We’re experimenting with a 1-2 times per month art afternoon at the Rubble Gallery and our first one was wonderful! And so was today!!! Thank you, ladies, and Henrik, for a fantastic afternoon and thank you Ari, Quinn, Bryn and the Rubble Gallery for your beautiful space!
Let’s let the photos speak for themselves!
My example of action line and form using Cher and Henrik as subject.
TAKE HOME EXERCISE:
We created a page of marks- drawing randomly in opposites- hard/soft, straight/curved, zig-zag/smooth etc.:
On a separate sheet we drew a portrait, pulling out the lights from the shadows using erasers:
Pull out the page of random marks and find the same face in those marks. Just using the marks you made! No new lines! I guarantee you’ll find some line, some shape that suits! This is an abstraction exercise called gesture drawing.
We revisit this exercise in today’s journal entry. We will be finding the image inside a gesture drawing, thereby creating an abstract image.
STEP 1:
Make a gesture drawing. On a blank piece of paper, doodle random lines. Random, but with some thought! Think opposites. Do hard and soft lines. Straight, zigzag, curvy. Staccato, continuous. Shapes, scribbles. Just fill the page without thinking about WHAT you are going to do in Step 2. Change hands. Left hand. Right hand. Turn the paper.
STEP 2:
Find the image in the marks you have made. This goes back to part 2 of the gesture tutorial where you are looking for simple geometric shapes.
We’ll use the vintage photo from yesterday’s exercise.
Can you see similar lines and directions and shapes as in the photo in your gesture drawing? This is not about realism. This is about language of line. Use only the lines you have! That’s it! YOU ARE LIMITED! This will force you to change the way you approach form! Do you see lines that somewhat liken the eyes? The mouth? The cheek? etc. It’s there. Believe me. You’ll see it.
STEP 3:
Start adding details and shading and finalizing the form. Blacken out areas. Add lines if you need to, but just minimal.
STEP 4:
Use the words you pulled out of the writing in yesterday’s entry (Part 10). Add these words onto your image. This is a delightful way to create an interesting piece of art- works as a book cover, a movie poster etc., or simply a way to present poetry.
You create something quite magical.
Compare the two interpretations of the original photo (Part 10 and 11):
Now we move to finding the image and abstract it through gestures. What I mean by that is- you find the form in marks you have made. You are limiting your decisions.
STEP 1:
On a blank piece of paper, doodle random lines. Random, but with some thought! Think opposites. Do hard and soft lines. Straight, zigzag, curvy. Staccato, continuous. Shapes, scribbles. Just fill the page without thinking about WHAT you are going to do in Step 2. Change hands. Left hand. Right hand. Turn the paper.
STEP 2:
Find the image in the marks you have made. This goes back to part 2 of this tutorial where you are looking for simple shapes.
We’ll start with a photo. (Let’s use the same one we used in Parts 1-3).
Now look for geometrics that emulate the actual form. Use only the lines you have! That’s it! YOU ARE LIMITED! This will force you to change the way you approach form! Do you see lines that somewhat liken the eyes? The mouth? The cheek? etc.
See how I am allowing the existing line to shape the form. E.G. I’m thinking eye but it’s an UNUSUAL eye!
STEP 3:
Start adding details and shading and finalizing the form. Blacken out areas. Add lines if you need to, but just minimal. Use the eraser to draw out light. You will end up with a Picasso-esque image!
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Feel free to email questions and share your work!!!
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