Cubist Still life

March 17, 2020 by Robert Watkins

DAY 1

Prepare (10 minutes)

Cubism was the first abstract art movement. It was begun by the artists Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, who developed a new way of making art. Some believe these artists were inspired by the inventions of moving pictures. It is clear that these artists were willing to experiment with materials and techniques that had not been used for art making.

Watch the following videos on Cubism,

Answer the following questions in your sketchbook,

What did Cubist artists do that made their work look so different?

How do you think technology influenced the work of Cubist artists?

Practice (20 minutes)

A still life is a collection of inanimate objects that has become a traditional subject of art. Bowls of fruit have become commonly associated with the still life but any collection of items can be combined to create a still life. The Cubist artists often included instruments in their drawings and paintings.

Arrange a still life using objects at home. Realize that you will be drawing this still life. Challenge yourself by combining objects that you would not normally see together in one place.

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Apply (20 minutes)

Using your still life, practice drawing the outlines of the objects you see in your sketchbook using a pencil. Do not shade. Try to fill the page. It is okay if some objects appear to go outside the edges of your paper. Remember, you are only drawing outlines.

DAY 2

Prepare (10 minutes)

One characteristic of Cubist art is flatness. Cubist artists did not feel that creating lifelike images of the objects they drew and painted was important in their work. Instead, they chose to experiment with relationships between shapes and forms.

Watch the following video about Cubism,

What traditional methods of creating depth did the Cubist artists change or discard?

What remained that added some depth in the Cubist paintings?

Practice (20 minutes)

Take the drawing you made on day 1. Imagine that you cut and lifted some of the shapes, like you were peeking under them. Draw the shadows you imagine you would see just under the cut shapes. Shade along the edges of your shapes using your pencil even though the shapes may overlap.

Has your drawing become deeper than before you added the shadows?

Does erasing the shadows make the space more shallow or deeper?

Apply (20 minutes)

Look at the same collection of objects. This time draw incomplete outlines of the objects. Add shadows like before around the incomplete edges.

Can you still recognize the objects?

Have you developed new and interesting shapes that do not resemble the objects in front of you?

DAY 3

Prepare (10 minutes)

Read about Georges Braque’s drawing “Fruit Dish and Glass” on the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s website and answer the questions below.

Fruit Dish and Glass (link)

What effect did gluing the wallpaper have on the depth of the drawing?

Apply (30 minutes)

Papier colle, gluing paper to the surface of the drawing, was a revolutionary idea that Braque developed. Picasso quickly adopted the same idea in his work. In most cases gluing a piece of paper added to the flatness of the space in the drawing.

Practice (20 minutes)

Find a piece of printed paper with words (newspaper, mail, brochure, etc.) Cut three random shapes out of the original pieces of paper. Glue them to a sketchbook page. The pieces may overlap. The pieces should not fill the entire space of the page.

NO GLUE?
Use one of these easy recipes using basic items from the kitchen.
https://www.thoughtco.com/homemade-glue-recipes-607826

Apply (20 minutes)

Look at the same collection of objects. This time draw incomplete outlines of a single object on top of the pieces of paper glued in your sketchbook. Draw the same object from a different angle using incomplete outlines. Draw the same object a third time from a new angle. Add shadows like before around the incomplete edges.

DAY 4

Prepare (10 minutes)

Find more pieces of printed paper to collage (glue) in a new Cubist still life. You may consider cutting out specific words or patterns. The idea is to exercise more control over the results of your final Cubist drawing. You may wish to glue the paper on your sketchbook or wait until after sketching in the next step.

Practice (10 minutes)

Sketch your still life on a new page in your sketchbook. Draw lightly and make any necessary changes with an eraser and pencil. Consider how Cubists used color. You may use a limited number of colors in your drawing, especially if those colors match the colors in your collage materials.

Georges-Braque-Artwork.-Image-via-wallpaper.com_.jpg

Emphasize your lines and shadows using a pencil or colored materials. Cubists used lines as a means of creating shapes and flattening the space of their drawings and paintings but they also used color. After experimenting with different positions glue the collage pieces and draw on top of them to maintain the illusion that they are part of the drawing and not like stickers placed on top.

DAY 5

Reflect (15 minutes)

Write a brief answer to the following questions in your sketchbook:

What did the Cubist artists do that flattened the space in their work?

What was the result of flattening the space?

What made the Cubist art movement an important period in the history of art?

Evaluate (35 minutes)

Share your drawing with a family member or friend. Ask them what they see. Ask them what interests them about your drawing.

Self-assessment: Using the following questions, grade yourself using a score of 4 (4 being highest) and provide evidence for your score

1) How did my understanding of Cubism help me make decisions in my artwork?

2) What did I do to create a more shallow space within may drawing?

3) How well did I make a creative effort to create something unique and different?

Fauves In Our Streets

March 17, 2020 by Robert Watkins

WEEK 1

DAY 1

Prepare (10 minutes)

Artists like to surprise and delight people. Throughout history artists have found new ways to make art exciting for themselves and the people that view their work. Fauvism was an art movement in the early 1900s. Fauves means “wild beasts” in French. Artists chose the name because of their wild use of color

Watch the following video on Fauvism,

Answer the following question in your sketchbook:

What made colors of the Fauves so different from the color artists were using at the time?

What subjects did the Fauves like to paint?

Practice (20 minutes)

Although the Fauves abstracted their subjects somewhat you can still recognize people, places and things. How far can you simplify or transform an object and still make it recognizable?

Try drawing three everyday objects at home but simplify them or exaggerate them (but not so much that someone cannot recognize them). Show your drawings to a family member or friend and ask them if they can recognize what you drew, Use pencil in your sketchbook.

Apply (10 minutes)

Choose one of your drawings. Add colors like the Fauves used with oil pastels, colored pencils or markers. The wilder the color the better.

Did you use the colors of the original object?

Did you use colors different than the colors of the original object?

If you could consider the colors “wild” what makes them “wild”?

DAY 2

Prepare (10 minutes)

The term “arbitrary” refers to randomness. Although artists like the Fauves experimented with color they were aware of how colors worked.

Watch the following two videos about arbitrary color,

A famous example of arbitrary color is “The Green Stripe,” a painting by Henri Matisse.

Below is the same painting in black and white. Notice how the painting looks like an ordinary portrait. This is because the green stripe is the same value (lightness or darkness) as the other colors in the woman’s face.

Practice (20 minutes)

Find an ordinary object at home. Draw it with pencil three times in your sketchbook on the same page. Choose colors (oil pastels, colored pencils or markers) that have the same lightness or darkness. You can test the colors by drawing a small area of color to compare beside other colors. Use different colors on your three drawings of the objects.

Do the drawings show the correct value (lightness or darkness) of the object?

Which of the colors is the most interesting? Why?

Apply (20 minutes)

You will begin a drawing that you will then color later. You may use your phone or a camera to take a picture for reference but you should draw in your sketchbook. A landscape is best for this project but a still life (collection of a few objects) will also work. Spend 20 minutes drawing with pencil. Do not shade using pencils because you will be adding color later. Composition is always something you should consider when making a work of art. Composition refers to the way you use the whole drawing space by adding details and background elements. Think about how to use details (like textures or plants) and add something to the background (like trees and clouds).

WEEK 2

DAY 1

Prepare (10 minutes)

Color theory is the study of color. Artists use color theory to create different emotional states (blue often makes a painting feel sad), symbolize something (think of how we use yellow on caution signs) or to create contrast (strong differences).

Watch the following video on color contrast,

Watch the video on Fauvism again. Answer the following question in your sketchbook,

Which color combinations did the Fauves use to create strong color contrast?

Practice (20 minutes)

Using a blank page in your sketchbook, practice creating strong color contrasts by making small areas of colors side by side. Complementary colors (opposites on the color wheel, like red and green) create strong color contrast. See the image below.

Apply (20 minutes)

Use your knowledge of complementary color contrast by finding colored pieces of paper. Use magazines, junk mail, or from other colored pieces of paper. Ask a parent or guardian for permission before cutting materials. Collect two small piles of your contrasting colors.

Using the colored pieces of paper arrange them to create a design like those below. You only need to create one design. Glue the pieces together in your sketchbook.

Screen Shot 2020-03-17 at 11.42.43 AM.png

DAY 2

Prepare (10 minutes)

Artists sometimes chose color combinations before applying paint to a surface. This collection of colors is called a color palette. A palette is the oval shaped tool artists use to mix paint.

Google Arts and Culture has a feature that allows you to explore different color palettes used in different paintings throughout art history. Explore the different color palettes artists have used.

Google Arts & Culture Art Palette

Practice (10 minutes)

Use your knowledge of color contrast and color palettes to create a palette that you will apply to your drawing from day 2. Experiment with strong color contrasts like the Fauves. There is no limit to the number of colors you may use. A palette may be organized in any way you like. Its purpose is to show you what colors look like when they are used together in a design. Use oil pastels, colored pencils and/or markers in your sketchbook.

Apply (20 minutes)

Add color to your drawing from day 2. Follow the color palette created in the practice step but feel free to make adjustments.

Reflect (5 minutes)

Write a brief answer to the following question in your sketchbook:

How does using color like the Fauves differ from using ordinary colors?

Evaluate (5 minutes)

Share your drawing with a family member or friend. Ask them what they see. Ask them what interests them about your drawing.

Using the following questions, grade yourself using a score of 4 (4 being highest) and provide evidence for your score on the back of your drawing.

1) How well did I use color contrast to make my artwork more engaging like the Fauves?

2) How did I use color theory to decide what color combinations to use?

3) How well did I make a creative effort to create something unique and different?

Cézanne and Impressionism

March 17, 2020 by Jeff Nicoll

Watch

Watch my youtube lecture about Paul Cézanne and the Impressionists.

https://youtu.be/0L-kSD1IB5k

Compare and contrast

In the lecture you will be asked to compare and contrast the works from the Salon and the works of Cézanne. Make a list that compares color, line, shape, texture, form, detail, value, mood and subject matter. The instructions are detailed in the video. At the end of the video write down the notes about Cézanne in your sketchbook.

Watch the video— Forgers Masterclass: Cézanne

https://youtu.be/Fax0PNoPHOM

Write a paragraph on which artist you think best exemplified the style of Paul Cezanne. Include an explanation citing evidence from the painting. Also give an example of why you didn’t choose the other artists’ work.

Impressionist still life

Gather a group of objects of your choosing (5 minimum). Try to not use forms that are too complicated, like spheres, cubes and cylinders (fruit is a good choice). Arrange the objects into a composition of your choosing. Think about the spacial relationships of the objects and how they will overlap. Draw the objects and color them; your pastels are a good choice for this but any media will work. As you work you should think about drawing and coloring like the impressionists and Cézanne. How should your draw it that is different from how you would normally choose to draw it? See the youtube video I made for a demonstration.

https://youtu.be/lPV9xRBoZ0k

Reflection

Create a google doc and answer the following questions about your still life. Each question should be a minimum of one 5 sentence paragraph.

1. In what ways is your art similar to early impressionists like Paul Cézanne? How is it Different?

2. What parts of your artwork are successful, (what do you like best about it)?

3. What do you think you could improve about your project or do differently?

The COVID19 Project

March 17, 2020 by Jeff Nicoll

What feelings do you have about the current COVID19 pandemic? What do you think about our current situation and how it’s effect on your life? Create a work of art that conveys your feelings about COVID19 and it’s effect on your life. You can use any materials you wish; Paint a painting, make a sculpture, fold paper in to unique forms, collect random objects or trash and make something.

Step 1. Sketch out two possible ideas with notes on your process. Try to imagine what the project will look like at the end and draw it in your sketchbook. The notes that go along with your sketch should mention the materials you will use and the steps you will take to make it.

Step 2. Gather Materials. Select one of the two ideas and collect what ever you need to make your sketch a reality.

Step 3. Make your project

Step 4. Take a photo of the project and upload it to the Google Classroom Assignment

Reflection

Create a google doc and answer the following questions about your COVID19 project. Each question should be a minimum of one 5 sentence paragraph.

1. How does the image you made represent how you feel about COVID19 and its effect on your life?

2. What parts of your artwork are successful, (what do you like best about it)?

3. What do you think you could improve about your project or do differently?.

Self-Portrait - Oil Pastel

February 11, 2020 by Jeff Nicoll

Using the skills you've learned in our unit on contour line drawing, create a self-portrait using oil pastels.

Use 12x18 inch paper and oil pastels. (It is OK but not neccessary to outline the lines in black ink).
Be creative with your color choices to reflect your personality.
Fill the entire paper with pastels so that no paper shows.
Draw the image of yourself large to fill most the paper.

Weekly homework

August 11, 2017 by Jeff Nicoll

Every 2 weeks students are required to show the work they have been doing in their sketchbook at home. Students need to show 4 drawings, and each drawing should show 15 minutes of work and full up most of the page. Of the 4 drawings, 2 of the drawings can be what every they want to draw. They can be realistic, abstract or anything. The other 2 drawings need to be drawn from observation—meaning looking at something and trying to draw it. Drawings will be graded only on time spent drawing and filling the page.

Abstract Art

November 15, 2016 by Jeff Nicoll

Use tempera paint on paper
Create 3 abstract paintings: 1 Each— Objective, Non-objective, and expressionist
Express your own feeling or mood with line, shape, color, and texture
Choose one of your paintings. On the back write an explanation of what it is that your work is expressing.
The three paintings should show 6 painting techniques including: Painterly, Press, Dry Brush, blending, Edge/Cut-in, and Under painting
One Painting should be painted monochromatically (1 color mixed with black or white)

Cezanne Still life

October 07, 2016 by Jeff Nicoll

Create a still life in the style of Cezanne. Be sure to indicate the various parts of light and shadow including: cast shadows, core shadows, reflected light, angled light, and hot spots. Bring in a personal object to include in the still life. Use oil pastels to create thick layers of color. Cover the entire paper including the background. Avoid using black pastels as much as possible; mix and layer colors to create shadows.

Drawing with Line Variation (The Skeleton)

September 13, 2016 by Jeff Nicoll

Draw the human skeleton using principles of contour line drawing. Draw slowly with detail, using your eyes to follow the contours seen. Avoid drawing lines that aren't based on what you see or observe.

Using a black ink pen or marker trace your drawing. Use line variation by making your line flow from thick to thin, thin to thick or some other variation. Try to enhance the illusion of depth with your line variation.

Poster Contest

October 26, 2015 by Jeff Nicoll

Students will enter 1 of 2 art contests. For each the student must show Creativity, Craftsmanship, and use of symbolism.

Walnut Valley Water District Poster Contest:

1. Entry MUST be horizontal on 12x18" paper. The paper must also have a 1 inch border on all sides making the image 10x16".

2. Entry MUST include a message about the conservation of water.

3. Students can use Paint, Water Colors, Pastels, or Markers.

WVWD Website

Lions Club Peace Poster Contest:

1. Poster must be at lease 13x20 and not bigger than 20x24. Poster must be able to be rolled up into a mailing tube.

2. The poster theme is SHARE PEACE.

3. The poster should not use any lettering, words or numbers in any language.

4. Students can use Paint, Water Colors, Pastels, or Markers.

Grid Drawing from a photograph

October 26, 2015 by Jeff Nicoll

Create a drawing from a photograph. Use the grid technique developed by Albrecht Dürer to reproduce a photograph and shade in the values using the shading techniques shown in class.

1. Pick a photograph to draw. It must be a photo and not a drawing, painting, or cartoon.

2. Draw a grid on the photograph making sure the grid boxes are square and not rectangular.

3. Draw a grid LIGHTLY on your paper. Use the grid to draw the primary contour lines, WITHOUT any shading.

4. Erase the gridlines on your paper as best as possible.

5. Shade in the values as you seen them in the photograph using the shading techniques shown in class.

Shading technique TIPS:

1. Hold your pencil at a low angle to the paper so it is almost on its side. To do this you can hold it from the very end or gently grab it with 4 fingers on top and the thumb beneath.

2. Don't shade too dark right away. Start light and slowly build up the darker values.

3. Be aware of how much pressure you are using and keep it consistent.

4. Avoid gaps. When moving your pencil back and forth be careful to always slightly go over what you previously shaded so that there are no gaps(or empty space) in the grain of your shading.

5. Go slowly. Ensure that you are using all the above tips by not shading too quickly and concentrate on your technique. Going slow will also help you neatly stay in your lines when needed.

Keith Haring Style Art

September 24, 2015 by Jeff Nicoll

Learn about the style and subject matter of Keith Haring's art. Create a pastel painting about an issue or idea that you care about (APLA, Global Warming, Marriage rights etc.) using similar processes that Haring used.

Step 1: List ideas, issues or topics that you care about

Step 2: Pick one of those ideas for you subject.

Step 3: Quickly sketch out a sample of an idea in your sketchbook

Step 4: Create a painting about an issue you care about(Large Paper

• Be colorful Use pastels

• Use symbolism

• Fill the entire paper

Step 5: Write a 2 paragraphs analysis of your work; 1 about the issue you are exploring in your art and 1 explaining the symbolism you are using.

Introduction to design principles (Flag Design)

September 21, 2015 by Jeff Nicoll

Watch the TED talk and create a city flag for the city of your choice; then write 1 paragraph about how you used the following Ideas to create your design:
1. Keep it simple
2. Use Meaningful Symbolism
3. Use 2-3 Basic colors
4. No Lettering or Seals
5. Be Distinctive (or be related)

In your paragraph you should address the following:
How is the symbolism used meaningful to the city/state?
Describe the meaning behind each color used.
How is your design uniquely related to your city/state?
What make it disctinctive?

Shoes Contour Line drawing

September 14, 2015 by Jeff Nicoll

Create a contour line drawing of a pile of shoes. Use detailed contour lines and NOT sketchy lines. The drawing will fill a 12"x18" paper in landscape orientation. The shoes should be drawn large enough so the drawing stretches across the whole paper, touching the left and right edges.

INKING
After completing the drawing, use a black fine point marker to trace over all your lines. Each line should use LINE VARIATION to create interest and depth. Every line should show variation, meaning a transition from thick to thin.

Weekly Homework

August 17, 2015 by Jeff Nicoll

Every 2 weeks I will be checking student sketch books for home work drawings. Each check will need to show 4 new drawings. Two of these need to be observational drawings (drawing from seeing) and the other two are choice drawings (draw anything you want). Please email me if you have any questions.

Update on 2015-08-17 15:55 by Mister Nicoll

Welcome to ART!

August 11, 2015 by Jeff Nicoll

Welcome to a new year! On the first day you will receive a syllabus that will need to be signed, by you and your parent, and delivered back to me. I look forward to working with each and every one of you this year.

Jeff Nicoll