SNOW!!! (This Is For The 4:20 Class)

So...they have cancelled all classes at MCA after 4:00 PM today due to the snow! Seems a bit drastic, but I don't make those decisions. This means that the 4:20 class won't meet tonight. For those of you in that class, I'm sure this seems like a blessing. However, it puts us in a bit of a bind and could throw off the schedule if we don't handle it just right. So, I am going to have to compress the schedule just a bit next week (and I know this is short notice, but my hands are tied). Don't worry about the homework that would have been assigned today, but I would like you to attempt to do the in-class work on your own time. I'll explain it in detail here:

Today, in class, we WOULD have done drawings like these:

This is done using a particular technique:

1. Cover your entire paper with a layer of compressed charcoal.

2. Use your chamois to smooth the charcoal.

3. Cover the entire paper in charcoal again and chamois it again.

4. If you don't yet have a nice, dark value and a velvety texture, give it a third layer and chamois.

5. Working from observation, use the white conte to make a LIGHT line drawing of the contour of the objects in your composition. This is pure contour, no interior details. You are only concerning yourself with positive and negative shapes created by the objects you are observing.

6. Consider the placement of your composition on the picture plane (how does it interact with the edges of the picture plane? how is it balanced?) and look for a good variety of shapes (a lot of variation in the size and type of shapes gives visual interest).

7. Erase into this charcoal ground based on your initial guide drawing. You may choose whether to keep the charcoal ground as positive space and erase out the negative space, or vice versa.

8. Spray fix the drawing.

9. Make two drawings to bring with you to class on Tuesday.

Materials:

Compressed charcoal, white conte, hard eraser, 2 sheets of 18"x24" bond paper.

If you have questions about any of these instructions, contact me. I will help you in any way that I can. On Saturday or Sunday, call me as opposed to e-mailing me. I won't be in a position to check e-mail on either of those days until late in the evening.

See you Tuesday.