graphite – 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

Art II and the Still Life. . .

Posted on November 25, 2014

Recently in Art II we studied the still life. We discussed the whys and wherefores of the still life, and I got excited about something that I had previously found pretty boring. The still life is something that we have to do in Drawing class, but what’s it actually GOOD for? We talked about that. If I didn’t convince my students, I convinced myself! If nothing else, fortitude, surely. And of course, there’s the fact that the Dutch realists CHOSE to paint still lifes. I introduced students to “vanitas” — still lifes that take as their subject matter the fragility and brevity of life. “Vanitas” is latin; this genre take its name from the verse in Ecclesiastes — “Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher, vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” This type of still life was very symbolic, often containing objects which symbolized the transience of life — skulls, shells, stringed instruments, etc.

The vocabulary we studied as we prepared was as follows: balance, cast shadow, chiaroscuro, highlights, inanimate, movement, overlapping, proportion, still life, thumbnail sketch, vanitas, viewfinder

We also discussed hierarchy, overlapping, and proportion in the still life, negative space in the still life, and how to set up a still life. All important!!

The students did wonderfully!! Here are some of the results, which represent hours of labor, and I hope to add more soon. I hope you enjoy!

Graphite and Grid Drawing…awesome!!

Posted on October 8, 2012

Art II Drawing students have been studying value and basic shading techniques. We did a collaborative whole-class artwork that really turned out beautifully–and was a good teaching tool to show how important the element of value is to successful artwork.

Each student was given a 1″x1″ square cut from a black and white copy of a photo. They were instructed to enlarge it onto a 6″x6″ square, paying careful attention to value and proportions. When everyone was finished, we glued the results together, and crossed our fingers! —one thing I found helped was laying out the pieces, letting everyone look at the “big picture,” and then letting them add or subtract value, etc. to enhance the drawing.

The fun part was that no one got to see the photo they were working from until we finished, so the result was a lovely surprise! Enjoy!