Project Three: Organic Still-life, Under Painting and Vibrancy

 

Objective:

To further demonstrate the elements of seeing, attaining proper proportions, identifying local colors, layering, working from the back of the drawing forward. You will be working with color soft pastels minus black. You will create an under drawing of the organic still-life attaining the best possible proportions and perspectives. Then, after watching my demo and completing the color studies I hand out, you will take pastels, paint brushes and odorless mineral spirits (OMS) and block out large area of the drawing to do under painting in keeping in mind value and complimentary color. Then you will build a drawing over the under painting that will focus on local color, value range, reflective light, shadow, edge quality and vibrancy that demonstrates your increasing ability to work with color and soft pastels.

 

Directions:

Step 1: Take a 15" x 22” sheet of BFK paper mount it on your drawing board in any format. Then using a ruler and mark off a 1” frame all around your drawing with a pencil.

 

Step 2: You will then find an interesting area of one of the plants on the stage. I want a drawing that includes the entire environment touching all four edges. Using an H pencil create the under drawing being mindful to keep the drawing surface as clean as possible. Utilize the sighting technique, bracketing, and centering. Correct proportions and perspectives are expected.

 

Step 3: Once your under drawing is complete take the knowledge gained from my demo and your work on the color studies to block out large areas of the drawing keeping in mind value, vibrancy and complimentary colors with pastels that you then wash with OMS.

 

Step 4: Once you have your under drawing and painting is complete, start identifying what colors you see in the still-life and collect those colors from your pastel palette. Start working from the lighter values to mid-key hues from the back of the drawing to the front.

 

Step 5: Move the pastel around the drawing in whatever manner you found most appealing from the demo. Keep in mind vibrancy, edge quality and value range. No black is allowed.

 

Step 6: Complete drawing to the best of your ability. Spray with fixative and hand in according to the outline in the syllabus.

 

 

Materials:

15" x 22" BFK, Soft Pastels, Pencils, Erasers, Ruler, Synthetic Paintbrushes, OMS