Drawing+from+Direct+Observation


 * Unit 1: Drawing From Direct Observation **

=Still Life= So many students groan at the mention of a still life drawing. Why? Well, mostly because they can be both boring and difficult. Who cares about a bowl of fruit? Who wants to spend hours drawing a glass bottle? Ugh.

But it doesn't have to be boring. Take a look at these examples of still life compositions: ||  || Harmen Steenwyck, Dutch, 1640 || Detail of The Vanities of Human Life: || ||  ||
 * This type of painting is called a [|'vanitas'], after the biblical quotation from the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes (1:2): 'Vanitas vanitatum... et omnia vanitas', translated 'Vanity of vanities, all is vanity'. The books symbolise human knowledge, the musical instruments (a recorder, part of a shawm, a lute) the pleasures of the senses. The Japanese sword and the shell, both collectors' rarities, symbolise wealth. The chronometer and expiring lamp allude to the transience and frailty of human life. All are dominated by the skull, the symbol of death. ||
 * Still Life: An Allegory of the Vanities of Human Life
 * Is this a dude with a turnip nose, or an upside down bowl of root vegetables? Did I just BLOW YOUR MIND? ||  ||
 * The Vegetable Gardener, Arcimboldo, 1590
 * Personal Values, by ReneMagritte,plays with scale by making these huge personal objects crowd a tiny room. Beyond the absurdity of the scenario, Magritte's attention to detail (the wood grain of the floor, or the pattern of the comb) make it seem strangely believable. ||  ||

Think about the **Elements of Art:** line, shape,form, space, value, texture, and color and the **Principles of Design**: unity/harmony, repetition/movement, contrast/emphasis, and balance.

//**Avoid**// drawing the objects so that they appear to be floating in space (no background), or arranged in a line so that there is no depth. //**Try**// arranging objects in an interesting way, choose an interesting “zoom,” and angle, create a good light source. //**Don't forget**// to think about the texture, colors, and shapes of the objects, and how they relate to one another. The symbolic meaning of the objects is important too.

=Natural Objects/Landscapes= The natural work provides endless possibilities for inspiration. The forms and textures of natural objects, as well as the sweeping vistas of the outdoors, are a constant muse for artists. For this series, challenge yourself to go beyond a straightforward still life approach, and try to communicate a mood, feeling, or story through your composition and your use of color, texture, and drawing approach.

Take a look at these examples to see how other artists have interpreted the natural world: || Festoon of Fruit and Flowers, detail. || || The Windmill at Wijk bij Duurstede, ca. 1670. Jacob Van Ruisdael, || Vincent van Gogh A crepuscular effect: two pear-trees, wholly black, against a yellowing sky, with grain-fields; and, in the purple background, the castle, enfolded by dark foliage.’ This was how Van Gogh described the evocative landscape he painted shortly after sunset in the surroundings of the château at Auvers. During the final months of his life, Vincent painted a number of works in this striking format, twice as wide as they were high – ideally suited to broad landscape views. || Susan Osborne ||  || =Mechanical Objects= Mechanical, or man made objects have unique characteristics. Think about the metallic surface of a chrome tea kettle, the patina of a rusty tool, or the narrative of a abandoned bicycle. Both students and the teacher will provide mechanical objects as inspiration.
 * In the Baroque era, the Dutch Reformed Church forbade religious iconography. Until that point, the church had been been source of income for all European artists, and they sought patrons in the wealthy and middle class, who responded enthusiastically to what became known as //vanitas// paintings, arrangements of objects such as skulls and decaying fruit which symbolized the impermanence of worldly things. Despite being over 300 years old, the Festoon of Fruit and Flowers (1600), by Jan Davidsz de Heem, shows the dripping, split fruit, crawling with insects who are both ornamental and a symbol of decay. ||
 * Festoon of Fruit and Flowers, 1600
 * A Field of Poppies, Claude Monet
 * || Landscape at Twilight, 1890
 * Abstract Landscape IV,

Remember the guidelines for creating a still life composition. Zoom in and out, approach your objects from interesting points of view, and arrange them on a way that creates a view with depth, movement and balance. Most importantly, treat your objects like characters in a play, and consider the narrative that is suggested by the arrangement of your objects. Think beyond a traditional still life, and consider large objects in an environment, such as a bicycle leaning against a building.

Here are a few historic examples of artwork featuring mechanical objects: Jim Dine ||  ||
 * 5 Paintbrushes



Interior Space