colored pencil – Art & Soul

Anatomical Heart Art

Posted on February 25, 2016

Art II students completed an assignment in which they studied and drew the human heart. I think to some people it seems a bit creepy, but the anatomical heart lends itself so well to illustrative pursuits…

We did gesture sketches of a model of human heart (borrowed from the Health Occupations teacher), studying it from different angles. Then students did several pages of sketches, in which they brainstormed different ways to morph the heart into something else. These are highly imaginative drawings. i had them experiment with different media, as they could choose which they wanted to work with. The results include a mixture of pen, charcoal, graphite, colored pencil, and soft pastel. This was a really engaging project, and my students enjoyed it and came up with some awesome interpretations of the heart.

Art II Mixed Media “Selfies”

Posted on March 11, 2015

Art II students recently explored the genre of the “selfie.” For this project we worked with four media in one piece — the student’s choice of: graphite, colored pencil, ink, art marker, chalk pastels, oil pastels, or watercolor. This gave students the opportunity to display their mastery of several media in one artwork. And it made for some lovely and unexpected results!

Art IV Work

Posted on February 10, 2015

Art IV students worked hard last semester to complete these awesome projects. Each one is informed by a different artist that the student studied. For a more in depth look, visit the student’s individual blog – the links can be found on the homepage. Enjoy the variety!

“The Girl behind the Camera” by Hannah Calvert

“Untitled” Plywood, computer bits, glass, spray paint, paint marker, found objects, magazine images

Colored Pencil renderings of Christmas Bows…

Posted on February 9, 2015

This was just for a bit of seasonal fun, while tying in with our colored pencil study. In Art II we studied colored pencil use, and then tried this technique, creating the look of shiny highlights on black paper. Students also payed close attention to the form of the bows, using their observation skills to realistically capture their likeness. These Christmas bows turned out very nice!

Observational Pumpkin drawing

Posted on November 18, 2014

Students once again drew gourds from observation, then worked them into a creative composition. Here are some of the great results!

Illuminated Letters…Medieval art

Posted on April 19, 2013

During their study of the Medieval period, Art I students had a comprehensive lesson on illuminated manuscripts. We began with the 7th and 8th c. insular manuscripts of the Celts and Anglo-Saxons and continued through the texts of the Gothic Age (1500s).

Students looked at the entire process of creating illuminated manuscripts and how they functioned in Medieval society, as well as many examples, including modern ones.

Drawing inspiration from sources such as the Romanesque period Winchester Bible, Books of Hours, and other manuscripts, students produced some lovely results.

We focused on producing an “historiated initial.” Criteria included the following:

Letter itself must be decorated
Letter must be surrounded by a border
Letter must contain a miniature — small, independent painted scene (we rendered in colored pencil)

Students were to create an artwork that expressed their interests or personalities. In order to help them understand how to put a miniature inside their letter, we looked at lots of examples, and I explained that their picture should be a narrative, or tell a story.

The PowerPoint I created to go with this lesson can be found on the Art Resources page.

I hope you enjoy these beautiful Illuminated Letters. . . they did an amazing job! 🙂

Stippling Pumpkins…they’re a smash! ;D

Posted on November 13, 2012

Advanced Drawing students have created some really nice fallish compositions using mini pumpkins. After studying shading techniques, we focused on stippling for this project, emphasizing the importance of observation. These were rendered in Black ink and colored pencil, chalk pastel in a couple of cases.

We focused on visual rhythm or repetition, creating a strong line of movement; also we stressed variety, balance, and overlapping. Students were given creative license to color or embellish their pumpkins as they wished.

Here are some of the lovely results, and a big thanks! to Katie Struk for the great lesson idea. A Power Point on this lesson is on the Art Resources page.

And, as a point of interest, our mini pumpkins were doing rather poorly a week and a half or so into our assignment….I don’t think anyone had to actually touch mold…just some semi-spongy unhappy squashes. 🙂

By Day and By Night illustration

Posted on September 17, 2012

I sat down with my Drawing class last year during sketchbook time and sketched too; I wanted to sort of set the tone. I think the sun came first. This year I started laying in color and this illustration is the result…it’s the first finished piece I’ve completed in years, really, since life is so busy. It was so incredibly cathartic and enjoyable just working on it. It’s reminiscent of Psalm 121, one of my favorites, so I included the first two lines. I didn’t include, but wanted to, “The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.” So poetic, and true.