Lesson 10 : Perspective 1,2,3

This was a very fun exercise. We were to do one point, two point, and three point perspective drawings. I looked feverishly online for examples and plotted for days about what I wanted to draw. By this point I was craving to do something else besides charcoal and pencil.

My one point, I drug out canvas and painted. It was June and I really could have gone for some snow at this point of the year in NC. My woman is not proportional to the trees and lamp post  but it was still fun to mix paint and do something a little different. 

This one was fun to sketch because I had a tree house growing up and it was a familiar image. I also worked on practicing with texture for this assignment as well.  It drove my daughter crazy that I didn't make the ladder go all the way to the ground but I insisted that you could climb the tree to reach the ladder. 

This was my favorite perspective. I love the drawing by itself. I wanted this to look like a city of toys instead of buildings. I knew I wanted to use Jenga blocks but it took longer to decide on the rest of the town of toys. I had a hole where the bear is for the longest time until my daughter suggest the bear. I colored in this photo digitally in photoshop. I was a little rusty. I am used to modifying in photoshop not actually coloring in.

Lesson 9 : MIDTERM

So this week we had to upload our final product for our midterm grade.

I photographed so many items for this project but now that it is complete I am very happy with my choice. My teacher made sure to note that I should include the reflection in the glass. When I would get stuck with, " why does that not look right" I would pause and superimpose my drawing over the original picture in photoshop before I began again. This was very helpful.

Lesson 8 : Midterm Preview

For this lesson we had to choose something to draw for our midterm and begin working on it. We had to upload our progress thus far.

I worked really hard on this project and was proud when it was finally competed. The texture in the moss was challenging but when I let go of being perfect about it, it began to resemble the object more. I can still see where I was off but overall i was pleased with the result. I just wish I had learned to work with the shading stick more before this project. My  hands would have been so much cleaner. 

Lesson 7 : Contour and Negative Space

This assignment made me realize I don't see as much as I think I see and how important it can be to sketch out the contour of something before you outright tackle it.

I first began with literally drawing the contours on the light bulb itself to give me a feel for how to proceed with the rest of my objects. Some contours were easier than others but overall I felt confident in what I was submitting.

I had fun with the negative space around the chair project. It was with this assignment that I began to feel free to put some of my own little touches in. 

Lesson 6 : Paperbag

I was having a rough week when this assignment was due. It is extremely hard to draw and focus when you are have vertigo and vision problems but I still think I gave it a good shot. I began seeing details that would give my drawing life and I also realized my eraser was my my new friend and as important as my pencil. I had always felt the only purpose for an eraser was for mistakes but with this assignment I began to realized it could give me better definition and would help me tremendously with my creases. This was also my first successful attempt with the charcoals.

Lesson 5 : Soda Can

This assignment was very eye opening. When i first drew it I thought, "Hey, not bad." That was until I put it side by side on the computer to post for the assignment. I quickly realized many of my proportions were way off. I also got confused by the title of the assignment. "Value and Color". I thought we were suppose to draw our crushed can in color. Big mistake that cost me a few points, but thankfully I was not alone. Looking back now I think the teacher meant for us to use different shades of grey to represent color but I still felt it was unclear.

Lesson 4 : Texture

In this lesson we gave texture examples a whirl. I saw that many of my fellow students struggled with what that meant. Many had to google texture images. Texture is something that we draw without realizing it sometimes. I tried, unsuccessfully to find objects at home with texture. Some were more successful than others. But what I did like was this was the first assignment that perked my daughters attention. She saw me draw and began wondering, "What is Mom doing in there?"

The top was a zoomed in glance at a wicker basket that holds fruit at the house.

The second was the bottom of a garlic bulb.

The third which I actually liked was a Dorito.

The forth was a leaf and the last was the tread on the bottom of my shoe.

I was still trying to get a feel for how this class was suppose to go so it really helped to see how others presented this assignment for our discussion board.