Drawings Discussion

What are drawings used for in the past:

• Education
• Medical purposes
• Diagrams
• Story telling
• Representational
• Instructions
• Blue prints
• Memorialize
• Communication
• personal enjoyment
• maps

What are drawings used for in the present:

• All listed above
• Decoration
• Protest
• Territory
• Recording

In our group we discussed how the use of drawing hasn't changed much, but it is the subject matter and the medium that has expanded greatly. Today we are able to use non-traditional mediums, such as computers, to create drawings that are used for a variety of reasons.

How do we encounter drawing as a viewer?

• intimidating
• inspiring
• challenging
• to exapnd our style
• we bring our own personal baggage into any art we view

we also discussed how it is hard for us to separate between being a mere viewer and an artist who is viewing.

How does encountering drawings relate to us as an artist?

• same as above
• technique
• reference point
• connecting to another artist

When has drawing been most interesting to you?
Drawing became most interesting to me when I entered college. In college we talk more about what drawing is, the characteristics and quality of line, materials etc. It is a higher level of approach and thinking that creates more appeal than in high school art classes.

What should drawing be for/ what is its function?
Practical Purposes- medical, instructions, maps etc.
Personal Purposes- thought provoking, trying to communicate some thought, idea or belief

What is a drawing?

Our group decided on a simple definition for drawing, but at the same time it is very extensive. We concluded that a drawing is a moving point. Once a point moves it creates line, shape, form, value etc. Some of the characteristics that fit into our definition of drawing included:

• Mark making
• Line
• Texture
• Volume
• Structure
• Form
• Shape
• Value
• Repeated form/pattern

For our group it came down to the elements and principles of art and design- a drawing does not have to include all of these elements, but more so a combination of a few.

The two images from my found drawings selected as the best was the foam in the water that looks like it forms a figure, and the chipped planks of wood.

Found Drawings

Here are what I think to be the best of my found drawings.

my new temporary "studio"

Seeing that school has started I am now mixing submarine in a new place- a little corner of my room. I have been struggling the past few days with mixing because the lighting is drastically different. Now I am not so much looking at the color but mixing more from memory because I am at the point that I know what colors I need to use to get the best outcome. I am at the point that I am ready for it to be done- mixing the same color for 30 days straight can be slightly redundant, but at the same time I am still glad I am doing this!

Found Drawings

"...images arising by accident rather than from any conscious process."
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shelleyclark/sets/72157612912561776/

i stand corrected.

today was an awesome color mixing day- I keep seeing submarine better and better!

we all live in a submarine submarine...?

This past summer I had an idea for an art project. I wanted to see how trying to mix the same color would change from day to day. I bought 30 4x4 canvases from Blick's and decided January would be the month to start. I browsed the paint chips at Menards and picked a color called "Submarine"- though I have never seen a submarine this color- I think I am stuck in the stereo typical yellow submarine, anyways...
Starting January 1st I sat down in my little make shift studio in the spare bedroom in our basement with my paint chip and small canvas. I limit myself to 20 minutes to mix because really if I didn't, I could be down there all day trying to get the color just right. I mixed until I felt I had the closest possible match I could mix and painted the entire canvas. I write down in my notebook the date, time I start and location (seeing that eventually I will be back at school) and I also write down all the colors of paint I use. Then the next day I do the same thing- only looking at the paint chip and not the previous painted canvas- so in the end I will see how my viewing the same color everyday changed.
I have been experimenting a lot with my color choice. I am able to remember from the day before the majority of paint colors I used so I try to use something different. Today, Jan 7th, day 7 of painting was by far the BEST! It was so exciting because when I lifted my palette knife to the paint chip I was so excited because I knew...this was the best day yet! I had taken a totally different approach by first mixing an orange then adding aqua to make it green- I think by doing this it is going to expand my knowledge of color and mixing paints. I have to remind myself to really look at the paint chip each day and not just go off of memory and from that I am starting to see this little submarine better than the day before. It kind of reminds me of drawing- we need to really LOOK at our subject to see what is ACTUALLY there and not what we THINK is there. Huh- this is most likely a good thing to apply to life-