Art 7a Drawing and Composition: So it begins!

The opening of the first class was basic introduction to the class and to drawing in general. Will Smith (no, not the actor. My teacher) states "Drawing is the basis for all art" And not just drawing, as in pictures or portraits, but mark making. This to me is...revolutionary! It opens up my world and view of art! The first lesson is in gesture drawing. Line gesture, Scribble gesture, Mass gesture. The following are my attempts at using these methods in drawing some gourdes...ah the old "draw a gourde" technique...enjoy.

line gesture Scribble gesture Mass Gesture And all 3 put together.

The next class lecture was about Contour line drawings. Mr Smith spoke of Line weight and how thinner and thicker line create the illusion of closer and further away, shadows and depth. Using cross contour line create shape and start to make drawings take 3 dimensional form. He also taught about use of negative space to help create the suggestion of form. the last drawing he had us do was using ONLY the negative space and shadows around the objects to suggest to the eye the form. Referring Gestalt theory the brain should create the image even though it is not fully "drawn" The minds eye will "create" or "finish" the image. The third charcoal drawing is of exactly that. Can you see the gourdes? Consequently he liked my interpretation and used it as an example on the class blog site. His comments were "Martin's drawing is much more open and relies on similarity in marks and tones to establish a rhythm. Note the gourd in center/ right; the curvature and mark-making employed around the curling neck. Using thicker lines in weighted areas and thinner lines and tonalities in lighter areas grounds the objects and gives them a sense of weight. Remember the key to emphasizing negative space is to be "suggestive" of forms; don't over draw the forms. Less is More." Needless to say, I was pretty stoked.

Blogs 'r Us

Blog sites, blog sites everywhere! Eblogger, Wordpress, Windows live, Myspace, Linkedin Facebook...etc, etc...It is interesting to me how this "blogger revolution" has exploded! The fall out being felt as far as my grandfather...although I am pretty sure he still thinks email is something from the twilight zone. But even he has a Facebook page. Which really is just the lazy-mans blog site. Social networking, a way for one to express ones thoughts, fears, tragedies, loves and laughs with ones hundreds, maybe even thousands, of friends, family, coworkers, or even perfect stranger, at the left click of the mouse (or just a click for the Mac users out there). Sometimes with , lets just say, less than awesome results.

Anyhow, My point is that you can have a blog, or weblog, about anything, for anyone, and almost alway have access to it to add new and exciting news. You can even change it. I.E. I originally started this page to follow my trek through Europe (which crashed and burned a horrible flaming death) and now I am here to keep a track of my progress in my latest endeavor. (cue announcer voice and echo effect) Graduating from College!!! (and cue adve

nture music)

SO, I have once again en

rolled in the the local community college in my (seven billionth) hopefully, final and successful attempt to trudge my way through what would seem like an enjoyable and easy enough degree program. ART.

In the spring of 2010, I took Art 24: Intro to printmaking. And I absolutely fell in love. I made some decent etchings and an okay wood cut in the class. But the process it self was awesome. The hands on very industrial approach to art is right up my alley. The needling of a design into a zinc or copper plate, dropping it in acid to etch the line to create the design, the smell ink and the way it stains your fingertips, working the press, and then of course the end result of a print of to be proud. Ta da!

So This picture of a trolley in Vienna was m

y first etching success. The second picture, of the ships in a bay in Zadar Croatia, was my second.

Alright, to make a long story longer, This class and the vital input and support of my amzing and lovely partner in life and all things great and small, Andrea, I have decided to chase after and obtain an B.A. degree in, Art. With a focus on print making. In order for that to happen I have to take some very important core classes, and thus we have come to the real reason I have resurrected this long dead blog. It is really just for me. To track my progress in Art 7a, Drawing and

Composition, as well as my Art 28a Beginning Etching. But I invite all whom may or may not follow this as well, to critic the projects I post here. I will be posting everything as it is completed. Good or bad. And I can use ALL the creative critic and reinforcement I can get. So tune in for further development in the Art of Martin, right here on Fishing For Spoons!

Thanks