Introduction to Line

We've begun this year by looking at line. The concept of line is extremely important, our world is created through different types of lines and they are everywhere we look. We began looking at line through gesture and contour drawings then through patterning and a variety of materials. These artists chose what type of line intrigued them most and then created a project that emphasized the use of line.

Many of the artists chose to work with wire, creating three-dimensional line drawings, while others chose images they would depict through multiple lines and patterning. These line creations can be seen in "gallery".

2/6 Perspective

We are working with one vanishing point and two vanishing points to create perspective. Everyone is creating their own environment, whether it be nature or buildings, where the viewer feels as though they could enter into the space.

1/16 Optical Color Mixing

This week we are still working with color but mixing color in a new way, optical mixing. Mixing colors on a palette is not the only way to create blended colors in the viewer's eye. If you put pure unmixed colors side by side in a painting or drawing, the viewer's eye will tend to blend the colors together, when viewed from a distance.

If you'd like so see some of the works in progress just click on "works in progress" on the right.



Julie just finish a piece she has been working on since Thanksgiving. Nice job Julie, looks great!

Week 11: Tournament Posters

The graphic design class designed posters for the upcoming tournament at Jay Peak.




Here are works in progress of the Franz Marc inspired animal paintings



This was our last class before break, Happy Holidays!

Week 7: "Believe" a collaborative project

We used a grid to enlarge a 8"x 10" page of the word believe where each artist was given the opportunity to choose their squares to illustrate. Everyone was given five blank squares with the instruction to use five different color palettes and artistic freedom to create whatever they'd like within the lines of their particular area depicted. Once the artists placed their squares together the "Believe" became more visible.

Week 6: Inspiration from Georgia O'Keeffe

Last week an introduction to color took form in a collaborative work, not yet completed. This week we are working with pastels to create Georgia O'Keeffe inspired drawings. It is wonderful to see all of this color! Check back to see the finished works of both the collaborative piece as well as these drawings.

Week 3: Value and Shading

(our still life-inspiration for the drawings)

This week we are working with the idea of shading/value. Many of the artists here are working on a still life charcoal drawing. Drawing a still life is a process, it is all about refining, so we will be working on these pieces next week as well. Along with still life drawing, some artists are working on a drawing that uses stippling. The graphic designers in this studio just finished personal logos (which you can see in the above image). Check back at the "Gallery" within the next couple of weeks to see pictures of the finished works.


landscape paintings from last week:

Week 2: Inspirational Landscape

It was such a beautiful day we decided to head out by the pond to create paintings inspired by the landscape. Once the paintings are dry we are going back into them with pen & ink to create detail and value by cross-hatching and stippling.








*on a side note: the pattern drawings and typography drawings turned out great! If you would like to see them click "Gallery" on the right side of the page.

Week 1: Introduction to Line

gesture drawing-This quick drawing captures the energy and movement of the subject. It does not necessarily have to be realistic. Gesture drawings are often very expressive and allow one the
freedom to loosen up and not worry about small details.

contour drawing- Outline of the object and interior parts of the object, really just the basics showing the object without any shading.

variable contour drawing/value- Vary the width of the contour line to give emphasis and weight to the line. It gives the illusion of the line having more.

cross contour drawing- Cross contour lines are parallel lines that curve over an object’s surface in a vertical or horizontal manner (or both) and reveal the item’s surface characteristics.

blind contour drawing- Blind contour drawings are those created by looking only at the subject, and not the paper while drawing.

It was a wonderful first class.
Everyone did an amazing job and I'm looking forward to what the rest of the semester will bring.

Sketchbooks are now available, so feel free to pick one up. They are in a stack on the bottom of the black shelves where all of the art supplies are (on top of the large sketchbooks). If you're inspired draw, doodle and jot down any ideas you may have over the weekend. See you on Monday!

Welcome! I think this year will be very exciting. We will explore all types of media, experimenting with a variety of techniques and styles. A very wise professor once told me "the more a student is motivated by the experiences of doing the work, the greater is the opportunity for growth and change" which I truly believe.

On the right hand side a list of pages is available with the syllabus, art terms, a place for discussion and more (just click).