Final Reaction

I found that over the course of this semester that I have learned so much. I came into the class with some previous knowledge which didn't really apply to the class as much as I thought originally. I really enjoyed making the model and found it very helpful to my understanding of the human form. Even though I was not able to finish the forearm in the time frame before pictures, I believe that my learning was excellent and my understanding is now much more. I feel as if I wish I would have had more time to dedicate to my final drawing also. I have already continued working on the drawing making the eyes smaller. It became hard for me in the time crunch. I tried my best with the time allowed. Overall I feel my drawings really changed and I feel that I truly understand the form and how to convey it with different line weight. I felt that my skull drawings became some of the most successful works of art in the class. It really showed my understanding of what the professor wanted from the class. I have really enjoyed this class and I am looking forward to more learning in Life Drawing II.

Face Study

These three face studies really helped me understand how to show a form through only line. The nose becomes interesting by showing the side plane that is essential to the facial relationships. I found that the way the eye works in the skull is very deep and protected creating a socket.

This drawing contained the whole body, giving me a total understanding of how the body works together. I felt that I was really researching and studying instead of just drawing. My process and thinking has changed slightly, especially how I start the body. This drawing shows my learning of showing form through line and giving a three dimensional feel to the human form.

Shell Drawing 4

This drawing was created last in the series, showing a progression. On this particular drawing I wanted to focus on the form of the shell not using line and mark making. I felt as if I wanted to have the ink act as a skin, which was mentioned in class. The use of ink and the washes worked to give the shell a sense of form and shadow. I felt that this drawing was successful even though parts of the whole become flat. The whole process of drawing the shell helped me understand a specific subject. This process was beneficial to me as an artist making observation and research the priority.

Shell Drawing 3

This drawing became very beneficial to my learning process, being the third in the series. I had time to work with my shell with the previous drawings and this became my first drawing incorporating ink. I found that the process of mark making gave me an understanding of form and how each part functioned in space.

Portrait

This portrait helped me develop my technical skills, taking what I have been learning in life drawing and applying it. I found that since this class I have now been able to understand the facial structure better, therefore making the drawing feel as if it has form and exists in space. I was very appreciative of the advice that professor Ficther gave me in developing this drawing. My thought process started to change, giving me a very form based approach to drawing. This process will continue in my future work since so much of my work is base on human form. I am always learning and striving to become proficient with my technical ability.

Skull Study

These skull studies gave me a greater understanding of the human face and head, allowing a detailed understanding of structure. I found these studies to really help me understand how the skull moves back into space, in the three quarter view. The understanding of this basic foundation is the key to creating the face. One thing that really gave me interest was trying to truly give detail to the cranium. This was a challenge that I want to conquer and create even more successful works, making my eyes observe those specific details.

Hand Study

These two drawings are hand studies that created a very beneficial experience. I found this helpful, especially with the discussion with professor Ficther. I found this to really give me a true understanding of how the hand works together, the way the bone structure is aligned to create a complex form. The way I look at this now is very different than before, I am concentrating on working from the inside out and really observing the structure.

Midterm Reflection

During the first half of this semester I have gained a greater understanding of the figure and its muscle structure. Looking at my drawings I can see a distinct progression between the first gesture drawings and my most recent gesture drawings. The technical progression has kept my attitude positive and my interest high. Overall I feel that the method of teaching in this class is very effective. I believe that technique is essential to creating great drawings, and this class provides proper instruction. This instruction has brought me back to truly observing the figure as it truly appears.

The creation of the clay models gives me a better understanding of how the muscles work together on the body. This activity over the first half of this semester increases my knowledge of the human body, which is valuable to any person involved in physical activities. I have found this to captivate my interest, but it is also very time consuming and hard to transport. This is probably just laziness on my part. I have thoroughly enjoyed drawing each class period and the time devoted to proper instruction. The real life observation is the most beneficial way for me to develop my drawing skills.

Midterm Portfolio

After visiting the Walker I found that the work Heavy Sleepers by Zhao Liang captivated my interest. This work depicted the living conditions of workers in China during a construction project. Looking at this piece it gives the viewer a sense of what real life in this community by the size of the projections and the representation created with layout of the gallery space. The impact of this artwork became significant due to the scale and the panning movement of the camera. Another aspect that evoked emotion was the element of relatable objects to real life. Every object conveyed a personable quality, which made this artwork grasp the viewer emotionally. This artwork impacts me significantly, creating a sense of empathy for what some people must endure through life.

Reflection

After these first weeks of class I have found myself gradually gaining back my skills that seemed to be sub-par. For me, my interest has been growing at an exponential rate, but I feel as though my drawing progress has not stayed level with my interest. I do truly believe in the process and procedure that accompanies the class and the drawing methods. Deconstructing the human body is essential for a real understanding. I am a curious person by nature and I always want to know how a thing or object works along with all of its components that make it function properly. By building the model it captivates my attention, not only when I am building it but also when I move and/or exercise. I believe that understanding the human body can make so many other areas of life seem simple, meaning that concepts of human development and function are very sophisticated. A body is relatable to other areas of life as well, such as an organization. A human body in most cases is the perfect organized unit. The body contains so many different systems that work in perfect unison with little wasted space. This is incredible to me and asks me the question of how can something work so perfectly without conscious considered concentrated thought. So to me these past few weeks have made sense about education and art. The basis of a society should be understood; I mean, others and I should understand ourselves (human form) first of all. To draw a human body is the most challenging subject in my mind.

My shell that I have been given to draw is a pleuroploca gigantea, or more commonly known as the horse conch. This shell is found in Florida and is the home to a specific type of sea snail. This shell species is the largest gastropod in waters of the USA. The shell is somewhat fusiform, meaning it tapers at both ends. This shell can form as large as 24 inches long. The body of the snail can retreat into the shell being completely covered for up to three months. The color of the shell changes depending on the age of the shell. The young shell has a bright orange color and as it becomes older it changes into an grayish brownish with a salmon orange color. According to Amanda Miller on the Encyclopedia of Life, "It has ten whorls, and its shoulders bear large, low nodules. The operculum is a leathery brown color, the aperture is orange, and the animal itself is brick red in color." This gives a great physcial description of the shell in a clear concise manner describing the large knobby protrusions. Looking at this subject matter it creates a very interesting interaction for an artist with the detail and perfection created in nature.

Reflection

So far in this course I have been very satisfied with the relationship between anatomy and drawing. This becomes vital to the learning process, especially for understanding my own body better. I take part in bodybuilding and rugby, both very physically demanding sports that make me take my body into consideration. For these reasons I am very interested in anatomy and the human form. Now in this life drawing class I can really relate to the subject and way the body is constructed in real life as well as paper. The idea of starting from the spine and working outward is very crucial to understand body position. I have realized that a solid foundation of learning is key to success, whether its sports or artwork, repetition and practice are key elements. So these exercises that I have completed in class are only tuning my skills better and better.

About Me

I'm from the Milwaukee area, originally attending MIAD, now I am at UW Stout enjoying my time. My major is Art Education with a concentration in Drawing. I am excited for this semester to improve my observation skills. This semester will be interesting to see the difference between the life drawing I have done at an Art school and now at Stout.

Blind Contour

concentrated controlled feeling