Tredecim

This week was a full week of studying, finals, drawing, etc.  Although busy, I was determined to create quality drawings, as the temptation is to just submit something for the sake of completing the objectives.  Thankfully I seldom take the easy road, for better or worse.  Interestingly the class drew the model in very rapid poses of dress and undress, attempting to capture the movement, and the various nuances of clothing as it falls on the body.  This was very helpful in gaining experience in ones observation skills.  Additionally we had another chance at a long drawing of our figure model.  I took a bit of this time to make any repairs and alterations that were necessary, to my maniken.  There were only a few major alterations that were necessary, however I did manage to complete this, and am relatively happy with the end results.  In general this was a great experience and one that I will value for a long time to come.  I spent a good bit of time working on my final shell drawing, choosing to only use black ink in multiple layers, as opposed to any colored inks or washes.  In this last shell I focused on slowing down, and simply observing the form before drawing.  This proved to be a worth while exercise in observation.  Focusing on applying many subtle layers, forced me to choose more carefully my rendering decisions.  Ultimately the week, although busy was productive and I hope that my skills will only continue to emerge.

Duodecim

This past week our class worked on developing our skill in drawing the human form from the skeletal structure of the skull.  We worked on several long drawings of the skull as well as drawings of the hand.  For the hand drawings, we partnered with another person in class to refine what we had previously learned about the bone structure of the hand.  Though the hand was difficult, each drawing that I drew eventually became better and more informed.  Of course I will need to continue to study as this is something that will take many years to master.  In addition to working on our skulls and hands, we drew the shoulders from the model.  This was somewhat helpful, but I found this challenging as my view continually was obstructed or didn't allow me the proper angle to see the clavicle, and shoulders in the manner in which I would have preferred.

Continuing to work on the shell form, I produced several long drawings, as well as another, my final pen and ink shell.  The process involved in using ink is one that I have found quite challenging.  I actually don't enjoy this process or the aesthetic quality of the ink.  Though I don't enjoy this at this stage, I will continue to practice this technique in an attempt to gain more knowledge about this medium.  Having purchased several skull models, I found that they vary quite a lot in how they are molded, therefore the shape of the skull is radically different from skull to skull.  I am very glad that I have the opportunity to thoroughly study the skull.  I look forward to the continued application of this knowledge of the skull to make better portraits, and facial drawings.  As always this week was filled with a variety of new learning opportunities.  I hope to use these experiences throughout my career as an artist, and art educator.

Undecim

This week we focused on the shoulder blades, and the clavicle.  We looked at the various methods for drawing these components of the figure prior to drawing them from our model.   Working on several long drawings I continued to develop my understanding of scale, and form.   Professor Fichter looked over our manikins and made suggestions as to how to change or fix the problem areas.I had only four small changes to make, however the additional muscles that were assigned are numerous.  I am feeling a bit overwhelmed at the prospect of trying to finish these by the time classes end.

On Thursday we received an extra week to complete our shell drawings, which most of the students were relieved by however this only meant that I could keep working on the shells that I had already drawn, and that I would work on the manikin again. In working on my shell drawings, I felt that my initial shell drawing was stronger than when I began to add the ink. I found the ink to be problematic.  My shell drawings began to take on painterly qualities more than drawing qualities.  

Though this week was a bit of a struggle for me to maintain focus, I am genuinely looking forward to seeing how all of this knowledge of the figure can be applied into other areas of my art making processes.  I am and will continue to study the figure from anatomy books, and from my manikin.  Finally, it is helpful to look at how other students work, and to see how they resolve certain aspects of the figure.  I tend to struggle to slow down, and my line is generally heavy, therefore I continue to work to lighten my line, and produce a more fluid form, using ideas and processes of some of the other students.  I find that I enjoy lines that have different weight, and width.  This variation brings more life to the drawing, and makes even the contour drawings more life like.

X

This past week we began to draw using charcoal and ink, which I found difficult, yet freeing.  Freeing in that I tend to work with paint more fluidly than the medium of charcoal.  In addition we participated in a field trip to the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, where we were given essentially free reign to wonder about the museum and take in the art.  Of course I went to the Yves Klein exhibit for the 5th time since its installation at the Walker.  This experience was enjoyable, but not very educational from the standpoint of life drawing.  In addition to the Walker, we went to the Bell museum of natural history on the University of Minnesota campus.  This was educational from the standpoint of studying other forms than that of the human form.  At first I drew from the bird form, then from the fox, however this wasn't as challenging as what a skeletal form would prove to be.  I finally chose to draw from the skeletal form of a deer.  I learned a great deal about the reason that deer move the way that they do.  They have certain bones in their legs that I had no idea that they had, which revealed much about their movement and form.  I began refining my drawings of the deer and researching more about the skeletal structure of the deer, in order to better draw the form in the future.  Finally, the experience at the Bell Museum proved to be much more worth while and educational.  I found myself wanting to have more time to simply study the various forms before me.  I intend to return to the deer skeleton as well as other animal skeletons and skulls.

Novem IX

This past week we studied the various bones that make up the structure of our feet.  The various bones are as listed:  calcaneus, the navicular, and the cuboid. The calcaneus bone is also known as the heel bone and is the largest bone of the foot, as well as being the body’s main weight-bearing bone. The calcaneus bone ends in the large, rounded bone that forms the heel and is attached to the Achilles tendon. The talus bone sits above the calcaneus and is the pivot bone for the ankle.

Professor Fichter showed us the three main joints in this portion of the foot. The primary joint is that of the ankle or talus, which is flanked on both sides by the fibula and the tibia. This hinge movement allows the foot to shift up and down and is a major component to the body’s locomotion. Knowing the structure of the foot helps one better understand the overall movement of the foot, and therefore draw it more correctly. 

The midfoot is made up of the three cuneiform bones, as well as the navicular and the cuboid bone. These bones are intricately and irregularly grouped together; this unique interlocking structure helps add to the foot’s solidity. The midfoot is the bridge between the hind foot and forefoot sections and is composed of five tarsal bones. These bones form the arch of the foot, which evenly distributes the body’s weight in much the same way an arch works in architecture.

I learned this week that the forefoot is the most delicate portion of the foot and is  of two different types of bones: the phalanges and the metatarsals. The metatarsal bones are long, tapering bones that connect the cuboid bone and the cuneiform bones to the smaller, more delicate phalanges that make up our five toes. These bones help to define the shape of the toes and ultimately the foot, when drawing.  The main weight-bearing bone of the forefoot is the first metatarsal bone, which leads to the phalanges of the big toe.  

Apart from learning all of the aforementioned, we were also required to continue to work on the legs, and feet of our sculptural manikin.  This was as usual an enlightening experience, and proved to be helpful in solidifying my overall understanding of the mechanics of the feet in drawing.

Octo VIII

This week we continued on our manikins and had continued to draw from the figure.  We spent a good deal of time drawing our gesture drawings.  We also drew two long drawings this week and we reviewed and corrected areas on our manikins.  The week before we built the thigh of our manikin.  I learned a great deal from the practice involving our manikin, however still struggle to understand proportions as I tend to get impatient and push myself to finish rather than choosing to slow down or to stop and simply observe.  I look forward to seeing what can be learned over the coming weeks.

Septem VII

This week in life drawing, was admittedly slow.  I missed class on Thursday and therefore didn't have the extended class time drawing session.  I did arrange time for my wife to model for me, where I could draw for two, 2 hour sessions.  I found that this experience was very beneficial in developing my ability to communicate line and form a bit more effectively.  I have similarly began drawing some portraiture and producing drawings of my manikin in the various stages of the modeling process.  Prior to drawing from my model I spent the usual first 45 minutes or so doing preliminary warm up drawings, focusing on the hips, and quadriceps.  I regretfully didn't have my model positioned in a manner that effectively the front of the leg as I should have.  In future drawings, I will certainly pay closer attention to this.  Finally, I spent a bit of time studying my skeletal model, Yes I have a life size skeletal model.  I really want to understand the whole structure of the figure.  I specifically studied the skull and the hands.  All in all I made this as productive of a drawing experience as possible.

Sex (Latin Six)

This past week we focused a great deal of attention on the figure again.  However this week differs from past weeks, as we looked in greater detail at the way the pelvis interacts with the rest of the form.  We were asked to draw gestural drawings regarding the shape and form of the pelvis, as well as how it interacts proportionately with the rest of the body.  We repeated many of the same steps as past weeks, wherein we began by producing short gestural drawings, and increasing the times until we were at about a half hour or an hour for the longest drawings.  I think that the most beneficial components to this past weeks class was the attention paid to proportions, and the small group critiques that we had with professor Fichter.  This provided a great deal of professional feedback from which to develop our skill.  I feel that this was important because it teaches us how to see from a multitude of perspectives.  In summation this critique was   helpful in that it defined the expectations of our drawings clearly, as well as what is expected as far as line and form.

Diapente (Fifth)

This week was quite a bit more uneventful than the past several, as we had a short class on Tuesday, where we were looking at the musculature surrounding the Gluteus-Maximus.   Our class was given the opportunity to apply our knowledge of this muscle group to our manikins.  In addition we were to have drawn our shell drawings which are due this upcoming Thursday.  I began this drawing with a great deal of enthusiasm and was looking forward to this assignment.  Unfortunately I missed the information that was given, telling us that we were to have drawn our shells, on neutral paper, therefore I proceeded to draw my first drawing on black Stonehenge.  I generally work from dark to light, so this seemed only natural to me.  I personally feel more connected to my work when I begin in a dark color and apply pigment to the surface.  I feel that this in some way vindicates, and releases the surface.  I enjoy watching as shades and tones emerge from the surface, as if it is becoming alive with movement.  I truly tried to create a surface on my shell that would appear all at once static and fluid.  Upon completing this drawing, I learned that we were to have drawn on neutral paper.  For this reason I will submit both a black background and a light background.  I lost a great deal of my initial enthusiasm for the form when I went to transfer the image to a light background.  It is clear that my enthusiasm is lacking in the latter piece.  I will use this as a learning experience and will work to maintain a level of consistency in my drawing, whether enthusiasm is peaked or lacking.  In general this process is a great reminder of why one studies the arts

 

IV (Quattuor)

The past week was interesting, in that we were encouraged to continue to work on our shell drawings, as well as our manikins, and to work on drawing lightly along the lateral lines of the form.  We spent a few minutes working on establishing the spinal curve and the rib cage.  Finding the movement of the spine was so crucial in determining how to create the ribcage.  Once the ribcage is established it becomes clear how the body should appear in the drawing.  The simplicity of the spinal line, truly allows an artist to see the way that the figure is actually moving, or proportioned.  As we continued to draw, we were allowed a greater period of time.  This time was helpful in building on the prior knowledge of the form and the various landmarks along the spine, ribcage, and pelvis.  In addition to the drawing practice, we were encouraged to continue to study our atlas books and pursue further research.  This week there was little attention needed on my manikin therefore, I spent the time drawing various textures, and lines.  In summation, the week was mostly practice, but was very useful and enlightening non-the-less.

Throughout this week we have been looking further at the musculature of our manikins.  Professor Fichter went over some of the proper placements of the spinal erectors, and what to watch out for in the construction of our musculature.  The manikin was a challenging prospect that has thus far been a rewarding experience, one that will definitely help in my future sculptural, modeling and casting practices.  We were further instructed on how to use our Atlas book, and other resources that assist in the completion of our anatomic model.  One such resource, which I happily purchased was the Visual Body, online resource.  This resource has a plethora of uses for an emerging artist.  In addition to its usefulness to the artist it is also quite interesting to reference for medical purposes.

Toward the end of Tuesday's class we were given an exercises relating to the medial lines on our figure model.  First, we were given fifteen second increments to complete a snapshot of the movement of the medial line, overlapping each line with the previous line and pose.  Next, were exercises lasting one minute, that were useful in developing skill visualizing movement across the body.  Additionally, we were given one half hour to begin a contour line drawing of the figure model.  This was most helpful in my overall understanding of not only composition but scale and attention to the lateral line.

In addition to the lateral line we learned how to begin drawing the ribcage.  We learned of the various bones and cartilage that make up this area of the torso.  We were instructed to find the medial lines, or the central lateral lines as a reference point, then to add an egg shaped to it by locating other reference points.  We spent the first hour and a half doing thirty, and sixty second sketches of the spine and the ribcage.  This was helpful in determining how the spine relates to the movement of the ribcage.  We then worked for one half hour drawing the figure, concentrating on the torso and adding contour lines to the figure.  Finally I applied the abdomen musculature to the manikin.

III (Tres)

This week, Tuesday September 9^th we began by again looking at the human spinal column and how it relates to the whole body.  We see that the movement generated in the body relates to the various musculatures within the spine.  This was greatly useful in our preliminary drawings of the human form.

            We were introduced to our figure model, and were instructed as to our classroom decorum regarding our interactions with the model and our purpose for a live model.  It was very instructional and good to see the level of professionalism in which Professor Fichter conducts her class.  In the first drawings that we were asked to make we divided our paper into quarters and each quarter was again divided.  This helped us find the center point of the model, which is approximately the bottom of the pelvic bone.  We were then asked to make multiple drawings at thirty-second increments, where the model moved giving varied perspectives to the form.  This was exceptionally challenging and frustrating as there was limited time to gather visual information.  The true difficulty of this process was the transference of this information to the page. 

            Upon the completion of this series of timed drawings the time increased to one minute.  The addition of thirty extra seconds made a great difference in ones overall ability to gather information about the line, and form.  The process then repeated as before.  Following the minute the time increased to ten minutes and again to twenty, then back down to ten seconds.  The practice and process of this exercise was helpful to develop ones memory of the form.  Perhaps the most helpful component of these exercises was the instruction to draw the figure using lines that follow the central sections of the muscle groups.

 The class was issued manikins to use as guides in developing the musculature of the human figure.  Before any application of clay, we were asked to remove previous clay.  This process was interesting and informative, as was the recording of the various vertebrae on our manikins.  Professor Fichter discussed with the class how the Atlas worked and how we should proceed through it in order to successfully apply clay to our manikins.  The final part of Thursday’s class we learned the correct terminology of the human form, relating to direction.  For example:  Anterior (Front), Posterior (Rear), Superior (Top), Inferior (Bottom), Lateral (to the outside), and Medial (to the middle).

           

Vita Tractus Duos

This past week in Life drawing we began to look further at the impact of the contour line.  Similarly, we noted how gesture can be developed using varied pressure and speed.  This has helped me better understand how to create the feeling of movement.  This feeling of movement really is useful in tricking the mind into seeing something that is not actually occurring.

Particularly helpful was, drawing the sea shell form, and the early sketches of the human spine.  In drawing these preliminary drawings, we first needed to learn about the various sections of the spine:  Cervical, Thoracic, Lumbar and Sacral.  These regions were discussed as a means to find various landmarks for us as artists to follow, in order to accurately draw the human form.  Additionally we learned how many vertebrae are in each of these sections, the purpose for these sections, and how it connects to the larger part of the body.  Our professor had us practice drawing the spine from various angles and times in order to develop our senses to the movement and importance of the spine to our drawing of human form.  Initially this was frustrating because, the time was so limited that I thought my drawing wouldn't even look like a spine, however I was pleasantly surprised to see that the exercise focused my eye to the important information, rather than the whole form.

It was interesting to note how much the spine widens from top to bottom, and how truly severe the curve of it is.  Finally, I learned a great deal about the movement that can be generated in a drawing by close attention to the detail of the spine.  It is apparent that the rest of the body follows the movement of the spine, therefore solidifying its importance in the world of Life Drawing.

Darren M. Hosé

Vita Tractus

Thus far in Life Drawing, we went through our syllabus, materials list, how to hone the charcoal to a desired tip, and how to adjust the easel to be at a point of optimum comfort.  In addition to the basic introduction, we have been looking at blind contour line drawing and various ways to hold the charcoal.  We have learned how to sharpen our pencils so as to create thick or thin line, as well as how to add weight to the line via added pressure.  Each student was allowed time to practice some of this technique as, Professor Fichter issued each of us a shell in which we began to draw rough blind contour lines of the form.  This was challenging as one typically has the use of visual landmarks to assist their form.  I found that my awareness of the shape was relatively sound, however my line weight was not nearly as varied as I had hoped.

It was interesting to see the many different ways that, other students chose to represent the form using a continuous contour line drawing.  I found this practice helpful in training hand-eye coordination.  My findings regarding this practice was, that the use of a thicker piece of charcoal yielded better results, however there was not as great of variable in line width and pressure.  I found the peer critique a useful tool assisting my development as an artist.  This input will greatly help to better interpret and challenge my understand of the visual language of line.

It is my goal in this class to further my ability to use line, in order to add another dimension to my work.  Through the drawing of the human form I will be able to better understand the musculature of the figure.  I can already see that there is much to learn in regards to line and form.  Ultimately what I have learned thus far is a bit of a repeat to previous drawing courses, however I am quite certain that I will learn a great deal, and look forward to the coming weeks to explore areas for personal growth.