on Thursday, October 22. We discussed the six steps in creative problem solving; the importance of line and how an artist can use it to varied effect; and began studies of volume and depth through drawing drapery and folds in paper and cloth.
The fifth session of the Drawing Foundation class for Fall 2015 was held on Thursday, October 15. The class critiqued their results from the previous assignment; shared this week’s index card solutions; and practiced drawing coffee mugs, a step up in the complexity of forms. Learning to recognize the invisible forms that shape an object is an important skill to have if you want to draw images that are ‘true to life’.
The fourth session of the Drawing Foundation class for Fall 2015 was held on Thursday, October 8. We covered questions on three-point perspective, discussed the challenges in drawing correct ellipses, and got to use a brilliant optical device that Dick designed and built in the last week: the NelOptic! Breaking down the visible world into two-dimensional shapes and lines is not easy, but his device provides clear feedback that can’t be argued with.
The third session of the Drawing Foundation class for Fall 2015 was held on Thursday, October 1. The class critiqued their results from the previous assignment; shared this week’s index card solutions; and were introduced to drawing cylinders and arches in perspective.
The fifth session of the Color Relationships 1 class for Summer 2015 was held on Tuesday, August 25th. Our last session for the Color 1 series was a visual delight, from viewing the range of materials and various interpretations of the homework, to our guest speaker Valérie sharing her recent watercolor explorations. We heard a philosophical take on Dick’s theory of teaching and the shared contract of the responsibility for in student/teacher relationship, discussed the value of experimentation, and wrapped up with a delicious “graduation” potluck lunch and an hour of socializing.
The fourth session of the Color Relationships 1 class for Summer 2015 was held on Tuesday, August 18th. We critiqued the transposition examples seen in Albers’ book, reviewed the homework submissions, enjoyed a poetry reading, and heard from Kit Gentry about the incredible use of value as it is employed in his paintings. We moved on to our last assignment (an exercise in freedom!), and Dick talked about considering how we might put these color concepts to use in the future.
The third session of the Color Relationships 1 class for Summer 2015 was held on Tuesday, August 11th. We heard from participants about their latest experiences with color, critiqued the last two assignments, and moved on to explore a new facet of color interaction: equal value. This was a favored trick of the Impressionist painters, and when properly utilized can manifest the most beautiful and luminous fields of color. But matching value is much more challenging than it seems! It is truly the mark of a skilled colorist, one who can control their value selection as much as their choice of hues.
Wow, only our second session and we are fast covering ground! In this class, we moved right ahead, learning more about arrays; the importance of recognizing the difference between hue and value; how to look at your work objectively; and most importantly: HALATIONS! The following post summarizes our exciting class activities, the importance of critique, the new homework, and the fun videos we watched (no shortage of laughter!). Read on for more …