Sketchbook Assignment:
(scroll to the bottom to make sure you do all assignments)
You will not improve at drawing until you learn to pay attention to the shape, size, and angle of lines.
If I told you to draw a flower, you would probably just draw your idea of a flower that you learned as a young child. An artist would find a real flower or photo of a flower and draw each curve, line, and dot, not "petal, stem, and leaf."
A classic drawing challenge is to copy an image while looking at it upside down. This prevents your brain from saying the name of the object you're drawing, like "foot," and accesses the part of your brain that simply draws what you see and not what you THINK you see. All art is composed of lines, curves, and dots.
EXERCISE 1
In your sketchbook, tape the hand-out I gave you upside down on the left side of your sketchbook and carefully copy it on the right side, capturing each detail. Work from the top down (not from the head up.) Turn it around the right way when you finish to see how you did!
EXERCISE 2
Set up 3 objects in a still life, like a book, cup, and banana. With your pencil (no erasing), draw a continuous line drawing in you sketchbook, trying not to lift your pencil off the paper. Let your eyes slowly (VERY slowly) follow the edge of each object as your hand moves at the same time. The goal is not accuracy (it will look really wonky!). The goal is to teach your eye to see the edge of an object. Try not to think about the object you're drawing, like "banana" but to just see curves, lines, and dots. Here are some examples.
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Art Appreciation Assignment:
This year, we will study one famous piece of art each week. But to start, please watch this video on why we study art in the first place. After watching this video, answer these questions in the Answer Section of your sketchbook. Hint: read the questions first so you know what to listen for!
1. What rich Italian family promoted the arts during the Renaissance?
2. What is one problem with using art to draw conclusions about history?
3. Do you have a favorite artist or painting? Who/what?
YOUTUBE LINK TO VIDEO