Blog Post #5 - shading project at home

Blog Post #5 - shading project at home

1. Include pictures of the sketches and completed project you did at home.
   
   
   
   
   
2. What did you choose to draw? Why? Did you keep yourself challenged?
   
   
          I chose to draw a lemon. The lemon captured my eye when I walked into my kitchen and my dad was cutting it. I looked for objects to do but I wanted something that would interest me and not just do it because it's mandatory. The lemon was different and has two main components that I was able to draw. This kept me challenged. The exterior of the lemon was hard because I wanted to get the bumpy looking texture.
   
   
3. How did you setup your lighting? Why?
   
   
   I focused on one main light source. I did this because I am able to find small details when the light is shining in one place. In the future, I think it would be interesting to try shading an object with multiple light sources.
   
   
4. Was it easier to draw at home or at school? Why? How was it different?
   
   
   For me, it was way easier to draw at school. At home, there were so many more distractions than at school. I could constantly hear the TV or was thinking about my other homework. When we draw at school, we have one intention and that helps me focus more. Last year at my art class after school, I was able to get so much more done, then when I tried to at school. Classes specifically for art are so claming and fun and I am just more in tune with my art then.
5. Are you happy with how your work turned out? Why/why not? What would you have done differently?
   
   
   I am happy with the first half of the lemon I drew. The first one I drew was the one on the left. It is the one overlapping the other half of the lemon. It took mutiple days to make sure the details were correct. My second half showed shading however, I think I could have added some more darker hues in the drawing.
   
   

Blog Post #4 - Post Shading Projects

1. Response to blog post #3- were you able to achieve your goal to show improvement? Why or why not? Be specific - how, where, etc.

In blog post #3 my main goal was to make sure I did not put one single object in the middle of the paper. In my final drawings, I did multiple objects and chose different compositions. My scissor drawing shows open composition and follows the rule of odds. My popcorn drawing represents closed composition.

2. Upload pictures of the additional projects you created in class and the sketches that went with them. (you do not need to repost the first project from your last blog post).

3. Which project do you think turned out the best? Why? Be sure to mention your composition choice, use of values, light source, and the blending and texture techniques you used when explaining why it was a successful work of art.

I think my scissor sketch turned out the best. The composition is open, which was the first time I had used that kind of composition on purpose. I have done open composition but the other times I did it was because my proportions were off. Now that I know how to use the sighting technique I am able to control the composition. Having one light source helped me capture a lot of detail in the sketch. This was because I was able to tell where all the natural shadows were. Drawing a simple object made it possible to find all the small picky details in the objects. To create the cast shadows in a way that looks realistic I had to use a wide value of shaded pencils. To create darker values I chose the softer pencils, such as 6B. To add the light values the fade out I used the 2H pencil. Overall, the scissors were my favorite and also the most fun to draw.

4. In reflecting on all of the projects you created, has there been a step to the drawing process that has been particularly difficult? Were you able to overcome it as you worked? How? If not, what do you plan to do differently in the future?

I am slowly getting out of my habit of jumping right to the details instead of taking the time to use the technique of gesturing to help me. Although in some final pieces I skipped gesturing, In my popcorn drawing I made sure to gesture. Another aspect that I noticed in my art is that I tend to stay away from really dark values. In my art, I mostly notice medium and light values. I hope to be able to get comfortable with darker values.

5. What is one bigger idea or concept you’ve learned in this process that you think makes art successful?

One idea that will help me in the long run, is just generally learning how to use shading to create the illusion of a 3D image on a 2D surface. That is all thanks to shading. Shading makes art successful because it helps create lights and darks as seen on objects. If shading wasn't part of drawing, objects could look dull and flat.

Blog Post #3 - Shading Project Midway

1. Upload a picture of your first shading worksheet. What is one technique that is helping you create blends? What are you still struggling with?

One technique that is helping me create blends is holding far back on the pencil to create lighter hues. When using wood pencils I am able to use the surface area to my advantage. The larger surface area helps to create an even thickness and smooth transition into the next level of shading. I am struggling with making sure I show a full range of values to create contrast throughout the sketch. Another aspect I could work on would be to fully bend out the light values to make sure no harsh lines are showing. 

2. Upload a photo of your first project and the 3+ sketches that you drew before starting it. Which composition did you choose? Why? What rules does it follow?  Did you remembering to follow the steps to get your proportions correct before contouring? What went well with the shading? What didn’t?

I chose to start with a simple composition and challenge myself as I continued on with my other drawings. By using the rule of odds I was able to create a focal point as well as following the concept of an odd number of objects in the drawing. When starting to draw the cup I think I rushed to process of sighting and measuring. By doing this, the handle was a little of proportionally in my opinion. I followed the rule of closed composition by making the cup fully on the page with room to spare. The part that went well with shading was remembering to make the background darker to create the effect of contrast next to each other. One aspect I will definitely work on is blending out the lines to mellow down the harshness of them. This will create a smoother transition on the outer edge of the cup.

3. What is one goal you have to show improvement in your final project?
   
   

In my final project, I hope to remember to place the main subject of the drawing off center; if I chose to do one object. I also want to try more practice compositions to get a feel for what I think would look the best in my final drawing. One technique that I will continue on using in my final project is taking advantage of the space that is provided. In my final I want to create more movement that leads the human eye from one aspect of my drawing to the next. This will create a flow to my artwork.