Sketchbook Assignment: Mass and Volume
Divide 3 pages of your sketchbook into
4 sections ( so that there are 12 sections in all ). During this
assignment, we will be making 3 different kinds of sketching using
different methods.
Page 1: Cross Contours: Using your cross-contour technique, draw 4 separate images with with clearly defined mass and volume. Use whatever materials or methods you prefer for this. Each image should be different, so please don't draw 4 hands, or 2 hands and 2 feet, etc.
Page 2: Light and Dark Volume: By
using paper that has been toned with charcoal, instead of white paper,
you can easily achieve a richer, more dramatic, volumetric drawing. Tone
a piece of paper in your sketchbook to a value of medium gray using
vine or compressed charcoal, and then smooth it to an even finish with a
chamois cloth, napkin, or paper towel. Make sure that you achieve an
even middle-gray value. Choose a dramatically lit subject to sketch.
Begin by using your eraser to pull out specific areas of light
throughout the image. Use both kneaded and plastic erasers. Only after
you’ve pulled out all of the lights, then begin to add value in the
darkest areas using compressed charcoal. Use your chamois cloth to
blend values. Pay careful attention to the subtle changes between areas
of lights and darks.
Page 3: Positive and Negative Space: It is important to realize that the negative space surrounding the subject has the potential to be a dynamic part of the composition. Find a chair to draw (more if you prefer) , preferably one with openings through the back, or with a complex leg structure. Turn off the lights except for a single directional light source placed behind the chair. Use pencil or charcoal pencil for this exercise. Carefully observe the chair, and instead of drawing the positive elements of the chair, draw the shapes of the empty spaces around it, leaving the positive areas of the subject blank. Work back into the negative spaces manipulating them by adding value, blurring, and smudging to create active spaces.
Page 1: Cross Contours: Using your cross-contour technique, draw 4 separate images with with clearly defined mass and volume. Use whatever materials or methods you prefer for this. Each image should be different, so please don't draw 4 hands, or 2 hands and 2 feet, etc.
Page 3: Positive and Negative Space: It is important to realize that the negative space surrounding the subject has the potential to be a dynamic part of the composition. Find a chair to draw (more if you prefer) , preferably one with openings through the back, or with a complex leg structure. Turn off the lights except for a single directional light source placed behind the chair. Use pencil or charcoal pencil for this exercise. Carefully observe the chair, and instead of drawing the positive elements of the chair, draw the shapes of the empty spaces around it, leaving the positive areas of the subject blank. Work back into the negative spaces manipulating them by adding value, blurring, and smudging to create active spaces.
