Life Drawing
Art 125/126, Section 1
Spring Semester 2005
11:00 – 1:45 Tuesday and Thursday F-206
Dennis McNamara, Instructor
Office: F-223 Telephone 708-456-0300 x 3431
Conferences: 1:00 M,W; 2:00 T,TH
Textbooks: Drawing, a Contemporary Approach, Betti,
required all
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxNo More Second Hand Art, Peter London, required Art 126
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxeAn Atlas of Anatomy for Artists,
F. Schider, required Art 126
The
Drawing With an Open Mind, Ted Sth Jacobs
Learning to Draw, Robert Kaupelis
Experimental Drawing, Robert Kaupelis
About the course: Life drawing (drawing from the nude model) has been a primary artistic activity since the Renaissance. Artists, both historical and contemporary, find the human figure to be an image rich with potential for expressive work. In this course we will work in a variety of media from a live model in order to address a number of artistic concerns including but not limited to:
An understanding of the basic forms of the human figure
Potential of various media in rendering the figure
Potential of various styles of drawing in expressing the artist’s vision
The effects of perspective (foreshortening) on the human figure
The artist’s individual relationship to the figure as an art form.
Class activities will be primarily the creation of figure drawings supplemented by introductory and evaluative discussions. Classroom assignments will emphasize different aspects of the figure drawing process, careful attention to instructions and a wholehearted effort to complete the assignments as described will be essential to student success. Most disappointing results in drawing, figure drawing included, result not from difficulty drawing, but difficulty seeing. We will work hard at developing the kind of concentrated looking and accurate observation necessary to success in life drawing.
Requirements: Attendance and participation in class is mandatory.
Homework will be assigned, timely completion is required.
Sketchbook work is essential, details will be discussed in class.
Development of the
ability to dialogue with the instructor about work assigned.
Grading: 1. Completion of all classroom assignments.
2. Completion of homework and sketchbook work.
3. Submission of final project (details in class)
4. Attendance (see below)
5. Enthusiasm and willingness to engage in the process.
Grading Standards:
The grade of A is assigned to work that is superlative and signifies
personal accomplishment far in excess of the minimum required for the class.
The student has clearly understood
and followed through on suggestions, progressively learning the concepts,
terms, and techniques, which lead to an excellent, individually developed
concept. The student has participated with energy and enthusiasm in the classroom
activities.
The grade of B is assigned to work that is very good and above the average minimum requirement for the class. The student attempted all of the above but found himself or herself lacking in time or motivation in some (not all) areas. The student understood some but not all of the concepts involved, and has participated energetically in classroom activities.
The grade of C is assigned to work that is average and that meets, but does not exceed the minimum requirements of the class. The student has made an effort to understand the concepts and techniques presented in the class. The student has participated with energy in the classroom activities, and has achieved enough development in vision and skill to produce work that is minimally acceptable for the class, but which lacks the distinguishing factors which characterize work which is awarded a higher grade.
The grade of D is assigned to work that does not meet the minimum requirements of the class, and which is not acceptable. The student has attempted all of the above, but for whatever reason, found that he or she could not achieve some (not all) of the goals set. The students work shows a poor grasp of the concepts presented, and effort has not been exerted to complete the assignments given. Absence in excess of 5 class periods will result in a grade of D.
The grade of F is assigned to work that is far below the minimum level of quality required for the class. Concepts are clearly misunderstood, the student has displayed little energy in the pursuit of the assigned objectives, participation in class has been sporadic. Absence in excess of 9 will result in a grade of F.
Attendance: In the studio we will need to maintain an environment that is conducive to the kind of concentrated seeing and drawing that is the foundation of the course. Late entry into the classroom or unnecessary conversation create distractions that will disrupt the atmosphere of concentration for all students, disruption of the class may lead to withdrawal in accordance with college policy. Regular attendance and participation are essential to success. Therefore the attendance policies will be as follows:
3 absences will lower your grade by 1/2 of a grade point
4 absences will lower your grade one full grade point
5 absences may result in withdrawal from the course or a grade of D
9 absences will result in a grade of F
PLEASE NOTE: 2 tardies will be counted as one absence
Arrival without materials may be counted as a tardy or absence
Academic Honesty:
Unless otherwise assigned it is required that all work submitted
for grading in this course be the original creation of the student, and that
the student is the sole author of the work. For more details on the academic
honest policy at
Supplies: 18” X 24” White drawing paper
18” X 24” Newsprint paper
Drawing board
Compressed charcoal
Conte crayons, black, sanguine, and bistre
Faber Castell Ebony pencil
Charcoal Pencils
Kneaded eraser
Drafting tape
Portfolio
Black
Bamboo pen
Bamboo brush #8 or larger
#12 watercolor brush (inexpensive but not camel hair)
Tempera paint, black and white (details in class)
Palette and vessels to hold liquid media
Color media (Art 126 students)
One large tube white acrylic paint (Art 126 students)
Vine or willow charcoal (Art 126 students)
Calendar for the Course
The following calendar shows the scheduled exercises for the class. Art 126 students will have differing assignments; in the calendar below these assignments follow a slash “/”. Individual student needs may require modification of assignment on an individual or group basis.
| January 20 |
Introduction |
| January 25 |
Outline, silhouette, contour |
| January 27 |
Contour, constructs / at will |
| February 1 |
Cross contour, angles, measurement / diagram drawings |
| February 3 |
Consolidation drawings / viewer, diagram to line |
| February 6 |
Relief modeling / at will |
| February 8 |
Contour hatching / constructed line |
| February 13 |
Plane hatching / at will |
| February 15 |
Mummy drawings |
| February 22 |
Gesture, quick contour |
| February 25 |
Line quality and variety / structure |
| March 1 |
Partial renderings / at will |
| March 3 |
Space and the figure |
| March 8 |
Modeled space, erasure / block and mask |
| March 10 |
Memory drawing |
| March 15 |
Mid-term evaluations / at will |
| March 17 |
Light and shade / at will |
| March 22 |
Spring break |
| March 24 |
Spring break |
| March 29 |
Ink and wash / structure and details |
| March 31 |
Heads and faces / structure and details |
| April 5 |
Hands and feet / at will |
| April 7 |
Modeled drawing with tempera / structure and details |
| April 12 |
Exploration |
| April 14 |
Multiple figures / gesture to line |
| April 19 |
Personal development |
| April 21 |
Movement / gesture to mass |
| April 26 |
Two hands |
| April 28 |
Final project |
| May 3 |
Final project |
| May 5 |
Final project |
| May 10 |
Final project |
| TBA |
Final Evaluations |
Suppliers:
Starvin Artist,
Pearl Art Supplies,