Week 5: Tonal Values, Proportion, Study Sketches

As we began exploring tonal values we continued working on contour edges and proportions. Drawing the agave plant was initially challenging, but everyone used contour study sketches to get into the zone; then concentrated on depicting light and dark green leaves with gray tones. As the evening progressed, layer upon layer of shading and line work revealed exquisite compositions! Learning to draw on top of mistakes was a big breakthrough for all of you. Also, everyone got into wonderful detail work while using a kneaded eraser to show textures and highlights.

"From the optical viewpoint, we find that things are not defined by their symbolic names but rather through the action of light... [the eye] sees a collection of colored shapes revealed by the action of light." --Ted Seth Jacobs Drawing with an Open Mind

Drawing by Matt



Your knowledge of tonal values will be quite useful as we jump into learning to blend colored pencils. See you Thursday! --Rob

Allison

It took awhile for you to drop into the zone with this one. But then you focused your skills and pulled together a brilliant drawing, Allison! Your study sketches show looser, confident contour lines as you searched for the form of the plant and laid down accurate proportions for your finished value drawing. Excellent work in using gray tones to show the values of light and dark greens of the plant's leaves, especially where the highlighted edges of leaves meet the darker background shadows. Depicting these contrasting values is what brings dramatic depth to your composition. I'm really liking the subtle shading of the curved underside of the foreground leaf and where you used the kneaded eraser to lift highlights, blend tones, and add textures. Keep exploring ways to use expressive tones and lines to show your impression of things.

Matt

Your rapid study sketches evolved into a wonderful finished piece, Matt! The contour line studies show the continued emergence of your sketching style--fast, fluid, accurate. The final drawing shows your control of the pencil and eye for subtle tonal values. Great job of using contrasting values to show contours and depth in your composition. You did a superb job of drawing with the kneaded eraser to create very natural looking curved edges on the leaves, surface tonal gradations, and highlights--especially on the cone shape in the center of your composition. Awesome how you used delicate curved lines to show the contours and surface textures of the leaves.

Penny

This is a fantastic line-up of study sketches, Penny!! Your drawings are an excellent example of breaking free of focusing on what the plant looks like and getting absorbed in the sketching process. Your experiments in line work, using the whole page as a composition, and fluid drawing style is a delight to the eye. You then applied the same energy to your final drawing. The result is a vibrant, impressionistic exploration of lighter and darker tonal values. I really like how you layered lines and darker tones to show receding tones of leaves in the background. Nice job of using the kneaded eraser to lift out highlights and textures. Important to apply this spontaneous sketching style--long, broad strokes and energetic line work--to your sketchbook work. Try drawing trees and plants around your house.

Michele

You've carried your freer, yet accurate contour line work from the previous week's drawings of the squash into these wonderfully executed sketches. The contour studies show that you're breaking away from tightly rendered drawings and beginning to loosen up with expressive tonal values and long, flowing lines. This will be very helpful in applying your drawing skills to exploring larger compositions for your paintings. Perhaps an impressionistic landscape composition of the view from your studio window? :-) Fantastic job of using gray tones to show the different values of green. Really nice how you used layers of lines and tones to show the contrast between the darker background leaves and the subtle textures of the foreground leaves. Excellent use of the kneaded eraser to show textures and highlights. Explore loosening yor line work and keeping it sketchy, Michele!

Weeks 3 & 4: Perspective and "Getting Squashed!"

We covered a lot of ground the last couple of weeks. We moved through a full night of 1-point and 2-point perspective and sketching after Vincent Van Gogh. And then we wrapped up the 4-week course with study sketches and drawings from real-life acorn squash, artichokes and apples. We'll explore more drawing from real objects as we start the next 4-week session.

Too much fun exploring perspective drawing--without the use of rulers!


above left: Sketching straight lines by learning to draw through points; warm-up drawing by Allison; above right: 2-point perspective drawing by Allison

We switched gears from the straight-lined perspective work and launched into studying the high-energy pencil strokes of Vincent Van Gogh. For those who were unable to complete your drawing, here's a link to the reference image: Click here (Hope you can complete it sometime.)


above: Allison's drawing of Van Gogh's sketch

Thinking/Seeing With Your Pencil: Sketchiness and Depicting Roundness
We finally started drawing from the 'crate of realism'. Acorn squash and artichokes provided the inspiration for study sketches of realistic form. Keeping the pencil point on the paper while drawing helped you to 'think' on the paper while looking for contours and proportions. So cool how each of you jumped into more expressive sketching techniques.



"Changing your mind is a positive aspect of seeing and thinking. Layers of thought can bring a drawing to life." --Sarah Simblet, Sketchbook for the Artist

left: Study sketch of contours and 'roundness' by Matt

"...all drawing depends, primarily, on your power of representing Roundness. If you can once do that, all the rest is easy and straight forward... For Nature is all made up of roundness; not the roundness of perfect globes, but of variously curved surfaces." --John Ruskin, The Elements of Drawing

It's exciting that everyone wants to continue for another 4 weeks! I look forward to helping you explore new techniques and developing your own drawing styles. --Rob

Michele

Big progressive steps in your adventure in drawing realistically, Michele!!! By drawing looser, yet accurate, contour edges your line work has become much more expressive. Your progression of study sketches shows increasing confidence in your line work and observational skills. I really like how you began studying the textures and contour edges of the squash and apple. Keep pushing yourself to sketch from objects and life forms in your sketchbook You're on the verge of developing an eye for realism, which will be a useful tool in your art-making. If you have time, try to work on the Van Gogh sketch... it will introduce you to more sketching techniques.





Excellent contour lines and studies of different surfaces and planes. It will be interesting to see how your realistic sketching style will impact your collage work.



Cool 2-point perspective drawing. Hmmm... maybe try some Hundertwasseresque building sketches. :-)



Reference image for Van Gogh drawing, if you'd like to finish it: Click here

Penny

Remarkable progress, Penny!!! The study sketches of the squash and artichoke show a focused, successful effort in drawing realistic form. Definitely seeing your own sketching style starting to emerge through your line work--especially in your wonderful sliced-apple drawing! The squash sketches show how you became comfortable in keeping your pencil on the page while sketching over your mistakes, until you found accurate contours of the form--keep practicing this! :-) Nice detail work on the artichoke leaves and cast shadow underneath it.



Wow!!! Your Van Gogh sketches are absolutely stellar!!! Keep exploring ways to use line work for depicting textures and form. Your work in 1-point (Van Gosh sketch) and 2-point perspective is showing your understanding in 3-dimensional form.

Matt

Matt, your study sketches are a beautiful example of progressive line work!!! You started with simple contours; then added layers of line work and tones as you searched for accurate contours and form. Really, REALLY like how you show the curved contours where the stem attaches. Excellent effort in depicting the tonal changes and textures of the surface of the squash. Nailing down extremely accurate proportions enabled you to concentrate on exquisite detail in your more complete renderings. And yet, you kept a loose, expressive style throughout your sketches--build on this, man!




Really nice 2-point perspective drawing, Matt. Combining your sharp eye for realism and perspective opens up really cool possibilities for exploration in surrealist compositions.



Reference image for Van Gogh drawing, if you'd like to finish it: Click here

Allison

Loosening up your line work and getting more expressive was an amazingly BIG step in your drawing, Allison!!! You pulled together some wonderfully spontaneous sketches!! Excellent how you launched into generating lots of study sketches, starting with your simple contour drawings. The contour studies gave you a solid understanding of form on which to build your new, spontaneous sketching style. As the evening progressed, your experimentation with varied line widths and tones showed quick results in your squash sketches--especially where you added shadows. But you really got into the zone and showed something completely new in the artichoke sketches. Excellent how you cut loose with your line work while maintaining accuracy in your final, larger artichoke drawing. Explore this further in your sketchbook! And, if you can finish your Van Gogh sketch you'll discover more ways of using line work to depict form and textures.





Hope you can finish this awesome Van Gogh sketch. Nice 2-point perspective drawing! Are you thinking of starting your new career as an architect? :-)



Reference image for Van Gogh drawing, if you'd like to finish it: Click here