Contour

This first exercise we're going to work on will focus on learning contour drawing. The first distinction to make is the difference between and outline and a contour.

*An outline is used to separate a form from its surroundings. It also separates "positive space" from negative space. Positive space is simply your object/objects, whereas negative space is the area around it.
* An outline is useful for conveying FLAT shapes, such as an image on a road sign.
*An outline has no variation in line quality/thickness of line. Therefore, things that recede into the picture plane looks the same as things that are closer to the picture plane.

Contour, which is what we're interested in, suggests three-dimensional form. And, as I discussed in the first video, that's what we're concerned with in this class -- honing perceptual ability and learning how to give an object a sense of three dimensional form on a two dimensional surface. Everything we do in this class will come back to those two things.

Contours give the illusion of three dimensional form because they show variations in thickness, weight, and speed on line (how quickly or slowly you make the mark). 

Contour is so important also, because this is where we are going to begin to really REALLY look at an object. We are used to "generalizing" so if I told you to draw a chair, everyone would come up with something with a seat, four legs, a seat back, etc. It would be a composite image of all the chairs we've seen in our lives.

Now, if I asked you to draw a specific chair, say, the one you're sitting in right now, you'd look at the exact curvature, the proportions of the legs to the rest, you'd show how wide or tall it is, you'd give us a sense of if it's rigid/wooden or a squishy lazy-boy. My point is, you'd be drawing something specific, and your drawing would reflect that.

That's what we're interested in this course! The specificity of objects -- their exact proportions, shape, etc.

Everytime you draw in this class you should always have your object or set of objects in front of you. And you should be looking at the object constantly. In fact, you should be looking at your objects more than at your sheet of paper. You should never be drawing from 'memory' in this class..because if you do that, well, then again you're generalizing.

OK! so now we know what we're trying to do, now let's talk about what this actually looks like.

Here are some examples of contour drawing:

With both of these, notice how the variation in line, darker in some areas and lighter in others, makes such a difference for showing the form. The lines should be darker near edges, curves, crevasses -- where the form recedes. The transition from dark to light lines should also be gradual rather than abrupt changes, and overall the drawing is precise and accurate.
Check the you-tube video on Contour for a demo.

For contour, you're going to be drawing two objects, then posting pictures, then the next day you'll draw 2 more. So, you'll ultimately have 4 contour drawings. They should be about 1/4 to 1/3 of a 18" x 24" sheet of paper. Make sure you use the 18" x 24" drawing pad, and use your 6B or 4B pencil to get those darker marks.

P.S. No rulers allowed. the whole point is to gain confidence and facility with making the mark by hand.

Now that we covered Contour Drawing, we can move on to our next topic, Cross Contour. Practicing cross contour will synthesize what we discussed in contour, while adding a new thing to think about, which is direction of line.
Cross contours depict the turn of the form, or the way that the form sits in space.

The first step to making a cross contour drawing is of course first to start with an outer contour of the form. As you did with regular contour drawing, vary your line pressure/line weight. Once you have your contour done, you want to look at the object to figure out the correct direction to go in:

The lines should mimic the shape, so look for the direction of the curve at each side of your object. Also there are several ways to make your cross contour look more three dimensional:
1.) darken the lines more towards edges and sides, have them slowly fade to a lighter line in the middle.
2.) have more lines where the form recedes, so again, towards the edges/bottom of the form. In the middle where the form is the broadest there should be more space between the lines.

So, line variation and line spacing. Notice the difference between the one on the right and the one on the left. (The one on the right is what not to do!)...
The difference between the two is that the one on the right, which really just looks like a flat, gridded form, lacks line variation and changes in line spacing.

Here are some more examples of cross contour:

 This is half-completed, but you can again see the line variation between dark and light lines, (dark lines at edges, corners, sides), and some changes in spacing. Also, precision is very important, so be sure to go exactly to the edge of the outer contour.

To practice this, chose two objects to draw with cross contour (rounded objects work well, as do things like gourds, bell peppers, etc). Draw them and post pictures. You will draw a total of four cross contour objects, but we'll do them in sets of two so you can get feedback from the first ones you do. You should also look at the youtube video for Cross contour before you start drawing!

Value and Crosshatching

Now that we've completed cross-contour and understand the idea of direction of line, we're going to move into "value" which will be our central focus throughout the remainder of the semester. When we did contour and cross-contour, everything was linear, and we weren't concerned with things like shadows, highlights, etc.
Let's start with a definition of what value is:
** Value is the gradation from light to dark across a form. It is determined by its local color and by the degree of light that strikes it **
So basically, the value (often referred to as "shading") will depend on the actual color of an object (i.e. a brown object will probably have darker values than a white object), and also the lighting situation.

Here's an example:

We can look at this sphere and understand that it's a rounded object that has volume, as opposed to a flat circle. We know this because of the way the value and lighting situation has been depicted.
Can you tell where the light is coming from? (If you said upper right corner, good job!!).

Below this drawing is what is called a value scale, starting with the lightest values and then going to the darkest value. It is useful to always refer back to a value scale (you can make your own, optional, or look at this one), and ask yourself if you're achieving a full value range in a drawing. You always want to have a good range of light, midtone, and dark areas in your drawing.

The other thing to notice on this is that there is NO CONTOUR. I put this in all caps because this is so important! We no longer need our contour, because we are using value to show a differentiation between positive and negative space. Now, if you add in a contour, it will only flatten out our object.

In this project, you can start with a light pencil contour to get your objects accurate, but after that you will completely eliminate the contour. There should be no "line around everything." Objects should simply go from one object to another through changes in value, like the objects in this drawing:

Notice how each object is shown by a change in value and shadows, not with a line around everything.

The next thing that is incredibly important with value is understanding contrast. Contrast is basically just having dramatic differences between light and dark areas.

Here are some student's work with high contrast:

Notice how there is strong variation between dark and light, which was achieved by a build up of lines.
For this project, we're going to use crosshatching, which is a linear way to build up value. This project will help us synthesize the idea of direction of line, while adding the new concept of value.

When you crosshatch, think of the direction that makes the most sense for the object. Also think about how different marks might be useful depending on the texture of the object. Let's look at a bunch of examples of cross hatching.

To start this drawing, you're going to be working on one sheet of Bristol paper. It's got a very smooth surface which is perfect for using pen. You'll also be using your Micron pens (005 and 01). You're going to cut your paper to 12" x 12." Set up a still life for yourself and email me a picture. Think about relationships between objects, creating interesting spaces of negative space, interlocking/interweaving objects, etc. All of these objects you see in the picture are good choices, metallic cans, old fans, sports equipment, rope, fake flowers, fruits/veggies, gardening tool, etc, etc..just a hodge-podge of different objects. Take a picture from a few different angles. You will not be using the photograph, this is only so that I can give you some feedback on the setup. 

Once your set up is good, start drawing with a pencil contour. Lightly but accurately/precisely draw all the objects. Look at relationships between objects and where things line up in relation to each other.
If you've never done cross hatching before, it's useful to do a little practice object, and send me a jpeg. The best way to do cross hatching is slow and steady...don't rush it or it looks haphazard. The other crucial thing is direction of line and contrast, which we've discussed in this tutorial.

Another type of mark-making you can try is stippling which is layering tiny dots to create the value (it takes a long time, as you can imagine). I would only stipple things like shadows or really delicate objects. It looks like this: 

In these images above, also notice how the direction of line mimics the form of those cyclindrical objects. Also..you don't need to cross back over in the other direction, so a lot of times you are just "hatching" rather than "cross hatching."

Two more examples:

So, to recap:
*By the end of the drawing, there should be no remaining contour
* Use high contrast and a good range of values in order to show the form
* Use different mark-making techniques depending on the object (length of line, speed of line, direction of line, stippling, etc.)

Post pictures throughout the process of creating the drawing on our class blog. 

This next assignment is going to be a shorter study in which we'll be drawing on black paper with colored pencils. Good papers to use (also on your syllabus) is Canson Edition in Black or Canson Mitientes in Black. (Mi-tientes are sold at the on-campus bookstore). This assignment will further reinforce our study of value, which we started when we did the last project, crosshatching.

The main difference is that in this assignment, you'll be using the white/light colored pencil materials to show the highlights and the midtones. For the really deep shadows you won't have to put any marks down because the black paper will serve as the dark shadows.

When we did crosshatching, it was the exact opposite. We had to keep the white of the page in order to have our highlights. When we put down marks, it was to define mid-tones and shadows.

As usual there is also an accompanying video demo of this, so please also look at the youtube channel.

Here's what to do to start your drawing.

First, cut your paper to the following dimensions: 18" x 18" (again, either use the paper cutter in Bloch Rm 1, or a straightedge ruler and an exacto knife/boxcutter. Do NOT use scissors!!)

In the center of the 18" x 18" square, you are going to measure off a smaller space to work in, 10" x 10"

Draw a light pencil mark to create a 10" x 10" square in the middle of the larger 18" x 18" paper.

Next, pick two objects. They should be something REFLECTIVE. A glass jar, a glass vase, a shiny can, etc. It should have really strong reflective highlights.  Think about the relationship between the object to each other -- experiment with different objects and how they look next to each other (you might want different textures, i.e. metal and glass, or different heights, one thing tall and the other short.

When you are placing them on a desk to draw, it can be helpful to put a direct light on them, which will make the highlights and shadows even stronger. It can also be easier to put it a little further away from you because it's a little easier to draw that way, compared to if you're looking over the top of the objects (the perspective is just more difficult).

First start your contour with white colored pencil. Keep the marks really light. It will look something like this:

A quick note on ellipses, since you will be drawing rounded objects. Often, beginning students have a hard time with getting ellipses (the top rounded and bottom rounded parts of the drawing) in correct perspective. The most common error is to make the top part a perfect circle, when you are really looking at an ellipse (a circle in perspective). Another common mistake is to make the edges of the ellipse pointed, or to make the ellipse lopsided.

Here is what an ellipse should look like, and of course it will vary depending on the relationship between you and the object you're drawing. The only way you'd have a circle is if you are staring over it at a "bird's eye view." If you are at eye level, and it's sitting on a desk a little far away, you'll have an ellipse.

Continue the drawing by adding more colored pencil. Keep in mind what we've discussed so far as far as value, contrast, and direction of line. Be sure to include strong bright highlights as that will make the objects look reflective. Here is the continuation of the drawing, as well as a few more examples.

Be sure to post pictures of your drawing in stages in order to receive feedback throughout the process of this drawing.

Project 5: Blending White and Black Charcoal

Our next (and second to last) assignment will further reinforce everything we've talked about as far as value. We discussed value when we learned both pencil value studies and crosshatching. This will be the same idea, but we have a new twist.

We've got both white charcoal and black charcoal to work with, and will be working on a medium gray sheet of paper. When we want really strong highlights, we'll use white. When we want really strong shadows, black. When we want the mid-range of the value scale, we'll be blending together the white and black in different amounts to create our mid-tones.

What you'll need for this assignment is one sheet of gray Canson Mi-tientes. You'll be cutting it down to 10" x 10." You can either carefully use an exacto knife and a ruler, or if you're near Bloch hall there is a paper cutter in room 1 (in the basement..it's kind of in small closet area adjoining room 1)..just be careful with cutting your paper. You'll also need your black charcoal pencils, white charcoal pencil, and blending stump/tortillion.

You'll need to gather three different textures for this. The textures should have a good amount of depth/surface to them - things that are woven work well. Some things that have worked well for people in the past: woven baskets, rope, jewerly chains, pinecones, etc. Send me pictures of what you plan on using.

Your goal in this is to create a drawing in which each texture gradually (and seamlessly) transitions from one texture to another. You will go completely off each edge. Here are some examples:

You should be looking at the object you're drawing closely the entire time. Again, contrast here is key. You should have a full range of value (darks, midtones, and highlights). It works really where when there are really deep shadows and really bright highlights.

Again the first thing to do is gather your objects, think a little about how the composition will work, and start your contour. You should at least do a full pencil contour for the first object. Then after you've drawn your first object, start adding the charcoal. Please visit the you-tube video of charcoal drawing over at the you-tube channel. Feel free to send image at any point in this process. you'll definitely want to send an image once a small area of your drawing is complete.

Final Project: Ribbon Drawing

This is our final project of the May semester. We're going to revisit the subject matter of drawing ribbon, as it's a great way to learn how to use pastels effectively. This tutorial will also be accompanied by a video tutorial at our YouTube site.

The main objective of this project is to accurately render the ribbon using color to create a sense of reflected light and volume, accurate texture, as well as the illusion of three dimensional form on a flat picture plane. So, once again, what we're going for is a good deal of realism and accuracy!

I'm also going to go over some basic color theory terminology and color mixing which will help in our drawing practice. Let's go over some of those basics first.

Primary Colors:

 Primary colors are Red, Yellow, and Blue. You can think of these as the most basic "building blocks" of all other colors. From red, yellow, blue (plus adding in some black/white at times), we can mix pretty much everything else. If we mix together our primaries, we get what is called Secondary Colors -- purple, green, and orange.

Mix together Blue and Yellow: Green
Mix together Blue and Red: Purple
Mix together Yellow and Red: Orange

Tertiary colors is what we get when we mix intermediaries between each: so, yellowish orange, reddish orange, blue-green, etc.

 Some other useful color terms:
Monochromatic: All different shades/values of the same color (hence the "mono" meaning one)

Achromatic: "a" meaning "lacking" so, all grayscale:

And finally, one of the most important color terms, Complementary Colors:
Complementary colors are colors that are across the color wheel:

So, complements are: Red and Green, Blue and Orange, and Yellow and Purple. If you mix these together in equal amounts, you get a muddy brownish gray color. But, they are great for toning down a color (so, if your yellow is too bright, you can tone it down with a little purple). Complements are also important because they make each color brighter and more striking, so for example, if you put red next to green, it make the red stand out more.

Here the red shirt in David Hockney's painting is more noticeable and stronger set against the dark green of the mountains. It wouldn't stand out as much if he was standing in front of an orange background or a white background.

My favorite person to look at for a great use of complementary colors is the artist Wayne Thiebaud, who painted many diner scenes, cakes, confections, etc.

Notice the yellow/purple and orange/blue in these and the dramatic colors he achieves in the shadows.

And last but not least...Analagous colors. These are colors that are next to each other on the color wheel. When together, they visually blend together and are pleasing to the eye because they make a gradient. So in the diagram below, red, red-violet, and red-orange are analagous colors.

You can also see this in a lot of paintings and drawings, here for example in Van Gogh's sunflower painting.

Ok! So now you've got some color basics. Now let's go over what you'll be doing in this assignment.

You'll need one sheet of 18"x24" Canson Mi-Tientes in a medium gray. You can get this at the on-campus bookstore or Forstalls. You'll also need your set of Rembrandt pastels, your pencils, white charcoal pencil, kneaded eraser, blending tools, and a space to set up your ribbons (plus thumbtacks).

Start off by arranging your ribbon in an interesting way. Go for lots of folds and twists so that the ribbon catches the light and creates a lot of shadows and highlights. Tack it to the wall securely. Here are some examples:

Notice there are lots of folds..the thing you don't want is the ribbon laying flat against the wall..you won't have shadows and highlights if the ribbon is laying flat. Feel free to email me pictures of your set up before you start drawing.

The next step is to draw the contour. Use either graphite (2B or 4B would be good), or your charcoal pencil. Either way, keep your contour light..no need to press down here. Your goal is to get a good composition (again, that the space of the sheet of paper is well utilized and that your eye moves around the page easily, the composition is dynamic, etc), so in the first 20 minutes of the drawing, look at where the ribbon will be in relation to the edges of the page...you don't want a tiny drawing centered in the middle of the page. The drawing should have lots of interesting negative space areas and interact (or go off of..) the edge of the paper. Sometimes students will notice the drawing is too small on the page and either redraw it, or add more ribbon in another area on the wall.

Contour is done..she has started rendering the ribbon. For drawing the ribbon, the best thing to do is to put the dark values where they should be, the light values for the highlights, and start blending them together. I recommend NOT filling in the entire ribbon with one color. Look at the color to see where the darks are (and look at your pastels for the best match in color..might take couple tries to find the right pastel or combination of pastels). Add lots of white in the highlights. It will look like ribbon is there is really strong highlights, lots of contrast, and clear edges.

A note on using black: Sometimes depending on the ribbon, it's unavoidable to use black. There is sometimes simply no way to get the dark shadows without it for some colors (blue and purple ribbons come to mind). The tricky thing about black is that in addition to darkening your color, it also dulls your color. So, use it sparingly and only when you have to. If you have a pink or orange ribbon, there is probably no reason to use black. Again, it will just dull down your colors, you want the colors to stay luminous.

The other important thing is blending. This should be highly blended but you still want to maintain your shadows and highlights. It takes a little of finessing to figure out the balance between blending and over-blending. Overblending is when you blend so much that it all becomes the same value. Remember, you need lots of contrast, so blend but make sure you keep the contrast.

Be sure to add the shadows that are against the wall and the white of the wall. They will be gray but tinged with color casts from the ribbon. Look for subtle hints of the colored ribbon in your shadows.

When I blend, I find it can be useful to use your finger to smudge. Wash your hands frequently though because you don't want to blend a white highlight if you have a dark color on your hands...The blending tools work too.

Here are some more examples: Notice on this first one how she never uses black and it really works! She is just finding darker valued colors for each ribbon.

In this last one notice how great the composition is! All those nice areas of negative space (the space in between the ribbon), and how the set up goes off the page. It really interacts with the entire space. Also notice the subtle changes in the shadows depending on which ribbon it is.

Ok..so this was a long post. The first place to start is to gather your ribbon, set it up, and send a picture to me of it. Then, do the contour, and we'll go from there!