WIP Wednesday - homework...

Here's an enlarged and more detailed version of the thumbnail (for "loss") I was working on last week... Because of technical difficulties there's been no further critique, so I guess I'll leave this and work on the book I'm woefully behind on..

WIP Wednesday - homework -

Our last black and white assignment is supposed to be a personally meaningful piece centered around either the theme of 'loss' or 'dreams'.

Some of these are riffs on some previous sketches -

(this concept was totally lost on my young, single, male instructor... He was mystified.)

Here's a variation on the tree sketch...

I didn't get as far with this one - but this *is* a sample book cover that I totally want to finish at some point.

WIP Wednesday - Vignette sketch

This week is *crazy* - the days are totally getting away from me, sorry for the late posting - again..

Saw a painting with this tree in it and loved it - enough to inspire a quickie sketch that might serve as a partially vignette piece for my homework (and future painting?). Deciding whether I like the concept well enough to pursue...

Figure Friday - homework redux...

Yet more figure-studies with somewhat more composed vignetted backgrounds...

Trying different approaches...

WIP Wednesday - more homework...

Some more TAD homework - quickie figure study-vignette attempts...

Tried to be more abstract this time around. Still not entirely successful.. Surprisingly difficult to do effectively....

WIP Wednesday - homework -

Our latest composition assignment is to compose some abstract vignettes around some figure drawing...

I got more geometrical than I meant to, but it kind of just evolved... going to have to try and be more seriously abstract the next go around..

If you are interested, here are some awesome entries on vignetting via the Gurney Journey blog: see here, here and here...

Figure Friday - more homework...

For those of us who aren't taking multiple classes there were some optional assignments to choose from.  I choose this option:

Option 2:

Step 1. Choose your top ten paintings of all time. Do one thumbnail of each that studies the shapes, linear design, and tonal pattern. Pay close attention to the principles of design. Pay close attention to where and how symbols are used in the pieces.

Step 2. Choose one of the most personally moving memories of your life that you are comfortable exploring visually and symbolically. Create four thumbnails which compose your ideas into a scene using what you learned from Step 1. (*for me personally, this type of work helps me work through my own inner experiences and situations to a healthy resolution. It is personal art therapy through composition and symbolism. Explore your inner realm and moods in value and tone.)

Great assignment, isn't it?

Here are a few pages of classical painting thumbnails...

 It was impossible for me to pick my 'all time top 10', it changes frequently - so I picked a number of my favorite artists, and picked a well-liked painting or two from them...

One thing I noticed about my choices - I seem to prefer single (and occasionally double), central figures, minimal background - unless it's nature-based, and I seem to be drawn to mythic-themes (there are lots of wings), children, water, light....

And so I did some thumbnails of my own. Themes transmuted as I went...

 I can see how this could become very therapeutic. :-)

WIP Wednesday - Composition Homework...

A couple of color variations on this silly, silly poster...

Do you like one better than the other?

Sunday Sketching - sort of

The bulk of this week was spent fighting off a cold and doing my TAD homework. Here is my latest version of the promotional poster:

And a version with some very subtle spots of color:

These are certainly not flashy and heavily digitally painted as some, but it is much closer to how I work while still fulfilling the assignment. Will be interesting to see how it goes over in critique.

WIP Wednesday - Composition Homework...

I've just started taking a part-time online course on Color & Composition from TAD (The Art Department) (offshoot of Massive Black and ComceptArt).  The homework thus far has consisted of more 'grown-up' design work than I've had to do for some time. Is stretching my brain!

This week's assignment was to design a poster for TAD....

After today's critiques I'm going to develop #4/the key further (add all the text and tonal info). Not a whole lot of time to take this to finish really, so simple is good!