honoria in ciberspazio

From my son

Mon, 12 May 2008 04:14:28 GMT

Mother's Day poem from Lucas.

I love you a whole bunch
I hope you had a great breakfast and lunch
I know we'll have a great dinner
at the one & only Artz Rib Center
We'll have some ribs
and we'll have some wine
We'll have ourselver a good ole time.
I love you mom, you're so great
Today is Mother's Day - Let's celebrate

Worries

Sun, 11 May 2008 22:18:51 GMT

dark worries hover
over swamped murky carmine
concerns without green

Is it an abstract or is it a landscape. It's definitely in a mood. My mood was action painting with fat brushes. No small lines but the dagger stripper is fat but capable of thin undulating lines. The white in this is rather a cream color that is hard to see in the photo.

Mothers Day Back Yard painting

Sun, 11 May 2008 22:07:50 GMT

blue yellow only
fugitive shadows pinking
mother's day abstract

Indigo has a witty way of being light and dark at the same time.
Happy Mother's Day!

Student Essay on Pencils

Sat, 10 May 2008 21:19:24 GMT

This is an unassigned essay on pencils written by a student.

The white came with the pencils. It says on the package that they have 24 colors, but the pack I got had ochre, sepia, sanguine, chocolate, black, and white. I really think I like these! I had never tried them before, so I thought they would be harder like conte, but they are smooth and soft. However they do take a point when you sharpen them so you could use them for tiny detail work, though if you were trying to cover a large area they do have the same limitations as all pencils. They also respond nicely to pressure which lets you choose to let the grain of the paper show, or cover it completely.

Speaking of the paper is mi-tientes by Canson and it does have a texture, stronger on one side than the other. The side I used has almost a honeycomb type texture, while the other is flat but rough. It is, as far as I am aware, the closest thing to a "standard" paper for charcoal, odd though because I never liked it for charcoal. But it has a nice wide range of colors, though you generally find it sold by the 19x26 sheet. They do have a letter-ish sized pad at some places though, that's what I used for these.

Kelly Lynam Life Drawing Student Spring 2008

Art Materials at Play

Fri, 09 May 2008 14:53:03 GMT

Drawing experiment for the day:
Liquid graphite base with fingerprints texture dried then red oil pastel nude on top.
Then a wash of that cool W&N Carmine ink.
6" x 12" Sketch after a Picasso figure on the new Strathmore narrow paper.
The paper has a textured laid side but I used the smoother side.
What fun, my fingers are typing red.

Meeting notes: Graphic Recording

Thu, 08 May 2008 17:50:24 GMT

Pizza and building
Wine and design
Graphic recording practice

Closeup

Tue, 06 May 2008 22:50:21 GMT

I think I love liquid graphite

Tue, 06 May 2008 15:36:32 GMT

Painted toes and painted figures: figures with liquid pencil, oil pastel and inks.
Yesterday I got a pedicure after frantic day of estate closing details.

Critical tears

Fri, 02 May 2008 16:15:47 GMT

Sometimes my students do something that makes me cry. I try to find ways to develop student writing skills by giving them information on the Feldman method of critique: Describe, analyze, interpret, and evaluate. Students really just want to say "good job, your shading looks awesome," but for that they get no points. I let them choose one of the 4 categories of Feldman for each comment but this student decided to do a full 4-part critique. Here it is, sniff, sniff!

Student Critique of a peer in Life Drawing week 4 of the course.

The drawing I'll describe is the final composition for the self portrait of D sitting.

The body is drawn darker than the chair. There is more important to body of the man than the chair. The drawing takes up a majority of the paper. There's very little white space left in the image. He appears to be nude and using the chair to cover himself up and he's crossing his arms and using his left foot to balance himself.

The artist used charcoal, graphite and white paper. The graphite was used to draw the outlines and basic shape of the character, the rest of the image was traced over and touched up with charcoal. Some of the facial expressions are still done in graphite. The chair was not traced over and that's why it's a lot lighter than the body.

The interpretation that I get from the drawing is that of a man who's looking and studying an object outside of the drawing; maybe looking outside his window of his studio loft. Thinking about will happen tomorrow or the day after. There's a look of uncertainty and doubt in his face and his arms crossed the way they are adds to the feeling of wariness.

I want to say that I learned a great deal from this drawing. The use of graphite to sketch out the drawing and than go over with charcoal was really nice. Also, I saw that you don't have to make everything dark. Leaving the chair in its sketch graphite state adds more emphasis to the body and reduces the chair to a prop and not part of the drawing. So next time I draw something similar to this I'll try to use these 2 techniques that I learned.

Reply from facilitator:
This 4-part critique reflects the deep and professional analysis that will serve E well in the professional world. In the near future this is the quality of writing needed to complete your portfolio.

Did you know that every image in your portfolio must have a narrative?

As you do good work that you save, also save the critiques such as this one that other students give to your drawings. When it comes time to assemble your portfolio you will have a great set of ideas from which to craft your narratives.

VizThink meeting

Thu, 01 May 2008 21:34:18 GMT

How do you translate what's on the map?

dream world of symbols
grok: organic connection
back of the napkin

Above: Watercolor notes from the first VizThink Austin meeting last night.
Below: Used the techniques of graphic recording applied in today's professional development phone call.

Ink and colored pencils and a long and involved, quite interesting phone call on writing critiques.

Earrings

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 03:42:26 GMT

from Federico = priceless
http://www.microfficina.com
O my happy earlobes
aesthetic orgasms

oooey gooey

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 21:34:53 GMT

Yesterday rates as an Arthur Dove day at AFG life drawing. I used 2 shades of gold oil pastel, liquid graphite and finger-painted with acrylic. The model was relaxed and lovely. Great art talk with other artists before and after waiting for pages to dry. I put 4 of last night's drawings on www.phlaunt.com/honoria

Online students say the darndest things

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 19:49:59 GMT

In my life drawing online class one student reflected:

I felt pretty good about the process once I (think I) figured out what we had to do. My last drawing (the 30 minute drawing) started getting a bit off of proportions. I think I was getting tired and I could see what was wrong, I just couldn't fix it (in the time frame). I think maybe I need to schedule small breaks into the process so that I don't basically draw straight through from the first 1 minute warm-up through to the last 30 minute final drawing.

The student brings up an important concept for the whole drawing process - - taking breaks! All on ground classes take breaks. I never thought about it in terms of the online student because I assume they take breaks on an as needed basis. One important thing about taking breaks while doing an extended drawing is to give you time to fix those things you can see are wrong.

Honoria's rant on taking beaks while drawing - do it!

When you are drawing you should take breaks to look at your work with a fresh mind. Drawing a 30-minute drawing is not an endurance test. Here's a pattern I recommend for breaks. Draw a 1-minute gesture drawing of the model to capture the general pose and position and proportion of the model. See the Basic Figure Drawing Techniques textbook page 25 for good gesture ideas.

Break one:
Step back and measure the head and the midline and the 7 or 8 head scale. Put markers on the page to show the correct proportions. This is an overall observation break.

Back to Drawing: Breathe deeply, close your eyes, open them and look at the model and your drawing with fresh eyes. Now squint your eyes so you only see the lights and darks on the model and the background. Use the side of your lightest charcoal to rough in the patterns of darks and lights. Do this for about 2-3 minutes and stop again. This is the "I break for values" break.

Break 2:
Walk back from your drawing and see if the patterns of darks and lights match those falling over your model from a distance. You will see that some of the values in your drawing need to be reshaped with the eraser.

Back to Drawing: Breathe again, close your eyes, open them and look with fresh eyes at what needs to be changed and use your eraser and light charcoal to fix your patterns of values while studying this pattern on the model. Draw with your charcoal and eraser concentrating on the pattern of darks and lights for about 5 minutes and step back. Look at your drawing and look at the model. Look at the background of the model. Did you forget to put any background values in your drawing? If so look at the area around the model and see abstract patterns of lights and darks and jot down indications of the darks around your model. Indicate what the model is standing on. Is he or she casting a shadow around the feet?

Break 3:
Now you have your proportions that you checked in Break 1 and your patterns of darks and lights that you revisualized in Break 2. Turn the drawing upside down and on the side and/or look at the drawing in a mirror. Are there any parts that look wrong when you see them from a different angle? If the anatomy seems wrong this is a good time to open your Peck's and see what forms are under the skin. This is an analytical break. What's right and what's wrong? How can I emphasize what's right and fix what's wrong? The following drawing time will be a time when you use your line tools such as pencils to define the contours of the muscles and garments of the figure.

Back to Drawing: Now it's time to look more closely at your model in the areas that seemed wrong in the drawing. Fix the things that are wrong. This may leave traces called "ghost images" on the page. these are traces where the drawing had to be corrected but could not be obliterated with the eraser. I will not grade off for ghost images as you correct your drawings because they are a natural part of a life drawing. Forget the ghosts and use your line-making tools and your darkest media to define the ins, outs, and arounds of your figure and their background.

Break 4:
It’s time to evaluate the drawing as a whole from top to bottom and side to side of the page. Does the background balance with the figure? Is this drawing becoming a good composition? What has to get darker or lighter and why? It is also the time to consider the 3-dimensional effects of your figure in space. How do I make that arm come forward in terms of light and dark or line? How do I make that leg really go back into the picture plane? What looks flat that really should look curved? What have I learned from past drawings that I can apply to this one?

Back to drawing: Add the darkest darks and the most defining lines. Check you drawing in the mirror. Look closely at the model to place the defining lines. Let your drawing rest between final touches (mini breaks) don’t overdo too many darks and defining lines. Use them to focus the eye in the composition where you want the focus. Rest a bit before you sign the piece because the signature is part of the composition and it’s placement is part of your drawing.

The end. Take a longer break and decide what you learned that you want to explore in the next drawing.

As you can see, I firmly believe breaks are essential to the drawing process.

Will I get fired?

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:35:52 GMT

I was at a faculty discussion about classroom dynamics that was so teacher-centered it made me uncomfortable. I support my students by encouraging conversations and their use of professional vocabulary rather than marking up their drawings. I do not mark up drawings. I respect student work and encourage students to explore and experience and critique each other. The other instructors told me I would get fired for my style. What do you think?

Student H

I feel that my skills have improved over the course of the first three weeks of this class. I can "feel" the direction of the tendons and striations when I am drawing them. My hand has started to automatically follow what I am seeing when it comes to muscle shape. I feel like my eye/hand coordination is benefiting greatly. Plus... I now know the communis are what enable me to bend my fingers to draw and what the supporting skeletal structure looks like.

I really need to work on eyeballing proportions and memorizing the measurements. I refer to the book or illustrations for measurements constantly. My goals are to get more familiar with charcoal, loosen up and lighten my renderings a bit and memorize the proportion tricks so I can draw from my memory.

Instructor

Class: H makes an observation that reveals that she is internalizing the anatomy lessons. This is an important step for artists who draw the human form. Learning the muscles and bones intellectually must be taken further. Our knowledge must be understood by our own bodies. I've seen many artists unconsciously take the pose of the model before drawing it so that they can feel which muscles are tensing and supporting the distribution of weight.

Student J
Being able to "feel" the pose of the model is a great help in drawings. Because of my background knowledge of anatomy, I have found that I can feel the various muscles/tendons/ligaments working together to put the body in the pose. For me, my lack of technical art knowledge has been my hurdle, but as I gain the artistic knowledge I can see everything starting to flow from what my "minds eye" can see about the body into what my hand is putting to paper.

The abe lizard continuum

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:01:08 GMT

the ongoing drama

leaves of grass continued

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 02:56:19 GMT

New paper and paints
applied to landscaped Whitman
collaged stoppages

hello duchamp goodbye book - the clipped Leaves of Grass continues to shorten line by line

Dr. Sketchy, the Mystic, and piano jazz

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 21:57:23 GMT

What fun. At Dr. Sketchy one artist said I reminded her of Rodin's fast gestures. WOW! I disagree totally but WOW! then home to wash the ink and graphite off and then to Eddie v's but there was a 20 minute wait so we went to see George at the piano and Suzie Stern sing at the Driscoll piano bar, then back to Eddie V's for oysters and bisque and lovely red wine both being in a totally red wine mood and another set of piano jazz singing. My evening of artmaking and piano jazzing with the Knutster under the full moon. Lovely

Attilla and Me

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 16:49:37 GMT

If you've been wondering about my relationship to Attilla the Hun, look no further http://158.130.17.5/~myl/languagelog/archives/000612.html

Return to hand gesture drawings

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 17:19:55 GMT

In life drawing Monday night I experienced a hand drawing failure. Every hand I drew looked horrible even though I tried all the techniques I know about drawing hands. Some bad hands I just covered up with gesso (white opaque paint stuff used to prime canvas) and I even collaged some paper over a hand in the drawing. I told students that they can do this for their long final drawing. Glue fresh paper to parts of the drawing, let dry, draw over.

One of the mental techniques about hands is to think of them as a whole other body. Hands are expressive. They have their own gestures and can be used to express very strong sentiments: praying hands by Durer, punching hands in a comic book, or flowing hands in a hula dance.

I am going to go back to the drawings with a fresh mind and some warm up sketches and draw what I know about the structures of the hand.
Filling a sketchbook with just hands is a great way to understand the many forms they take.

Mean Teacher Strikes again

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 18:18:05 GMT

The class comments are very sweet and lacking in critical thinking so I posted a new rule:

From now on your critiques cannot start with a compliment. That means no more "That looks great" or "Your drawing blows me away."

I am making this rule because the comments are too shallow. You are not getting into observation or analysis or interpretation of the works. Just saying something is good or bad and then giving your advice is OK as far as it goes. But I would not be fair to you unless I demand a more professional level of communication. My job is to make you the best prepared you can be for your creative career! So here is what to do for the rest of the semester:

1. Start with an observation. Describe the drawing as a whole composition. The 4 edges of the page are the edges of the composition. Pretend you are describing the drawing to someone on a phone, a phone without a camera. This forces designers to see each element of a drawing as part of the composition. A skull floating on a white paper is a skull bounded by 4 defining lines forming a rectangle. How big is the skull compared to the rectangle and what is happening in the space around the skull? This helps you to see the figure and the ground in your drawing and if the drawing is part of a design you must consider other elements to be added.

2. Analyze how the artist created the drawing. Make note of the artist's materials, techniques and the results. Analysis is a way to learn from other artists. Some people call it reverse engineering. Answer the question, "How did the artist do that?"

3. Interpret. Give the drawing a name and talk about the story it tells. If the drawing is a sketchy pelvis then the story may be that the artist didn't put in much time into the drawing. If the skull has a dark background maybe the story is a halloween or ghost story, if the skull is floating on a white page then the drawing may be viewed as a clinical study ready for some medical text to be added. Say what the story is to you and why you interpret the drawing this way. There are no right or wrong interpretations. Interpretation provides the artist with the knowledge of how other people see the work. Seeing your work from the outside is essential when you are a professional. Clients and bosses judge your work and won't pay you for it if it doesn't deliver the right message.

4. Summarize: What did you learn from this drawing? What advice would you give to the artist based on your observation, analysis, and interpretation? Summarizing helps other members of your team, in this case, the team is the whole class, know your overall conclusions about the work based on your observation, analysis, and interpretation.

Life Drawing Monday

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 00:24:58 GMT

Monday night figure drawing.

Hunka hunka graphite

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 02:29:44 GMT

I've been telling my students to experiment with drawing supplies. My students are very pencil-centric. Several students actually stated that they are afraid of charcoal. To be a good role model when I went into the art supply store and found this hunk of soft graphite. So drinking my own Koolaid I bought it and some liquid graphite too - new to me - did you know there was such a thing as a bottle of liquid graphite? I took the new stuff to life drawing on Monday and had some messy fun. Different papers and drawing techniques still to come.

Dishwaher spot

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 17:37:16 GMT

And this is where the new dishwasher is going to "fit" with a little help from this guy.

Happy Sexiest Day of 2008

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 04:11:03 GMT

Yes, the nasturtiums planted on my birthday bloomed today!
I didn't notice until we went out for a walk tonight. Here it is.
Happy Sexiest Day.

SXSW Live Art Blogging book

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 17:55:50 GMT

My full-color SXSW 2008 Art Blog book is ready for prime time - and for sale. Also free to download.
Please look and review.

http://www.lulu.com/content/2242753

We chose the highest quality printing on Lulu and I am very happy with the finished book.