Seriously, talk to your kids...

Interview with Walton Ford

I haven't mentioned him in class yet, but if you're interested in representational and figurative art you should take a look at Walton Ford!

Interview with Walton Ford

"Walton Ford appropriates the crisp, descriptive style of 19th-century naturalists and artists—John James Audubon, Karl Bodmer, George Catlin—but he puts their conventions to work in an investigation of natural history itself.

Repurposing a field-guide aesthetic, Ford composes dense allegories that make sometimes pointed, sometimes sidelong allusions to everything from conservationism and consumption to war, politics and imperialism.

While staying uncannily faithful to the natural history mode, Ford paints on a much larger scale, producing outsize watercolors with epic compositions. He renders his scenes with operatic drama, capturing moments when the natural order changes, such as the last member of a species struggling just before extinction."

Assignment #7

We're almost to 10!  Tying in with our woodblock project, I want you to render an object in your household using strictly ink (preferably sharpie as it creates a large line conducive to woodcutting).  The idea is to imply three dimensional form via shading, but since you're limited to only black and white you have to get a little creative.  Keep in mind that you want to create negative space (white areas) that would cut easily, so cross hatching isn't the best approach as opposed to straight lines (though in the end any method will work; it's all about how you cut the wood).  Check out these examples that utilize different types of linework:

Dev Harlan

http://www.devharlan.com/doku.php

Augmented reality sculpture like you've (probably) never seen before!

Sachin Teng

http://sachinteng.com/

"Bomb" work from a contemporary graphic designer.

OoOoOo it's assignment #6

For this round of sketchbookery I want you to draw something you love... something you desperately and hopelessly love until the end of days, but with some STIPULATIONS!  You need to draw a 7" by 7" square in your sketchbook and this will become the outer border for your drawing.  If your sketchbook is silly-small then you'll have to just fill the page.  Herein lies the stipulation: the object of your undying affection needs to go past three of the borders (you can even draw the object outside of the borders if it helps you to visualize what is happening).  You can have it extending past all four borders, but at a minimum I want it to expand across three.  For example, let's say you have a weird necro-crush on Pope John Paul the 2nd.  Note how he extends past three of the borders, but the fourth is left open.  There's no need to shade your drawing, but you get the idea!

Mombo/Assignment #5

There was a myriad of audible groans when I dished out this assignment so that's how I know it's perfect!  Your assignment was to draw a 3/4 view (not straight on and not from the side; at an angle) of a HUMAN HEAD from life.  That means you'll have to convince someone you love or merely like to pose for you for about 20 minutes.  No need for shading; just stick to contour lines and you'll be golden.  Bask in some examples: