Drawing The Fantastic - Otis College of Art

For Thursday, Feb. 16 - Homework Due and Materials List

2012-02-09T17:12:00.001-08:00

Next week: Your Final 18" x 24" Line Drawing is Due!
*If you are working digitally, your piece will be 50% due (Grayscale)

Supplies to Bring for Next Week's Class:

-Saral Transfer paper in *GRAPHITE color
-2B Graphite Pencils
-Pencil Sharpener
-White Drawing Paper (18" x 24")
-Newsprint Pad and Board
-Blue Tape (1/2" - 1")
-Berol Primsacolor Pencils (if you will be working in this medium)
-Watercolor Paper (if you will be working in this medium)
-Pens (if you will be working in this medium)

Recommended Anatomy Books:

http://forums.cgsociety.org/showpost.php?p=2452248&postcount=1

Self Portrait As A Creature - Homework, Due Thurs, 2/2

2012-01-26T11:59:00.000-08:00

Continue to refine 10 variations of your silhouettes. Bring your 10 PRINTED / PHOTOCOPIED refined silhouettes to class to put on the crit wall on Thurs., 2/2.

Drawing The Fantastic Figurative - Spring 2012

2012-01-19T13:28:00.001-08:00

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO REQUEST TO BE ADDED TO OUR FACEBOOK GROUP

Homework Assignment 1 - Self Portrait As A Creature
OVERVIEW:
*Note: see more detailed descriptions below the Overview

Part 1: Decide on a creature and do your Research!

Your first homework assignment is to reimagine yourself as a creature. It's up to you as to what creature that may be, but you must combine your own portrait with that of an animal or fictional creature.

You need only create the face / neck and the top of the shoulders - no body! I am looking for QUALITY, not quantity in this piece.

Decide what creature that you want to combine with your self portrait. This can be a real life animal or any fictional character.

Reference Resources:

Google Image, Flickr, Pbase, and your own books or books from the library are all fair game as reference resources. Just be sure to not directly copy any copyrighted references that you find - you must significantly alter any reference image in order for it to be considered legally yours. Also be sure to look through some of Peter Konig's work and your favorite artists as inspiration. Check through some of the blog links below to get your creative juices flowing.
If you have other resource sites that you would like me to link, let me know.

Part 2: Ideation

Process:

Create a set of small, rough silhouettes in your sketchbook (or digitally if you prefer) before embarking on any linear sketch. (*Only your references and silhouette drawings will be due 1/26 - no line drawings - see details below). Try to convey the mood and atmosphere of the piece before ever adding any details. Think of the mood which you want to convey and a background story for this morphed creature's head.
Write a short paragraph describing the nature of this creature and his / her background. You will be asked to read this aloud in class next week. Is the creature grotesque? Scary? Cute? Funny? Obnoxious? Gentle? Patient? Organized? Dyslexic? You decide the backstory and write an entertaining description of the creature's characteristics:

Personality
Height
Self Image
Projected Image
Background - Where is it from? Where does it live? What does it eat?
Etc.

Check out some of these sketches as inspiration by artist Maurice Novembre:

Some Cool General Inspiration:

http://design-milk.com/octopus-chair-by-maximo-riera/#more-65332

Above: I came across the work of artist Travis Louie via CGUnit, check out his interesting work on his website here.

Above: Check out the work of artist Bogi Piroth / aka "mikkamakka" for a nice dose of inspiration. This is just completely bizarre because no sooner did I post this artist's link to our blog did she up and join the Workshop I previously ran on this topic on CGTalk.

Click here to view some great work by friend Shreya Shetty.

Project Considerations / Criteria:

No boring, fully front on views of the head without any sense of dynamism or expression! Give some tilt or twist to the head / neck to make the pose more interesting. Maybe even the head is in the process of speaking, giving a snarl or smile, in the middle of "lunch" (whatever that is) etc. Try to evoke a mood as much as fulfill the basic requirements of creating a morphed head.
Consider a strong sense of lighting / chiarascuro. Look at the work of Caravaggio to get a strong sense of lighting. Note the clarity of the light source and the strong sense of design via lights and darks alone:

Detail of Judith Beheading Holofernes by Caravaggio

Media:

As always you can use the media of your choice. You can use a sharpie marker on paper, or you can do your silhouettes digitally. I prefer that these remain in your sketchbook, 8.5" x 11, or the digital equivalent.
For critique on Thursday, 1/26, be sure to photocopy your traditional sketchbook page so we can put it on the wall, or to print your work if you are working digitally.
I prefer that this remain in Black / White only.

Part 3: Final Drawing / Digital Painting

We will discuss this further down the line. Your final piece will not be due for 2-3 weeks at least.
A few examples of previous completed student work is below - please note that these were the final images which had been developed from previous silhouettes and sketches:

Above: Allison Reimold

Above: Audgrey G

Above: Audgrey G

Above: Veda Tsai

Above: Sarah Wolfe

Also, should you ever desire a paintover before any class, email me a jpg of your drawing / digital image at 800 pix maximum width, 72 dpi, and I will do a paintover with suggestions for your image. (My email: rebeccak4_at_gmail_dot_com) (minus the underscores _ )

Below: Examples of Preliminary Line Drawing Sketches
*(Please Note - Line Drawings Are NOT Due Next Week!)

Have fun and bring in some great references, silhouettes, and backstories on Thursday!

~~~

Homework Assignment 2, Parts 1 & 2: Reference for Creature and Self Portrait - *Both Parts 1 & 2 Due Thurs.,1/26

Part 1:

There are infinite online resources for finding reference images. It's very important to go online or check out books that have images and information that you need to best inform the development of your characters. A lack of research will be obvious even in your initial sketches. If you have not done enough research by the end of the project your project will ultimately fail.

References, Resources, & Inspiration:

Google Image, Flickr, Pbase, and your own books or books from the library are all fair game as reference resources. Just be sure to not directly copy in your artwork any copyrighted references that you find - you must significantly alter any reference image in order for it to be considered legally yours. Also be sure to look through some of Peter Konig's work and your favorite artists as inspiration. Check through some of the blog links below to get your creative juices flowing.
Tor Book Cover Illustration
Creature Spot Blog
CGPortfolio
CGHub
Conceptart.org
UGLY OVERLOAD - blog of ugly creatures (highly inspirational!)
Cute Overload
Creature Art Facebook Page
Cool Fossils
If you have other resource sites that you would like me to link, let me know.

Homework Assignment 1, Part 1 Overview:
*Please Note - I highly suggest doing this Research in the next day or so as you will need the rest of the week to complete Part 2 - your silhouette sketches.

Your RESEARCH is Due Thurs., 1/26– You must bring your PRINTED Research Images with you to class on 1/26. Images must be printed and not digital files. No exceptions. Your research will be graded according to completeness. Please no tiny, impossible to see images. 1 – 2 images per page only.

• 10 Realistic photographic references for the CREATURE

B/W prints (photocopies from books or prints from the web) of 10 separate references for the creature with which you would like to combine your self portrait.

• 10 Realistic photographic references for your SELF PORTRAIT

B/W prints (photocopies from books or prints from the web) of 10 separate references for your self portrait. I highly recommend having a friend / relative take photographs of you specifically for this assignment. Be sure to use a single light source and to think about the kind of lighting you might ultimately like to use in your final "Self Portrait As A Creature" assignment. (You can also always later retake photographs as your idea develops).

• 15 STYLE references (they must be distinct) for the character design treatment of the Creature Self Portrait.

You want to show examples of the style which you are going to use to create your Creature Self Portrait. The style can be scary, funny, silly, etc. - it does not have to be of a particular genre. Some general style examples are below:

Etc.

You can also bring in a print or prints of work by your favorite artist/s whose style you may wish to emulate. Below: work by James Jean:

The point is to bring in 15 different images that show 15 different possible styles that you will eventually choose from to create the characters for your interpretation of "Creature Self Portrait".

YOU MUST PRINT ALL OF YOUR IMAGES / DO NOT BRING IN DIGITAL FILES. You will be graded on whether or not you bring in the correct number of reference images for Parts A & B.

* Note: Please do not bring in tiny reference images. If you Google images, use Google Advanced Image Search and set the 'Size / Return images that are' drop box to at least 'Larger than 800 x 600'.

Creature Reference:
*Please note that for any reference that you use, you must modify the reference significantly in order to avoid copyright infringement.

Suggested search terms: Creature Design, Creature Concept Art

____________

Homework Assignment 1, Part 2 Overview:

Your initial SILHOUETTE SKETCHES of the Creature Self Portrait are also Due 1/26 . Images must be printed (if digital) or photocopied (if traditional) and not digital files. Images must not be just left in sketchbooks (because you will need them to refine for the following week). No exceptions. Your sketches will be graded according to completeness. Please no tiny, impossible to see images. (See examples on the blog).

Due 1/26:
• 10 silhouette sketches of your Creature Self Portrait

You can fit several to a page (see below for examples of good silhouettes). Emphasize action and movement in your drawings, and consider their sense of gesture. Keep these initial sketches loose and don’t labor over them. These are ideation sketches to be refined. This does not mean to have sloppy sketches or ones that are dashed off at the last moment. Plan your time wisely and do your research on one day (that won’t take long) and give yourself the remaining week to create great silhouette sketches. These will be graded on clarity and distinctness.

We will critique your silhouette sketches as a group on 1/26 , so be sure that they are stunning and that you have clear photocopies to put up on the crit wall.

Example silhouette sketches by previous student:

More example silhouette concept sketches on Google

POTLUCK FOR LAST CLASS: Thursday, May 5, 4:30-6:00 PM at Rebecca's Studio Downtown

2011-04-28T17:41:00.000-07:00

POTLUCK FOR LAST CLASS: Thursday, May 5, 4:30-6:00 PM at Rebecca's Studio Downtown

All food and drink will be provided

Please check your OTIS email for address and direction information flyer.

Drivers / Passengers (MEET AT OTIS PROMPTLY AT 3:45 PM in ROOM 214)

Potluck Carpool List:

Sasha Reneau - 4 passengers:

Paul (Bowen)
Juston
Stephan
Kirsten

Cesar - 4 passengers:

Kristina
Alexis
Pedro

Oliver Witt:

Ramon
Christabel
Katarina

__________

Going directly downtown (not meeting at OTIS)
Sunny Gu
Rachel Fujii
June Ahn
Daniel Demirjdian (?)

The Korpus School of Art + Gallery "Coming Soon" Poster Has Arrived!

2011-04-25T18:56:00.001-07:00

The Korpus School of Art + Gallery "Coming Soon" Poster has arrived! Kindly share it with friends! :) Click below for larger image (not print res):

Click below for a direct link to the larger version of the image:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3017773/Korpus/Poster-For-Web_Coming-Soon.jpg

Thanks for looking! Kindly help to spread the word! :)

My Teaching Schedule at Otis College of Art - Fall 2011

2011-04-24T15:42:00.001-07:00

Click image above to enlarge

I am excited for this lineup for Fall 2011 at Otis College of Art - kindly spread the word if you are a student there!

Monday 12:00 - 3:00 pm - Figurative Drawing
Tuesday 12:30 pm - 3:30 pm - Drawing The Fantastic Digital
Thursday 3:45 pm - 6:45 pm - Drawing The Fantastic (Traditional)
Thursday 7:00 - 10:00 pm - Action Figure Drawing (through Toy Design)
Friday 12:15 pm - 3:15 pm - Digital Master Copies

Coming Soon! Korpus School of Art + Gallery in Downtown LA

2011-04-10T21:04:00.001-07:00

Above L-R, Artwork by Instructors: Rebecca Kimmel, David Simon, Richard Morris, Andrew Foster (click to enlarge)

Dear Friends,

I am extremely proud to announce that I am opening the Korpus School of Art + Gallery in downtown Los Angeles this Summer - in May / June 2011. While not everything is finalized and there is still much to do, the school is making enormous progress and should soon be open to welcome our first students! I will be announcing a Grand Opening Event soon, so please stay tuned!

The Korpus School of Art + Gallery (KSA + G) was established to teach, promote, and showcase traditional figurative art. I am very excited to have hired three fantastic instructors to teach along with me - all Instructor Artwork and Bios can be seen on the KSA + G website. Our focus will be on high school students through adults, of beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels. You can see examples of some impressive Student Artwork here.

I will teach College Portfolio Preparation and host our Uninstructed Figure Drawing and Uninstructed Figure Painting Workshops. David Simon will teach Figurative Sculpture. Richard Morris will teach Figure Drawing. Andrew Foster will teach Figure Painting. The schedule for all of our 10 Week Classes + Uninstructed Workshops can be found here. Additionally KSA + G will host Special Topic Events + Workshops. Please check out our website and kindly tell your friends! I truly appreciate your helping to spread the word.

The Korpus School of Art + Gallery will also feature a Gallery for invited artists to showcase their work. I eagerly anticipate the great work that will be shown here.

The Korpus School of Art + Gallery will be housed in a beautifully converted former factory in the Factory Place Arts Complex in the heart of the Arts District in Downtown L.A. Our Contact Page is here. Kindly let me know if you or someone you know are interested in our 10 Week Classes, or our Uninstructed Figure Drawing + Uninstructed Figure Painting Workshops. Again, I appreciate your support in helping to get the word out!

Of course, no school would be complete without a Facebook Page and Blog. All contact information for KSA + G is listed below and on our Contact Page:

ADDRESS:
Korpus School of Art + Gallery
1300 Factory Place, Unit 308
Los Angeles, CA 90013

PHONE:
*Coming Soon!

EMAIL: *Please email or direct any inquiries to KSA + G here:
korpus.info@gmail.com

Website
http://korpus-la.com/

Facebook Page - "Like" us to show your support!

Blog - Subscribe or Follow us to show your support!
http://korpus-la.blogspot.com/

I can't wait to get started, and I hope that you will be a part of Korpus School of Art + Gallery's exciting future!

Warm Regards,

Rebecca Kimmel
Founder + Owner / Instructor, Korpus School of Art + Gallery

--
Korpus School of Art + Gallery | Website: www.korpus-la.com
Facebook Page
Blog
Email: korpus.info@gmail.com
Factory Place Arts Complex
1300 Factory Place, Unit 308
Los Angeles, CA 90013

Thursday, May 5 - Potluck at Rebecca's Studio in Downtown LA

2011-04-06T09:01:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, May 5, the last day of class for the semester, we will meet downtown at Rebecca's studio at 4:30 pm. Information and directions will be provided in class. Please plan to carpool downtown.

My Teaching Schedule at Otis College of Art - Fall 2011

2011-04-05T08:55:00.001-07:00

I am excited for this lineup for Fall 2011 at Otis College of Art - kindly spread the word if you are a student there!

Monday 12:00 - 3:00 pm - Figurative Drawing
Tuesday 12:30 pm - 3:30 pm - Drawing The Fantastic Digital
Thursday 3:45 pm - 6:45 pm - Drawing The Fantastic (Traditional)
Thursday 7:00 - 10:00 pm - Action Figure Drawing (through Toy Design)
Friday 12:15 pm - 3:15 pm - Digital Master Copies

I'll also be continuing to teach private drawing classes downtown at my studio on Saturdays from 10 am - 1 pm via The Drawing Workshop.

How To Steal Like An Artist - & Other Good Advice

2011-04-04T11:04:00.001-07:00

This is really good advice and inspiration that has been circulating around the internet:
How To Steal Like An Artist

Monsterpalooza

2011-04-01T23:34:00.001-07:00

Might be fun to check this out:

Monsterpalooza

Unusual Pets & Their Unusual Owners Sketches

2011-04-01T21:06:00.000-07:00

Above are some great examples of sketches for the assignment "Unusual Pets & Their Unusual Owners" by Juston Gordon.

Homework Due Thurs., 3/24

2011-03-17T18:10:00.000-07:00

Your homework due Thursday, 3/24 is to do 5 full size, compositional sketches of your selected idea for the Unusual Pets and Their Unusual Owners assignment. Fit one line drawing per 8.5" x 11" page - draw a neat border with a ruler if working traditionally, or make a border in PS if you are working digitally for each well defined sketch. We must be able to tell from each of your 5 sketches what is happening in the image without verbal explanation. NO SHADING - line work only. Please have these ready to put on the wall for critique on Thurs., 3/24.

Cool Blogs To Check Out

2011-03-10T11:32:00.000-08:00

These are great blogs!

Academy of Art Character and Creature Design Notes
http://characterdesignnotes.blogspot.com/

The Featured Creature

Topics Ideas For Our Next Homework Assignment

2011-03-10T10:40:00.000-08:00

Above: Previous student work for topic "Unusual Pets & Their Unusual Owners" by (clockwise from upper left - click to enlarge):

Lexi Vay, Lexi Vay, Millie Liu, Veda Tsai, Scott Nishiki, .

Image above by Damir G. Martin

So today we are going to generate and vote on the topic for our next Homework Assignment:

Some suggested topic ideas for our next Homework Assignment are:

Unusual Pets & Their Unusual Owners

Everyone agrees that owners often resemble their pets and vice versa. Here is your opportunity to prove the point by creating a family portrait of a most unusual pet (or pets) and his or her or its most unusual owner (or owners). These pets and their owners obviously need not be realistic or of this world. Ideate to come up with the most amusing and witty combination of unusual pets and their owners that you can!
Do not make this a boring side by side comparison. Place the pet/s and its owner/s in a scenario, such as you see in Damir G. Martin's above. Put a great deal of thought into why a certain pet owner would own a certain pet - how would they live? How do they treat their pet? Who is really in charge?

Nighttime At The Museum Of Curiosities
Paranormal Family Portrait
Scientific Anomaly Family Portrait
Siamese Monster Pet Convention
Conjoined Polar Opposites
Post-Apocalyptic Survival Bunny
Inner Beauty
Cave Dwelling Leviathan
It's Cute On The Outside, But...
East Meets West
Dream Come True
War Between Worlds
He / She Got What He / She Deserved
Your Worst Nightmare...+ Bunnies
It Was A Wonderful, Sunny Day Outside, And Then BLAM!
Alien Debutante Ball
Unstoppable Growth
Transformation

20 Thumbnail Drawings are due next week. These are just rough sketches, not silhouettes, but we must be able to understand from the sketch what your idea is and what is going on. This means 20 GOOD rough sketches - if it takes you 50 sketches to get 20 good ones, then please do more than the minimum!

Some Nice Examples

2011-03-04T10:51:00.000-08:00

Above: "Self Portrait As A Creature" Line Drawings by Rachel Fujii.

Above: "Self Portrait As A Creature" Silhouettes by Alexis Lim.

Above: "Self Portrait As A Creature" Silhouettes by Juston Gordon.

Above: "Self Portrait As A Creature" Line Drawings by Juston Gordon.

Above: "Self Portrait As A Creature" Line Drawings by Taylor Christensen.

Above: "Self Portrait As A Creature" Silhouettes by James Kim.

Above: "Self Portrait As A Creature" Line Drawings by James Kim.

Above: "Self Portrait As A Creature" Line Drawings by Alexis Lim.

Above: "Self Portrait As A Creature" Line Drawings by Sunny Gu.

Above: "Self Portrait As A Creature" Silhouettes by Michelle Samson.

Above are some nice Silhouettes and Line Drawings done for our "Creature As A Self Portrait" assignment. The final drawings are due next week.

Homework Assignment 2, Part 3 - Self Portrait As A Creature - Due Thurs., 3/3

2011-02-24T12:36:00.000-08:00

Your homework for next week is to create 10 line drawings based on a single silhouette idea we select today in class. You can use traditional or digital media, but just line drawing - NO SHADING. Bring your 10 PRINTED / PHOTOCOPIED line drawings to class to put on the crit wall on Thurs., 3/3.

Homework Assignment 2, Part 2 - Self Portrait As A Creature - Due Thurs., 2/24

2011-02-17T13:28:00.001-08:00

Your homework for next week is to revise and finalize your creature self portrait silhouette. Create 10 variations of the silhouette we chose in class on 2/17. You can use traditional or digital media, but no line drawing - just silhouettes. Bring your 10 PRINTED / PHOTOCOPIED silhouettes to class to put on the crit wall on Thurs., 2/24.

Homework Assignment 2, Part 1 - Self Portrait As A Creature - Due Thurs., 2/17

2011-02-10T11:18:00.000-08:00

Homework Assignment 1 - Self Portrait As A Creature
OVERVIEW:
*Note: see more detailed descriptions below the Overview

Part 1: Decide on a creature and do your Research!

You need only create the face / neck and the top of the shoulders - no body! I am looking for QUALITY, not quantity in this piece.

Decide what creature that you want to combine with your self portrait. This can be a real life animal or any fictional character.

Reference Resources:

Google Image, Flickr, Pbase, and your own books or books from the library are all fair game as reference resources. Just be sure to not directly copy any copyrighted references that you find - you must significantly alter any reference image in order for it to be considered legally yours. Also be sure to look through some of Peter Konig's work and your favorite artists as inspiration. Check through some of the blog links below to get your creative juices flowing.
If you have other resource sites that you would like me to link, let me know.

Part 2: Ideation

Process:

Create a set of small, rough silhouettes in your sketchbook (or digitally if you prefer) before embarking on any linear sketch. (*Only your references and silhouette drawings will be due 2/17 - no line drawings - see details below). Try to convey the mood and atmosphere of the piece before ever adding any details. Think of the mood which you want to convey and a background story for this morphed creature's head.
Write a short paragraph describing the nature of this creature and his / her background. You will be asked to read this aloud in class next week. Is the creature grotesque? Scary? Cute? Funny? Obnoxious? Gentle? Patient? Organized? Dyslexic? You decide the backstory and write an entertaining description of the creature's characteristics:

Personality
Height
Self Image
Projected Image
Background - Where is it from? Where does it live? What does it eat?
Etc.

Check out some of these sketches as inspiration by artist Maurice Novembre:

Some Cool General Inspiration:

http://design-milk.com/octopus-chair-by-maximo-riera/#more-65332

Above: I came across the work of artist Travis Louie via CGUnit, check out his interesting work on his website here.

Project Considerations / Criteria:

No boring, fully front on views of the head without any sense of dynamism or expression! Give some tilt or twist to the head / neck to make the pose more interesting. Maybe even the head is in the process of speaking, giving a snarl or smile, in the middle of "lunch" (whatever that is) etc. Try to evoke a mood as much as fulfill the basic requirements of creating a morphed head.
Consider a strong sense of lighting / chiarascuro. Look at the work of Caravaggio to get a strong sense of lighting. Note the clarity of the light source and the strong sense of design via lights and darks alone:

Detail of Judith Beheading Holofernes by Caravaggio

Media:

As always you can use the media of your choice. You can use a sharpie marker on paper, or you can do your silhouettes digitally. I prefer that these remain in your sketchbook, 8.5" x 11, or the digital equivalent.
For critique on Thursday, 2/17, be sure to photocopy your traditional sketchbook page so we can put it on the wall, or to print your work if you are working digitally.
I prefer that this remain in Black / White only.

Part 3: Final Drawing / Digital Painting

We will discuss this further down the line. Your final piece will not be due for 2-3 weeks at least.
A few examples of previous completed student work is below - please note that these were the final images which had been developed from previous silhouettes and sketches:

Above: Allison Reimold

Above: Audgrey G

Above: Audgrey G

Above: Veda Tsai

Above: Sarah Wolfe

Have fun and bring in some great references, silhouettes, and backstories on Thursday!

~~~

Homework Assignment 2, Parts 1 & 2: Reference for Creature and Self Portrait - *Both Parts 1 & 2 Due Thurs., 2/17

Part 1:

Google Image, Flickr, Pbase, and your own books or books from the library are all fair game as reference resources. Just be sure to not directly copy in your artwork any copyrighted references that you find - you must significantly alter any reference image in order for it to be considered legally yours. Also be sure to look through some of Peter Konig's work and your favorite artists as inspiration. Check through some of the blog links below to get your creative juices flowing.
Tor Book Cover Illustration
Creature Spot Blog
CGPortfolio
CGHub
Conceptart.org
UGLY OVERLOAD - blog of ugly creatures (highly inspirational!)
Cute Overload
If you have other resource sites that you would like me to link, let me know.

Homework Assignment 1, Part 1 Overview:
*Please Note - I highly suggest doing this Research in the next day or so as you will need the rest of the week to complete Part 2 - your silhouette sketches.

Your RESEARCH is Due Thurs., 2/17 – You must bring your PRINTED Research Images with you to class on 2/17. Images must be printed and not digital files. No exceptions. Your research will be graded according to completeness. Please no tiny, impossible to see images. 1 – 2 images per page only.

• 10 Realistic photographic references for the CREATURE

B/W prints (photocopies from books or prints from the web) of 10 separate references for the creature with which you would like to combine your self portrait.

• 10 Realistic photographic references for your SELF PORTRAIT

B/W prints (photocopies from books or prints from the web) of 10 separate references for your self portrait. I highly recommend having a friend / relative take photographs of you specifically for this assignment. Be sure to use a single light source and to think about the kind of lighting you might ultimately like to use in your final "Self Portrait As A Creature" assignment. (You can also always later retake photographs as your idea develops).

• 15 STYLE references (they must be distinct) for the character design treatment of the Creature Self Portrait.

You want to show examples of the style which you are going to use to create your Creature Self Portrait. The style can be scary, funny, silly, etc. - it does not have to be of a particular genre. Some general style examples are below:

Etc.

You can also bring in a print or prints of work by your favorite artist/s whose style you may wish to emulate. Below: work by James Jean:

____________

Homework Assignment 1, Part 2 Overview:

Your initial SILHOUETTE SKETCHES of the Creature Self Portrait are also Due 2/17 . Images must be printed (if digital) or photocopied (if traditional) and not digital files. Images must not be just left in sketchbooks (because you will need them to refine for the following week). No exceptions. Your sketches will be graded according to completeness. Please no tiny, impossible to see images. (See examples on the blog).

Due 2/17:
• 10 silhouette sketches of your Creature Self Portrait

You can fit several to a page (see below for examples of good silhouettes). Emphasize action and movement in your drawings, and consider their sense of gesture. Keep these initial sketches loose and don’t labor over them. These are ideation sketches to be refined. This does not mean to have sloppy sketches or ones that are dashed off at the last moment. Plan your time wisely and do your research on one day (that won’t take long) and give yourself the remaining week to create great silhouette sketches. These will be graded on clarity and distinctness.

We will critique your silhouette sketches as a group on 2/17 , so be sure that they are stunning and that you have clear photocopies to put up on the crit wall.

Example silhouette sketches by previous student:

More example silhouette concept sketches on Google

Interesting Article and Video

2011-02-06T23:16:00.000-08:00

Worth reading and watching (click links below):

The New Yorker Article: "Show The Monster: Guillermo del Toro’s quest to get amazing creatures onscreen" by Daniel Zalewski February 7, 2011

Video: Monsters in the Making

Notes from Derek Thompson Lecture at Otis College of Art: 2/2/11

2011-02-02T23:05:00.000-08:00

Notes from Derek Thompson Lecture at Otis College of Art: 2/2/11

Pixar Artist Derek Thompson gave a great lecture tonight at OTIS. Below are my notes from his talk. Workshops are to follow Thursday and Friday of this week.

First part of the talk / bulk of the lecture: Description of personal ups and downs and rough start into the business. Attended Otis when it was in MacArthur Park and experienced the joys of the LA Riots there during Finals. Originally wanted to be a comic book artist but found out that it didn’t pay – stumbled into the film industry via attending Comic Con and introducing himself to key people at ILM. Description of career doing various kinds of freelance work for the illustration, video game, and film industries.

Latter part of the talk - topics discussed:

Industry changes:

Genre films
Democratization / small studios / productions
Outsourcing

Cited this article in the LA Times:
California visual effects firms facing a bleak landscape

Volume of projects / VFX work – no guarantee of work, the industry is small

Small group of concept designers / tough to join Union
Proliferation of Entertainment Design as a track within art schools / art schools are adapting
Students can’t get into unions

Portfolios feel too similar to one another

Only 1 style of Vis. Dev. Art – people emulate the same revered artists in the industry
How to stand out / become unique
What separates good story artists? How do you bring your stamp to your work?
What is missing is multi-disciplinary thinking
What makes you passionate and unique?
You have to put your soul into your work, and have a point of view
Interesting ideas and thinking
Cultivate an individual life
Cultivate Film and Literary / Book Literacy
Travel, learn about history, etc.
Key ingredients in rounding yourself out as an artist
You still must have the basic draughtsmanship skills etc.
But you must also be thinking – storytelling is often sidelined for style
What is absent is: Film Literacy, Film History

Recognize the range of styles and directions in film
Shot design and shot thinking is important
You have to be able to speak the language
Know certain books such as:

“The Art of Dramatic Writing”
“Invisible Ink”
“Golden Theme”

Take trips / to inform your character / creature design / visual development
Reference key – awareness of references – immerse yourself in reference materials

Making of portion of DVDs
Director’s commentary etc.
You must take the initiative

What do you do in a class beyond fulfilling its basic requirements is critical
Importance of intellectually free design – what you notice in Life in general

Forms, shapes, and motifs that are not specific to a creature may inform your ideas.
Take in tangential thought for inspiration.
Don’t limit yourself by over-thinking and not trusting your gut reaction. You have body intelligence that is different from brain intelligence. Script writers learn to trust their gut reaction to things. There is intelligence in the body outside of the brain.
Road test ideas – what hits your gut?

In school – things are not necessarily fully integrated into all other majors – you must expose yourself to other disciplines. This lends texture and perspective to your work.

If you are isolated from other disciplines, make an effort to integrate with other people and disciplines.
Disengage from your analytical mind and engage your gut mind.
Experience art for art’s sake and not only for commerce, even in the context of a commercial school.

Arduousness of freelancing and getting paid

1,000 applicants for just 6 seats for internships at Pixar
Tough economy and market – extreme competition
You must bring passion to your work
What do you get pumped up about?
When you are showing your portfolio, put what it is that you most want to do in that portfolio and put your best work first. If you want to be a creature designer do not show vehicles first.

Recognize the importance of the resonance of the archetypal response, sic writer Joseph Campbell.

“JAWS” was about a man’s fear of water as embodied in a shark

Homework Assignment 1 - Due Next Thurs, 2/3

2011-01-27T17:07:00.000-08:00

Your Homework due next Thurs., 2/3 is the following:

25 gesture drawings from this website:
http://www.characterdesigns.com/index.php?sitepage=photosets

Create these gestures in the style of a chosen master artist (contemporary or classical) whom you would like to emulate.

Use CarbOthello pencil or General's Charcoal pencil on NEWSPRINT. Your pencils must be sharpened in the way in which has been demonstrated in class. You can fit multiple figures to a page, but the poses must be FULL FIGURE, STANDING, NUDE poses (either male or female or a combination).

ALSO - for Derek Thompson's presentation on WEDNESDAY, Feb. 2, Thurs. Feb. 3 and Friday Feb. 4:

Character and Design Workshops - With Derek Thompson, Pixar Development Artist
Thursday, Feb. 3 and Friday, Feb. 4

What scares you and creeps you out? To participate, collect 3-5 visual examples of each of your fears / phobias.

Open to All. Check your OTIS email for more info.

Please bring references to class that support the idea / theme of FEAR. This can be a book of spider photos, etc. but you must have these references (either books or photocopies) for the lecture on Wed., Thurs., and Fri.
Also, please remember to bring a SKETCHBOOK - size of your preference, but not smaller than 8.5" x 11" - along with the drawing materials of your choice - preferably a Col Erase pencil, Colored Pencil (in dark colors that you can SEE) or a graphite pencil or ballpoint pen.

Spring 2011 Materials List: Drawing The Fantastic - Figurative

2011-01-19T23:19:00.001-08:00

Materials List for Spring 2011 - "Action Figure" Students

YOU CAN'T DRAW WITHOUT SUPPLIES, SO BRING YOUR SUPPLIES TO CLASS EVERY DAY!!!

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The following is a complete list of materials which you will need for the class. Additional materials may be required. You can purchase all of your supplies at once (note that some items can be shared amongst 2-3 students where noted). However, you should have at the minimum the *starred materials by the second class meeting:

Click on links below to see images of what these supplies look like:

*Staedtler Mars Drawing Pencils, 2B (get about 3-5 pencils)
Extra Soft Vine Charcoal Sticks - get a package of any brand, but get Vine and not Willow.
*General’s HB, 2B, and 6B Extra Soft Charcoal pencils – at least 3 of each.
*Stabilo CarbOthello Pastel Pencils - about 3-4 of various colors, purchase individually, not a set – choose dark colors such as brown, blue, red, etc. so that your drawings show up in photos. DO NOT choose light colors such as yellow / pink as these will not appear when you photograph your work. NOTE: The best color to purchase is 1400/645 (it's a reddish burnt sienna brown, but the colors are only identified by number on their barrels). They are not always in stock - it's worth it to order them online, even if you don't receive them right away.
If you can't find CarbOthello pencils, purchase 3-4 Conté Sketching Pencils, in dark brown colors.
Alphacolor Char-Kole Squares – Set of 12 (Do not purchase other brand of charcoal sticks). *You can share a pack with another student, or students.
*Sanding pad (sold at art stores specifically for sharpening pencils, comes with a light blue paper cover) (*pictured as part of set, but buy individually)
*Kneaded eraser (flat, square, gray eraser that bends like gum)
White Platic (Staedtler Mars) eraser
Chamois
Olfa Knife (preferred and easier to use) OR *#1 Exacto knife with extra blades and a safety cover
Metal pencil sharpener
*Newsprint 18” x 24” - any brand ok but it must be this size - you will need 2-3 pads, we'll go through paper fast.
*Biggie Sketch Pad, White, 18” x 24” - *NOTE: Due to the size of these sketch pads, please carefully tear out 10 sheets and bring them to class tucked into your newsprint pads, which you will need to bring every day to class. Make sure to have about 10 sheets with you on a daily basis. *You can share a pad with another student.
18” x 24” Tracing Paper - You will only need a few sheets, so if you wish to share the costs with another student or students, this is a good idea.
*Masonite Drawing Board, comes with handle and thick rubber band, to accommodate 18” x 24” drawing pads. NOTE: There are some drawing boards in the class, but it is best to have your own, particularly for helping to transport your drawing pads to and from class. DO NOT GET THE “BARRETTE” STYLE BOARDS, make sure that the clips are sturdy, and look like the picture in the link.
*Box for Supplies – I recommend getting a small plastic utility box from Home Depot or other hardware store and NOT ArtBins, which are needlessly expensive. There is a Home Depot across the street from Art Supply Warehouse.
Pocket folder for handouts.
2 Large Metal Bull Clips or 2 Large Metal Binder Clips
1 can of matte finish fixative, Crystal Clear or Blair
final fixative

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Optional but HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: Cachet Deluxe Portfolio, 20" × 26" – for storing drawings that are loose, highly recommended for keeping your drawings safe and portfolio ready.
Optional: Softside Portfolio to accomodate 18" x 24" drawing pads and larger drawing board. Make sure that these portfolios aren't too tight a fit!
Optional: cordless electric pencil sharpener (Panasonic brand recommended) I typically bring my own to class which students are welcome to use, but it is best to have your own, if possible. At the minimum you must have a metal pencil sharpener with you every day.
Optional: *9” X 12” Spiral Bound Sketchbook - Bring this, along with a ballpoint pen, to class with you every day for taking notes, and for doing homework assignments.

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Recommended Supplies - Nu Pastels (*for later in the semester)

I have recently been doing demos for NuPastels and think you might really enjoy them a lot. NuPastels are chalk pastels that come in many vibrant colors, and they work best on Canson Mi Teintes paper. If you want to work with them, then the supplies I recommend getting for the next time you are here if you want to work in color (this is a recommendation and not a requirement):

(List is hyperlinked to see what these look like):

NuPastel Set of 24 - You can also purchase NuPastel sticks individually. The basic set of 24 doesn't come with the more subtle colors which are really necessary to get, such as: dark gray, deep reds, dark green, etc. I'd suggest getting the basic 24 color set + a stick or two of each of the colors I suggested (the colors are numbered, just look for dark colors you like).
Canson Mi Teintes paper - in dark colors, like dark grey, brown, red, etc. - just as long as it's not in the light range, it's fine.
Optional: piece of black foam core to accommodate the Canson Mi Teintes paper.
2 large bull clips.

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SPRING 2011: Drawing The Fantastic - Figurative - Welcome!

2011-01-19T21:45:00.000-08:00

I am looking forward to a great Spring 2011 semester. Please arrive promptly to class every day as roll will be taken for each class. Always bring your drawing supplies - we will always draw on paper that is 18" x 24" so please do not bring JUST a sketchbook - though you are welcome to bring a sketchbook for notes and to be used for some homework assignments.

Please feel free to contact me anytime with questions regarding the class at:

rebeccak4_at_gmail_dot_com (minus the underscores _ )

Please allow adequate response time.

New Digital Master Copies Class for Spring 2011

2010-11-18T15:42:00.001-08:00

It is confirmed that I will be running at new class at Otis for Spring 2011 - Digital Master Copies. This class will be modeled on the Online Workshops I ran for several years through the CGSociety. You can see some of the best work from these past workshops here. The class will be on Saturdays from 3:30 - 6:30 pm.

Holiday Potluck in Downtown LA - Friday, December 17, 7:00pm - 10:00pm

2010-11-18T14:21:00.000-08:00

I hope you can make it out for a HOLIDAY POTLUCK / party celebrating the holidays and the end of the year. :) Bring a nice dish or drink and you are welcome to bring a cool guest or two. Nothing fancy, just a nice laid back way to end the year with students and friends. Hope to see you there!

Holiday Potluck in Downtown LA -
Friday, December 17, 7:00pm - 10:00pm

Contact me through Facebook or email me if you have any questions:

rebeccak4_at_gmail_dot_com (minus the underscores _ )

No Class Thursday, Nov. 25 (Thanksgiving Break) - Next Class Meeting is Thursday, Dec. 2

2010-11-18T14:18:00.001-08:00

Everyone please remember:

No Class Thursday, Nov. 25 (Thanksgiving Break) -
Next Class Meeting is Thursday, Dec. 2!

This Sunday, Nov. 14, 6-9 pm - Special Digital Painting Workshop with Blizzard Matte Painter Levi Peterffy

2010-11-08T15:00:00.001-08:00

This Sunday, Nov. 14, 6-9 pm - Special Digital Painting Workshop with Blizzard Matte Painter Levi Peterffy

This Sunday, Nov. 14, from 6-9 pm, I am hosting a small special workshop demo by Levi Peterffy, Digital Matte Painter at Blizzard. The demo will be held at my studio + loft in downtown Los Angeles. You must contact me to RSVP and receive the address and directions. Levi will be demonstrating his digital painting techniques and talking about his work. You can view his professional and personal work at:

http://gallery.me.com/leventepeterffy#gallery

The Special Workshop fee is $35, cash or check is accepted.

Contact me at rebeccak4_@_gmail_dot_com (minus the underscores) if you wish to join the Workshop. I must personally know you (from Otis or elsewhere) in order for you to attend. You must RSVP in order to attend by contacting me by email. You can also catch me at Otis on Thursday from 3:45-6:45 pm in Room 214. I can only fit so many people into my studio, so you must RSVP to attend.

New Class For Spring 2011 - Digital Master Copies

2010-11-08T11:46:00.000-08:00

So there is the possibility that I will be running at new class at Otis for Spring 2011 - Digital Master Copies. This class would be modeled on the Online Workshops I ran for several years through the CGSociety. You can see some of the best work from these past workshops here. Support the class by letting Harry know that you would be interested in this class! I am excited to finally be (potentially) teaching this class at Otis.

Studio Visit, Thursday, Dec. 16

2010-11-08T10:22:00.001-08:00

I am thinking of having you guys over for a studio visit in downtown LA on Thursday, Dec. 16 for our last class. We'll talk in class about your schedules and address & directions information / etc. We'll do a potluck for our last class.

Homework Assignment 2 - Part 4 - The Myth of the Minotaur

2010-11-04T14:00:00.000-07:00

Homework Assignment 2 - Part 4 - The Myth of the Minotaur

The next part of your assignment, due Thursday, 11/11, is to finalize your final line drawing:

Line drawing of the characters Theseus and the Minotaur (and whatever cast of characters you have included additionally) in their Environment. This is a final compositional drawing incorporating both the Characters interacting within their Environment.

Page Format:

Remember that your final does not have to be 8.5" x 11" in page format. You can have a long landscape or a tall portrait format for your work.

Bring the final line drawing to class on Thursday, 11/11 for critique and review.

Dreamworks Concept artist JASON SCHEIER (Megamind, Kung Fu Panda and many more) coming in to Otis College from 7-10, room 403 Thursday, October 28th

2010-10-28T14:04:00.000-07:00

Also, via Gary Geraths, there is a cool event happening today at Otis that I hope you can attend:

Dreamworks Concept artist JASON SCHEIER (Megamind, Kung Fu Panda and many more) coming in to Otis College from 7-10, room 403 Thursday, October 28th. Environments and landscapes with mood and a cool painting demo to boot.

Homework Assignment 2 - Part 3 - The Myth of the Minotaur

2010-10-28T13:49:00.000-07:00

Important Note: For your final assignment, you can choose to either:

A. Create separate character and environment sketches.
B. Incorporate your characters into an environment in the manner of a finished illustration.

The next part of your assignment, due Thursday, 11/4, is in 2 parts:

Part 1:

Create 10 highly realized, distinct LINE DRAWINGS / character designs of your 2 characters Theseus / the Minotaur for the classic Greek myth "The Myth of the Minotaur" in the style of your favorite movie. For 2 characters, you should have 20 completed line drawings. (See specifications below). These can be drawn in any media - traditional and / or digital. You will use your best silhouette sketches as the basis for the next phase of your character designs.

Per each character, bring to class next week 10 highly realized, distinct line drawings / character designs. For 2 characters, you should have 20 completed line drawings. You should incorporate in each of these line drawings / sketches:

Action / Gesture
Props
Costumes / Clothing

Part 2:
Also start to create rough (line drawing) sketches for the Environment:

Environment - start to sketch the environment for your characters. Bring to class on Thursday, 11/4:

5 rough line drawing environment sketches and
15 b/w printouts or photocopies of environment reference
*Start doing your environment reference gathering today so you can start on your sketches!

Bring everything to class on Thursday, 11/4 for critique and review.

Homework Assignment 2 - Part 2 - The Myth of the Minotaur

2010-10-21T14:23:00.000-07:00

Your continuing assignment is to create and design characters, clothes, and props for the classic Greek myth "The Myth of the Minotaur" in the style of your favorite movie. Whatever your favorite film happens to be, you will be designing characters, props, and environments in its distinctive style.

Stage 2, Due Thursday, 10/28:

On Thursday, 10/28, bring to class 15 printed color or b/w images of:

COSTUMES / CLOTHES *AND*
15 printed color or b/w images of PROPS *AND*
15 printed color or b/w images of ENVIRONMENTS from the inspirational film which you choose.
Find these images as soon as you can so that you can start to create your character designs.

On Thursday, 10/28, bring to class:

10 b/w REFINED SILHOUETTE sketches of the MINOTAUR and 10 b/w REFINED SILHOUETTE sketches of Theseus *WHICH INCORPORATE YOUR COSTUMES / CLOTHES, PROPS RESEARCH*. (We will work on environments at a later time).
You can use any media to create these, but bring to class 8.5" x 11" / standard letter size prints or photocopies of your final silhouettes to be critiqued in class). Your Minotaur and Theseus character must be thoughtfully designed in the style of your chosen favorite film. You must be able to verbally defend your choices in class.
Your 20 b/w silhouette sketches must be distinctive and clear and clearly communicate who each character is. This will require visual and verbal research into the characters and also thoughtful consideration of the application of the style of the film to your characters. Who are the Minotaur and Theseus, as restyled according to the aesthetic of your favorite film, and what is the purpose of your stylistic choices? Think about the mood that you want to convey with the characters, and the emotional responses which you would like to elicit from your audience. Remember to incorporate movement and gesture into your silhouettes, as though the characters were caught in the middle of some emotion or action. You may choose to show them in combat / interacting. Be bold and exaggerate for the sake of clear communication.

We will critique your 10 b/w REFINED SILHOUETTE of the MINOTAUR and 10 b/w REFINED SILHOUETTE of Theseus in class on Thursday, 10/21.
See previous posts below this one for background information and image research. Use this as your starting point and build out from there.

Supplies To Bring To Class Next Week

2010-10-14T18:31:00.000-07:00

Extra Soft Vine Charcoal
Chamois
Kneaded Eraser
2B, 4B, or 6B Extra Soft General's Charcoal Pencils
Olfa or Exacto Knife
Sanding Pad
WHITE DRAWING PAPER - at least 15-20 sheets
Newsprint
Carb Othello Pencils (Brown colors best)

Movies That You Brainstormed In Class

2010-10-14T18:29:00.000-07:00

Dante's Inferno
Fifth Element
Resident Evil
Samurai Jack
Dark Knight
Kung Fu Panda
The Wolfman
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Labyrinth
Pan's Labyrinth
Beowulf
How To Train A Dragon
Kill Bill
Troy
Romeo + Juliet

Remember to choose your film soon and start your silhouettes!

Homework Assignment 2 - Part 2 - The Myth of the Minotaur

2010-10-14T01:00:00.000-07:00

Image source: http://www.explorecrete.com/history/labyrinth-myth.htm

Your assignment is to create and design characters and environments for the classic Greek myth "The Myth of the Minotaur" in the style of your favorite movie. Your favorite movie might be a Disney or Pixar film. Or it might be 300. Or it might be a stop motion film by the Brothers Quay. Or it might be Gone With The Wind. Or it might be O Brother Where Art Thou. Whatever your favorite film happens to be, you will be designing characters, props, and environments in its distinctive style.

Stage 1, Due Thursday, 10/21:

Decide early (today) on what your favorite film is / the film on which you would like to base your character, prop, and environment designs.
On Thursday, 10/21, bring to class 20 printed color or b/w images from the inspirational film which you choose. Find these images as soon as you can so that you can start to create your character designs.
On Thursday, 10/21, bring to class 10 b/w silhouette sketches of the MINOTAUR and 10 b/w silhouette sketches of Theseus (you can use any media to create these, but bring to class 8.5" x 11" / standard letter size prints or photocopies of your final silhouettes to be critiqued in class). Your Minotaur and Theseus character must be thoughtfully designed in the style of your chosen favorite film. You must be able to verbally defend your choices in class. Your 20 b/w silhouette sketches must be distinctive and clear and clearly communicate who each character is. Generate a set of adjectives that describe your characters. This will require visual and verbal research into the characters and also thoughtful consideration of the application of the style of the film to your characters. Who are the Minotaur and Theseus, as restyled according to the aesthetic of your favorite film, and what is the purpose of your stylistic choices? Think about the mood that you want to convey with the characters, and the emotional responses which you would like to elicit from your audience. Remember to incorporate movement and gesture into your silhouettes, as though the characters were caught in the middle of some emotion or action. You may choose to show them in combat / interacting. Be bold and exaggerate for the sake of clear communication.
We will critique your 10 b/w silhouette sketches of the MINOTAUR and 10 b/w silhouette sketches of Theseus in class on Thursday, 10/21.
See the post directly below this one for background information and image research. Use this as your starting point and build out from there.

The Myth of The Minotaur - Background Information and Reference Resources

2010-10-13T22:12:00.003-07:00

The Myth of The Minotaur

The Minotaur in Myth

The Minotaur in Myth
In Greek mythology, the Minotaur was a deadly and terrifying monster - indeed, this creature was one of the many dark forces of chaos in ancient legend. The Minotaur played a small but significant part in myth, and is most memorable in his role as the half human, half bovine inhabitant of the mysterious labyrinth. In addition, he was also the enemy of the Greek hero Theseus. So let us learn more about how this strange being influenced legend and explore the mythology of the Minotaur.

The tale of the Minotaur begins with Minos, the king of Crete. According to mythology, the god Poseidon sent King Minos a stunningly perfect white bull. This bull was meant to be a sacrifice to the great god of the sea. However, Minos valued the animal too much to use it as a sacrificial victim. In some versions of the story, Poseidon then punished King Minos by making Pasiphae, Minos's wife, fall passionately in love with the bull.

This was a powerful curse. Queen Pasiphae had no choice but submit to her lust for the animal, so with the help of the legendary inventor and craftsman Daedalus, she managed to satisfy her unnatural desires. The result of this union was the birth of a monster, which was half man and half bull. He was referred to the Minotaur, or the bull of Minos. King Minos then tried to hide this horrible creature in a vast and convoluted maze - the labyrinth.

So the Minotaur survived in the gloom of the labyrinth. Either every year or every nine years, seven maidens and seven young men from Athens were offered to appease the appetite of the monster. And it was this horrible custom that eventually resulted in the Minotaur's death. For, according to the legend, the Greek hero Theseus volunteered to go to Crete in place of one of the seven youths. Once in Crete, assisted by the princess Ariadne, Theseus defeated the Minotaur and in this way ended the monster's reign of terror.

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http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Mi-Ni/Minotaur.html

In Greek mythology, the Minotaur was a monstrous creature with the head of a bull on a man's body. Like many other mythological monsters, the Minotaur had a ravenous appetite for human flesh. He was eventually slain by a worthy hero with the help of a resourceful heroine.

The Minotaur—which means "Minos's bull"—was born in the palace of King Minos of Crete, a large island south of Greece. Some time earlier, the sea god Poseidon had sent Minos a pure-white bull to be sacrificed in his honor. When the king saw the magnificent creature, however, he refused to kill it. This angered Poseidon, who arranged for Minos's wife, Pasiphae, to fall in love with the bull. The offspring of their unnatural mating was the Minotaur. The king imprisoned the Minotaur in the Labyrinth, a maze built by a craftsman at his court named Daedalus.

In later years, after the people of the Greek city of Athens killed one of Minos's sons, the Cretan king called down a plague on their city. Only by agreeing to send seven young men and seven young women to Crete every year could the Athenians obtain relief. These youths and maidens were sent into the Cretan Labyrinth, where the Minotaur devoured them.

Theseus of Athens was determined to end the slaughter of young people. He volunteered to go to Crete as one of the sacrificial victims, vowing to slay the Minotaur. When the ship carrying the Athenians reached Crete, Ariadne, daughter of Minos and Pasiphae, fell in love with Theseus. She gave him a plan of the Labyrinth that she had obtained from Daedalus and a ball of string. He was to tie one end of the string to the exit as he went in and then to follow the string to find his way out. Deep in the Labyrinth, Theseus met the bellowing, bloodthirsty Minotaur and killed it with a blow of his fist. He and the other Athenians then fled Crete, taking Ariadne with them.

Some scholars suggest that the myth of the Minotaur arose out of ancient rituals in which a priest or king donned a bull mask before performing sacrifices. The Labyrinth may have represented the ancient palace at Knossos on Crete, which was a sprawling complex of chambers and hallways.

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Wikipedia:

"In Greek mythology, the Minotaur...as the Greeks imagined him, was a creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man...or, as described by Ovid, "part man and part bull"...He dwelt at the center of the Cretan Labyrinth, which was an elaborate maze-like construction...built for King Minos of Crete and designed by the architect Daedalus and his son Icarus who were ordered to build it to hold the Minotaur. The Minotaur was eventually killed by the Athenian founder-hero Theseus.

The term Minotaur derives from the Greek...compounding the name...(Minos) and the noun..."bull", translating as "(the) Bull of Minos". In Crete, the Minotaur was known by its proper name, Asterion...a name shared with Minos' foster-father...

Minotaur was originally a proper noun in reference to this mythical figure. The use of minotaur as a common noun to refer to members of a generic race of bull-headed creatures developed much later, in 20th-century fantasy genre fiction...

Birth and appearance

"...After he ascended the throne of Crete, Minos struggled with his brothers for the right to rule. Minos prayed to Poseidon to send him a snow-white bull, as a sign of approval. He was to sacrifice the bull in honor of Poseidon but decided to keep it instead because of its beauty. To punish Minos, Aphrodite made Pasiphaë, Minos' wife, fall madly in love with the bull from the sea, the Cretan Bull...She had the archetypal craftsman Daedalus make a wooden cow for her. Pasiphaë climbed into the bait in order to copulate with the white bull. The offspring of their coupling was the monstrous Minotaur. Pasiphaë nursed him in his infancy, but he grew and became ferocious; being the unnatural offspring of man and beast, he had no natural source of nourishment and thus devoured man for sustenance. Minos, after getting advice from the oracle at Delphi, had Daedalus construct a gigantic labyrinth to hold the Minotaur. Its location was near Minos' palace in Knossos.

Nowhere has the essence of the myth been expressed more succinctly than in the Heroides attributed to Ovid, where Pasiphaë's daughter complains of the curse of her unrequited love: "the bull's form disguised the god, Pasiphaë, my mother, a victim of the deluded bull, brought forth in travail her reproach and burden."...Literalist and prurient readings that emphasize the machinery of actual copulation may, perhaps intentionally, obscure the mystic marriage of the god in bull form, a Minoan mythos alien to the Greeks...

The Minotaur is commonly represented in Classical art with the body of a man and the head and tail of a bull. One of the figurations assumed by the river god Achelous in wooing Deianira is as a man with the head of a bull, according to Sophocles' Trachiniai.

From Classical times through the Renaissance, the Minotaur appears at the center of many depictions of the Labyrinth...Ovid's Latin account of the Minotaur, which did not elaborate on which half was bull and which half man, was the most widely available during the Middle Ages, and several later versions show the reverse of the Classical configuration, a man's head and torso on a bull's body, reminiscent of a centaur...This alternative tradition survived into the Renaissance, and still figures in some modern depictions, such as Steele Savage's illustrations for Edith Hamilton's Mythology (1942)."

Tribute price that brought Theseus to Crete

Androgeus, son of Minos, had been killed by the Athenians, who were jealous of the victories he had won at the Panathenaic festival. Others say he was killed at Marathon by the Cretan bull, his mother's former taurine lover, which Aegeus, king of Athens, had commanded him to slay. The common tradition is that Minos waged war to avenge the death of his son, and won. Catullus, in his account of the Minotaur's birth...refers to another version in which Athens was "compelled by the cruel plague to pay penalties for the killing of Androgeos." Aegeus must avert the plague caused by his crime by sending "young men at the same time as the best of unwed girls as a feast" to the Minotaur. Minos required that seven Athenian youths and seven maidens, drawn by lots, be sent every ninth year (some accounts say every year...) to be devoured by the Minotaur.

When the third sacrifice approached, Theseus volunteered to slay the monster. He promised to his father, Aegeus, that he would put up a white sail on his journey back home if he was successful and would have the crew put up black sails if he was killed. In Crete, Ariadne, the daughter of Minos, fell in love with Theseus and helped him navigate the labyrinth, which had a single path to the center. In most accounts she gave him a ball of thread, allowing him to retrace his path. Theseus killed the Minotaur with the sword of Aegeus and led the other Athenians back out of the labyrinth. But he forgot to put up the white sail, so when his father saw the ship he presumed Theseus was dead and threw himself into the sea, thus committing suicide...

Interpretations

The contest between Theseus and the Minotaur was frequently represented in Greek art. A Knossian didrachm exhibits on one side the labyrinth, on the other the Minotaur surrounded by a semicircle of small balls, probably intended for stars; one of the monster's names was Asterion ("star").

The ruins of Minos' palace at Knossos have been found, but the labyrinth has not. The enormous number of rooms, staircases and corridors in the palace has led some archaeologists to suggest that the palace itself was the source of the labyrinth myth, an idea generally discredited today.[15] Homer, describing the shield of Achilles, remarked that the labyrinth was Ariadne's ceremonial dancing ground.

Some modern mythologists regard the Minotaur as a solar personification and a Minoan adaptation of the Baal-Moloch of the Phoenicians. The slaying of the Minotaur by Theseus in that case indicates the breaking of Athenian tributary relations with Minoan Crete.
The Minotaur in the Labyrinth, engraving of a 16th-century gem in the Medici Collection in the Palazzo Strozzi, Florence...

According to A. B. Cook, Minos and Minotaur are only different forms of the same personage, representing the sun-god of the Cretans, who depicted the sun as a bull. He and J. G. Frazer both explain Pasiphae's union with the bull as a sacred ceremony, at which the queen of Knossos was wedded to a bull-formed god, just as the wife of the Tyrant in Athens was wedded to Dionysus. E. Pottier, who does not dispute the historical personality of Minos, in view of the story of Phalaris, considers it probable that in Crete (where a bull-cult may have existed by the side of that of the labrys) victims were tortured by being shut up in the belly of a red-hot brazen bull. The story of Talos, the Cretan man of brass, who heated himself red-hot and clasped strangers in his embrace as soon as they landed on the island, is probably of similar origin.

A historical explanation of the myth refers to the time when Crete was the main political and cultural potency in the Aegean Sea. As the fledgling Athens (and probably other continental Greek cities) was under tribute to Crete, it can be assumed that such tribute included young men and women for sacrifice. This ceremony was performed by a priest disguised with a bull head or mask, thus explaining the imagery of the Minotaur. It may also be that this priest was son to Minos.

Once continental Greece was free from Crete's dominance, the myth of the Minotaur worked to distance the forming religious consciousness of the Hellene poleis from Minoan beliefs.
[edit] The Minotaur in Dante's Inferno

The Minotaur, the infamia di Creti, appears briefly in Dante's Inferno, Canto 12,11-15, where, picking their way among boulders dislodged on the slope and preparing to enter into the Seventh Circle...Dante and Virgil, his guide, encounter the beast first among those damned for their violent natures, the "men of blood", though the creature is not actually named until line 25...At Virgil's taunting reminder of the "king of Athens", the Minotaur rises enraged and distracted, and Virgil and Dante pass quickly by to the centaurs, who guard the Flegetonte, "river of blood". This unusual association of the Minotaur with centaurs, not made in any Classical source, is shown visually in William Blake's rendering of the Minotaur (illustration) as a kind of taurine centaur himself."

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http://monsters.monstrous.com/minotaur.htm

Description

In Greek mythology, the Minotaur is a monstrous double, sometimes with the head of a bull and the body of a man or, conversely, with the body of a bull and the head of a man.

Origins

This creature was born of Pasiphae, Minos' wife, the king of Crete and a white bull sent by Poseidon who was angry with Minos. Minos was so disgusted and embarrassed by his wife and the Minotaur that he ordered Daedalus to hide them. Daedalus built a maze called the Labyrinth where they were to live and never escape.

One of Minotaur's half brothers ordered that seven youths and seven maidens from Athens be let into the maze every ninth year to feed the Minotaur. The Minotaur survived by capturing and eating these youngsters because they could not find their way out of the maze.

The Minotaur is linked to the cult of the bull and the double axe in the primitive tribes of Crete.

Symbol

The myth of the Minotaur centers on the white bull, imprisoned in the labyrinth at Crete, which was created from the sea by Poseidon. Being neither fully human, animal, or god, the ambiguity of the figure of the Minotaur placed it outside the conventional bounds of norms of morals and reason. The monstrous double became important to the European surrealist movement because its mythology inscribed both the violence of the last sacrificial rites and cultural alterity (part bull/part man) as the foundational text of western society.

Albert Skeer's review, Minotaure, which appeared from 1933 to 1939, was not only an extraordinary demonstration of the surrealist imagination, but, in its privileging of the mythic figure of the minotaur as the principal theme of its covers (by Derain, Bores, Duchamp, Ernst, Miro, Dali, Matisse, Magritte, Masson, and Rivera).

Story

Theseus was aided by one of Minos' daughters, Ariane, who gave Theseus a magical ball of thread, made by Daedalus, to retrace his path once he found and killed the Minotaur.

Theseus was successful in his attempt in killing the Minotaur and escaping the Labyrinth. On the way back, Theseus abandoned Ariane on Naxos Island and provoked the death of his father, Egeus, because he forgot to put a white sail on his boat. Seeing a black sail, the king believed that his son has failed and been killed and in sign of despair throw himself into the sea.

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Characters / People:

Theseus: Wikipedia
Theseus: Images from Google

Ariadne: Wikipedia

Ariadne: Greek Myth Images from Google

Minoan Civilization: Wikipedia

Places:
Crete: Wikipedia
Crete: Images from Google
Knossos - Knossos Palace on Crete: Wikipedia
Knossos, Crete Photos
Labyrinth: Wikipedia

Inspiration:
Minotaur Concept Art

Images:
Images from Google "Myth of the Minotaur" + Greek Myth
Images from Google "Minotaur"
Images from Google "Labyrinth Myth"

Reference Resource:
Characterdesigns.com / Photosets (Human / Action Reference)
Google Maps - Look up Knossos, Crete

Interesting Article:
Inception: The Myth and the Minotaur

Interesting Artist:
Emil Alzamora

Homework Assignment 2 - Part 1 - The Myth of the Minotaur

2010-10-07T15:16:00.000-07:00

Your homework due Thursday 10/14 is to research the story of:
The Myth of the Minotaur.

Bring in a 1 page typed synopsis of the story that you have written (not copied from other sources) to class with you to turn in.
Also bring 10 printed b/w or color images that relate to the myth to look at in class.

Homework Due Thursday, 9/30

2010-09-23T11:11:00.000-07:00

Your final line drawings for the Fox and Stork are due Thursday, 9/30.

Class Crit Wall - 9/16/10

2010-09-18T05:07:00.000-07:00

Below I have posted photos of our class crit wall from 9/16/10.

(Click images to enlarge):

Amazing Art + Architecture Bookstore In Santa Monica

2010-09-16T17:50:00.000-07:00

I highly recommend this Art bookstore!

Hennessy + Ingalls: Amazing Art + Architecture Bookstore In Santa Monica

Homework Assignment 1 - The Fox and the Stork - Variant Drawings Due 9/23

2010-09-16T13:23:00.000-07:00

Homework Assignment 1 - The Fox and the Stork - Variant Drawings Due 9/23

Due Dates:

Thurs. 9/23: VARIANT DRAWINGS (LINEWORK) DUE.

Your VARIANT DRAWINGS of the fox and the stork are Due 9/23 – You must bring your PRINTED Variant Drawings with you to class on 9/23. Images must be printed and not digital files. No exceptions.

• 10 VARIANT DRAWINGS for the FOX

B/W prints (photocopies from books or prints from the web) of 10 separate variant drawings (line drawing workups based off of your best silhouettes) for the fox character.

• 10 VARIANT DRAWINGS for the STORK

B/W prints (photocopies from books or prints from the web) of 10 separate variant drawings (line drawing workups based off of your best silhouettes) for the stork character.

*Some considerations for the variant drawings:

Expression - give your characters more expressive faces. Act out the characters and look in a mirror as you draw.
ACTION - what are the characters doing / how are they relating to one another?
Adjectives - (describing the characters of the fox and the stork) - write a list of adjectives for the fox (wily, deceptive, cunning, etc.) and for the stork (self-righteous, uptight, vengeful, etc.) and think of these descriptive words as you are creating the characters.
Props & Clothes - before you start your new silhouettes, do research on props and clothes for your characters and incorporate them into your designs. Think of the period that you want the characters to live in and their age, and outfit them accordingly.
Age of the characters - consider your characters' individual ages (are they same age? different ages?) and incorporate these considerations into your designs.
Height and Weight of the characters and their relationship to one another - consider factors such as the relative heights and weights of the characters.
Varying line width - don't waste any part of the character, every line counts toward lending your character its particular personality.
Take risks and don't be afraid to fail. It may take you 50 drawings to get 10 good ones, and that's the process that you have to go through. Doing a lot of work gets you past the fear of failure and you'll get past your bad ideas and drawings to the good ones.

Class Crit Wall - 9/9/10

2010-09-10T14:17:00.000-07:00

Below I have posted photos of our class crit wall from 9/9/10. Take a look at these to get an idea of what works and doesn't work in other students' silhouettes, and use this to help improve your own work.

(Click images to enlarge):

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Below are photos I took from Bill's class crit wall.

(Click images to enlarge):

Homework Assignment 1 - The Fox and the Stork - Due Dates

2010-09-09T09:54:00.000-07:00

*Edit - Please note the change for the homework due for 9/16:

Due Dates:

Thurs. 9/16: RESEARCH (CLOTHES & PROPS REFERENCES) & REDESIGNED SILHOUETTE SKETCHES DUE.

Your REDESIGNED SILHOUETTES and RESEARCH for CLOTHES AND PROPS are Due 9/16 – You must bring your PRINTED Silhouettes AND Research Images with you to class on 9/16. Images must be printed and not digital files. No exceptions. Your research will be graded according to completeness. Please no tiny, impossible to see images. 1 – 2 images per page only.

• 10 CLOTHES AND PROPS references for the FOX

B/W prints (photocopies from books or prints from the web) of 10 separate clothes and props references for the fox character.

• 10 CLOTHES AND PROPS references for the STORK

B/W prints (photocopies from books or prints from the web) of 10 separate clothes and props references for the stork character.

• 10 Badass Silhouette Redesigns for the FOX

• 10 Badass Silhouette Redesigns for the STORK

*Some considerations from the in class critique for your new silhouettes:

Expression - give your characters more expressive faces. Act out the characters and look in a mirror as you draw.
Adjectives - (describing the characters of the fox and the stork) - write a list of adjectives for the fox (wily, deceptive, cunning, etc.) and for the stork (self-righteous, uptight, vengeful, etc.) and think of these descriptive words as you are creating the characters.
Props & Clothes - before you start your new silhouettes, do research on props and clothes for your characters and incorporate them into your designs. Think of the period that you want the characters to live in and their age, and outfit them accordingly.
Age of the characters - consider your characters' individual ages (are they same age? different ages?) and incorporate these considerations into your designs.
Height and Weight of the characters and their relationship to one another - consider factors such as the relative heights and weights of the characters.
Varying line width - don't waste any part of the character, every line counts toward lending your character its particular personality.
Take risks and don't be afraid to fail. It may take you 50 drawings to get 10 good ones, and that's the process that you have to go through. Doing a lot of work gets you past the fear of failure and you'll get past your bad ideas and drawings to the good ones.

Your Favorite Artists

2010-09-08T12:38:00.001-07:00

Below I have compiled links to the favorite artists you listed on your informal questionnaires. I recommend checking out the links to see what types of artwork your classmates like.

In the links below where there is a double link, I have linked a Google image search first, and then the artist's website or wikipedia (or other relevant link) second:

GHETTOGLOSS PRESENTS: NEW WORKS BY LOIC ZIMMERMANN

2010-09-08T12:30:00.000-07:00

Below is a show I recommend checking out of works by art director and artist Loic Zimmerman. The opening is Sept. 25:

GHETTOGLOSS PRESENTS: New Works By: Loic Zimmermann
AT THE TERRELL MOORE GALLERY
Zimmermann's highly anticipated First exhibition in Los Angeles digital giclee combined with acrylic, collages and silkscreen elements.

Sept 25, 2010 - Oct 7, 2010
...
Ghettogloss Presents:

Opening Cocktail Reception from 7pm-Midnight

at the Terrell Moore Gallery 1221 Hope St. LA CA 90015.

For more information: email ghettogloss@ghettogloss.com

Homework Assignment 1 - The Fox and the Stork - Fall 2010

2010-09-02T12:59:00.000-07:00

Homework Assignment 1 - The Fox and the Stork

Our first homework assignment will be based on Aesop’s Fable titled “The Fox and the Stork”. This is a short story and is below in its entirety. This homework assignment will be to develop the character designs for the fox and the stork, in distinct stages. By the end of 4 weeks you should have a highly finished + polished character design for both characters. Each stage will be assessed and graded and you are expected to exceed the minimum requirements for each stage in order to receive an ‘A’ for the overall project which will be developed over several weeks. Missing any of the milestones for the project will result in the loss of a letter grade for the overall project. This project should be fun and you should push the limitations of what you think these characters can be.

The Story: Aesop's Fable - The Fox and the Stork:

At one time the Fox and the Stork were on visiting terms and seemed very good friends. So the Fox invited the Stork to dinner, and for a joke put nothing before her but some soup in a very shallow dish. This the Fox could easily lap up, but the Stork could only wet the end of her long bill in it, and left the meal as hungry as when she began. “I am sorry, said the Fox, “the soup is not to your liking.”

“Pray do not apologise,” said the Stork. “I hope you will return this visit, and come and dine with me soon.” So a day was appointed when the Fox should visit the Stork; but when they were seated at table all that was for their dinner was contained in a very long-necked jar with a narrow mouth, in which the Fox could not insert his snout, so all he could manage to do was to lick the outside of the jar.

“I will not apologise for the dinner,” said the Stork: “ONE BAD TURN DESERVES ANOTHER.”

Source: http://www.bartleby.com/17/1/19.html

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Homework Assignment 1, Week 1: Reference for Characters AND Style References in Aesop's Fable "The Fox and the Stork"

Google Image, Flickr, Pbase, and your own books or books from the library are all fair game as reference resources. Just be sure to not directly copy in your artwork any copyrighted references that you find - you must significantly alter any reference image in order for it to be considered legally yours. Also be sure to look through some of Peter Konig's work and your favorite artists as inspiration. Check through some of the blog links below to get your creative juices flowing.
Tor Book Cover Illustration
Creature Spot Blog
CGPortfolio
CGHub
Conceptart.org
UGLY OVERLOAD - blog of ugly creatures (highly inspirational!)
If you have other resource sites that you would like me to link, let me know.

Homework Assignment 1, Part 1 Overview:

Your RESEARCH is Due 9/9 – You must bring your PRINTED Research Images with you to class on 9/9. Images must be printed and not digital files. No exceptions. Your research will be graded according to completeness. Please no tiny, impossible to see images. 1 – 2 images per page only.

• 10 Realistic photographic references for the FOX

B/W prints (photocopies from books or prints from the web) of 10 separate references for the fox character.

• 10 Realistic photographic references for the STORK

B/W prints (photocopies from books or prints from the web) of 10 separate references for the stork character.

• 15 STYLE references (they must be distinct) for the character design treatment of both the fox and stork

You are going to draw the fox and stork in the same style, so you do not need separate style references per each character. You want to show examples of the style which you are going to use to create BOTH characters. Because style is independent of the subject matter, the STYLE examples that you bring in may depict characters or animals from other stories or illustrations. So let's say that you want to create Aesop's "Fox and Stork" characters in the style of "Snow White". The style example that you would print and bring to class would be something like this:

Or it could be something like this:

Etc.

You can also bring in a print or prints of work by your favorite artist/s whose style you may wish to emulate. Below: work by James Jean:

The point is to bring in 15 different images that show 15 different possible styles that you will eventually choose from to create the characters for your interpretation of "The Fox and the Stork".

YOU MUST PRINT ALL OF YOUR IMAGES / DO NOT BRING IN DIGITAL FILES. You will be graded on whether or not you bring in the correct number of reference images for Parts A & B.

* Note: Please do not bring in tiny reference images. If you Google images, use Google Advanced Image Search and set the 'Size / Return images that are' drop box to at least 'Larger than 800 x 600'.

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Homework Assignment 1, Part 2 Overview:

Your initial SILHOUETTE SKETCHES of both the fox and the stork (traditional or digital) are also Due 9/9. Images must be printed (if digital) or photocopied (if traditional) and not digital files. Images must not be just left in sketchbooks (because you will need them to refine for the following week). No exceptions. Your sketches will be graded according to completeness. Please no tiny, impossible to see images. (See examples on the blog).

Due 9/9:
• 10 silhouette sketches of the fox
• 10 silhouette sketches of the stork.

You can fit several to a page (see below for examples of good silhouettes). Emphasize action and movement in your drawings, and consider their sense of gesture. Keep these initial sketches loose and don’t labor over them. These are ideation sketches to be refined. This does not mean to have sloppy sketches or ones that are dashed off at the last moment. Plan your time wisely and do your research on one day (that won’t take long) and give yourself the remaining week to create great silhouette sketches. These will be graded on clarity and distinctness.

We will critique your silhouette sketches as a group on 9/9, so be sure that they are stunning and that you have clear photocopies to put up on the crit wall.

Example silhouette sketches by previous student:

More example silhouette concept sketches on Google
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Hints for Reference Searching:

*Note: Do not print any of the images below as your 'Research' - find your own, unique images.

Fox Reference:

*Please note that for any reference that you use, you must modify the reference significantly in order to avoid copyright infringement.

Suggested search terms: sneaky fox, fox animal, fox illustration, fox concept art

A few randomly googled fox images:

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Stork Reference:

*Please note that for any reference that you use, you must modify the reference significantly in order to avoid copyright infringement.

Suggested search terms: stork animal, stork concept art, stork drawing, stork cartoon

A few randomly googled stork images:

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Examples of Previous Student Work

2010-09-02T12:58:00.000-07:00

Examples of student work from previous Drawing The Fantastic classes:
*Note: Be sure to also check out the student work that is on the wall on the 4th floor.

*Work below is sequenced from early stages to finished assignments.

Below: Drawings for "Self Portrait As A Creature" Assignment:

Example ideation sketches - the first set of sketches are a good example of silhouette sketches:

More refined and detailed ideation sketches:

Example finished drawings:

alliexo

alliexo

AudreyG

AudreyG

JDoronio

Below: Drawings for "Post-Apocalyptic Survival Bunny" Assignment:

Below are grayscale versions of our a previous HW assignment, "Creature Self Portrait":

Above: Lexi Vay

Above: Millie

Above: Christina Raygoza

Above: Veda Tsai

Above: Sarah Wolfe

Reference Resources & Recommended Books - Fall 2010

2010-09-02T12:57:00.000-07:00

Websites & Blogs: (see "My Blog List" on the right hand side of this blog)

Online Forums: (see "Links" on the right hand side of this blog)

Books:

REFERENCE BOOKS FOR ARTISTIC ANATOMY AND FIGURATIVE DRAWING:

(Click book titles to be taken to their particular page on Amazon.com - you don't have to buy from them, but you can see what the cover looks like, etc. and compare prices)

These books are suggested reference books only. Clearly, you don't need all of these! The best thing to do is hunt a few of the top INSTRUCTIONAL books down online or in the bookstores, and see what you like best. Often, artists like to have several books on hand, however, as each reference book can offer something unique, even if the same subject matter is covered.

INSTRUCTIONAL:

"Albinus on Anatomy", by Robert Beverly Hale and Terence Coyle - Dover Publications, publisher

"Artistic Anatomy", by Dr. Paul Richer - Watson Guptill, publisher

"Anatomy Lessons From The Great Masters", by Robert Beverly Hale and Terence Coyle - Watson Guptill, publisher

"Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist", by Stephen Rogers Peck - Oxford University Press, publisher

"An Atlas of Anatomy for Artists", by Fritz Schider - Dover Publications, publisher

"Anatomy for the Artist", by Jeno Barcsay - Barnes & Noble Books, publisher

"Human Anatomy for Artists - The Elements of Form", by Eliot Goldfinger - Oxford University Press, publisher

"Master Class in Figure Drawing", by Robert Beverly Hale - Watson Guptill, publisher

"Figure Drawing For All It's Worth", by Andrew Loomis - Viking Press (out of print)

"Dynamic Anatomy", by Burne Hogarth - Watson Guptill, publisher

"Vilppu Drawing Manual", by Glenn Vilppu - (self-published)

"The Human Machine: The Anatomical Structure and Mechanism of the Human Body", by George Bridgeman - Dover, publisher

"High-Focus Drawing - A Revolutionary Approach to Drawing the Figure", by James McMullan - Overlook Press, publisher

"The Artist's Complete Guide to Figure Drawing" by Anthony Ryder (artist).
Excellent book, and not too expensive! The artist is a traditional artist working in pencil ~ his work is HIGHLY realistic and beautiful.

Anatomy for the Artist (Hardcover) by Sarah Simblet, John Davis
This books contains beautiful photographs, more so than it does Anatomical instruction. It does contain a few overlays of skeletal drawings etc., but it is worth the money for the excellent professional quality photographs of highly muscled models.

Entire Master Draughtsman Series of Paperback Books:
Great books because they are cheap, light, and great for copying from, as you will not be concerned about destroying the book ~ they are really instructional devices, more than anything else.
(to find: run search for "master draughtsman series" on Amazon.com).

Visualizing Muscles: A New Ecorché Approach to Surface Anatomy (Paperback) by John Cody
Fantastic reference featuring photos of a model painted with muscle striations. Great book!!!

"Drawing Animals" by Gary Geraths
Fantastic drawing book by Otis College of Art Instructor. Highly recommended.

BOOKS BY / ABOUT DRAUGHTSMEN:

"Michelangelo", by Bernard Lamarche-Vadel - Chartwell Books, Inc., publisher

"Michelangelo And His Drawings", by Michael Hirst - Yale University Press

"Pontormo", by/edited by Salvatore S. Nigro and Marianne Scheider - Schirmer / Mosel, publisher

"The Drawings of Rubens", Master Draughtsman Series of books - Borden Publishing Company, publisher

"The Drawings of Harry Carmean", Master Draughtsman Series of books - Borden Publishing Company, publisher

"Carmean", by June Harwood - Harwood / Carmean, publisher

OF INTEREST:

"Encyclopaedia Anatomica - Museo La Specola Florence" - Taschen, publisher

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Syllabus - Fall 2010

2010-09-02T12:52:00.000-07:00

Fall 2010 – Otis College of Art “Drawing The Fantastic”
Instructor: Rebecca Kimmel
Email: rebeccak4_at_gmail_com (minus the underscores_)

Our Class Blog:

http://drawingthefantastic-fall2010.blogspot.com/

Other blogs that may be of interest:

Portfolio Blog: (Personal & Student Work): http://rebeccakimmel.blogspot.com/
Teaching Blog: http://mirrorbooks.blogspot.com/
Private Art Class Blog: http://thedrawingworkshop.blogspot.com/
*I teach a private group class in downtown LA for those who wish to have additional drawing instruction.

Meeting Dates and Times:
Our class meets on Thursdays, from 3:45-6:45 pm on the following dates:

Sept. 2, Sept. 9, Sept. 16, Sept. 23, Sept. 30, Oct. 7, Oct. 14, Oct. 21, Oct. 28, Nov. 4, Nov. 11, Nov. 18, Dec. 2, Dec. 9, Dec. 16

Holidays:

Labor Day Monday, September 6
Election Day Tuesday, November 2
Thanksgiving Break Wednesday, Nov. 24–Sunday, Nov. 28

Materials List:

*Please see the Materials & Supplies List here.

Educational Goals & Objectives:

• Develop overall figurative drawing abilities by drawing directly from the model and from reference.
• Develop conceptual abilities by focusing on assignments geared toward imaginative concepts, character development, storyboarding, and illustration.
• Develop the ability to develop a concept from rough sketch to final drawing.
• Develop the ability to constructively use critique to improve a concept through to final execution.

Professional Practice:

You must arrive in class prepared to work. Bring the materials and projects that you need. Not bringing your materials and projects to class will affect your grade –negatively.

You and you alone are responsible for your knowledge of the requirements of homework assignments and materials that you need to bring to class. Take notes. Ask Questions. Email me if you need to, but NOT THE NIGHT BEFORE THE PROJECT IS DUE! If you have difficulty with any aspect of this course, it is your responsibility to seek help from the instructor, books, websites etc.

The instructor reserves the rights to change projects and due dates as she sees necessary.

Grading Criteria:

• Attendance
Prompt attendance is part of professionalism. It is especially important in this class because we will be doing most of the course work in class and you will be at a disadvantage if you miss any class time. Tardy is more than 10 minutes late at the beginning of class or returning late from a break. 3 tardies = 1 absence. 3 absences or missing 20% of the class results in an F in the class. You will be warned verbally, and in writing after 3 tardies.

An absence (excused or otherwise) does not excuse the student from the assignment. A student’s inability to obtain the missed assignment is not excused.

• Participation
This is a concept development, critique, and model drawing class, so you must come to class every day and come prepared to draw and to discuss your work. This is not something that you can make up on your own time. All students are expected to participate verbally in class discussions, presentations and projects.

• Assignments
Students are expected to spend a minimum of 3 hours per week on projects outside of class. All projects are due on the specified dates. A late project is marked down one grade (B to C). A project more than one week late will receive a grade of F. But all assignments must be completed even if that means turning in a project late and receiving a grade of F.

You must do and hand in all parts of all of the assignments to PASS the course. An “A” or “B” requires substantially more effort.

Evidence that you understand and can apply the technical and problem-solving skills, and aesthetic concepts presented in this class through in class drawings and your semester final project. Another way of looking at it is that you have achieved the goals and objectives of this course.

• Professional Attitude:
Attendance/Punctuality, Class participation/ Involvement and submission of work on time.

• The quality and thoroughness of your work – organization and presentation. Please take care of your drawings. Do not crease, tear, or damage them.

• The student’s mature ability to interact with peers and faculty members.

• The student’s mature ability to receive and act upon critiques.

• Volunteering to help other students and do extra work.

A. (1) Disability Services
If you are a student with a documented disability (physical, learning, or psychological) requiring reasonable academic accommodations, you must contact Disabilities Services (located in the Student Resources Center, ext. 2554) before you need any accommodations. Retroactive accommodations are not provided, so please be sure to make your request early in the semester. All discussions will remain confidential. For additional information, please visit:

http://www.otis.edu/life_otis/student_life/student_affairs/student_disabilities_services.html

(2) Statement on Plagiarism
Plagiarism occurs when a person deliberately uses another person¹s concepts, language, images, music, or other original (not common knowledge) material without acknowledging the source and/or making substantial modifications.
While referencing or appropriating may be part of a studio or Liberal Arts and Sciences assignment, it is the student¹s ethical responsibility to acknowledge and/or modify the original material.

Specific examples of plagiarism include:

* Submitting someone else's work in whole or part (including copying directly from a source without documentation and/or alteration, or turning in studio work that is not your own).

* Having someone else produce, revise, or substantially alter all or part of a written paper or studio assignment.

* Cutting and pasting any textual or image-based work from the internet without proper documentation or clarification of sources.

* Failure to cite sources. Proper citations in MLA style and a Works Cited page must accompany all papers. You can find this in The College Writer'sReference. You can also find citation information through the Library website:

http://www.lib.duke.edu/libguide/cite/works_cited.html

* Using the writing, editing, or creative services of another person who quantitatively and/or qualitatively revises the paper and/or studio work significantly.

* An editor often fixes the paper without the writer learning how to do it him/herself.

Sometimes the editor changes so much of the paper that it is no longer the student writer¹s work and thus plagiarized. A trained tutor helps the writer to learn how to revise the papers and eventually not need the tutor's assistance.

Instances of alleged plagiarism are reported to the Academic Integrity Committee for review. For a complete description of the Academic Integrity Committee process, please link to:

http://www.otis.edu/life_otis/student_life/student_affairs/conduct.html

Meeting Dates and Times - Fall 2010

2010-09-02T12:49:00.001-07:00

Our class meets on Thursdays, from 3:45-6:45 pm in Room 214 on the following dates:

Sept. 2
Sept. 9
Sept. 16
Sept. 23
Sept. 30
Oct. 7
Oct. 14
Oct. 21
Oct. 28
Nov. 4
Nov. 11
Nov. 18
Dec. 2
Dec. 9
Dec. 16

Holidays:

Labor Day Monday, September 6
Election Day Tuesday, November 2
Thanksgiving Break Wednesday, Nov. 24–Sunday, Nov. 28

Materials & Supplies - Fall 2010

2010-09-02T12:45:00.002-07:00

Materials List for Fall 2010 - Otis College of Art "Drawing The Fantastic" Students

YOU CAN'T DRAW WITHOUT SUPPLIES, SO BRING YOUR SUPPLIES TO CLASS EVERY DAY!!!

*Please note - We will often draw from the live figure, so for every class session, please bring the following materials:
*List is hyperlinked - if you don't know what something looks like, click the links.

11" × 14" Spiral Bound Sketchbook
*Staedtler Mars Drawing Pencils, 2B (get about 3-5 pencils)
Extra Soft Vine Charcoal Sticks - get a package of any brand, but get Vine and not Willow.
*General’s HB, 2B or 4B and 6B Extra Soft Charcoal pencils – at least 3 of each.
*Stabilo CarbOthello Pastel Pencils - about 3-4 of various colors, purchase individually, not a set – choose dark colors such as brown, blue, red, etc. so that your drawings show up in photos. DO NOT choose light colors such as yellow / pink as these will not appear when you photograph your work. NOTE: The best color to purchase is 1400/645 (it's a reddish burnt sienna brown, but the colors are only identified by number on their barrels). They are not always in stock - it's worth it to order them online, even if you don't receive them right away.
If you can't find CarbOthello pencils, purchase 3-4 Conté Sketching Pencils, in dark brown colors.
Chamois
Olfa Knife (preferred and easier to use) OR *#1 Exacto knife with extra blades and a safety cover
*Sanding pad (sold at art stores specifically for sharpening pencils, comes with a light blue paper cover) (*pictured as part of set, but buy individually)
*Kneaded eraser (flat, square, gray eraser that bends like gum)
White Platic (Staedtler Mars) eraser
*Newsprint 18” x 24” - any brand ok but it must be this size - you will need 2-3 pads, we'll go through paper fast.
*Biggie Sketch Pad, White, 18” x 24” - *NOTE: Due to the size of these sketch pads, please carefully tear out 10 sheets and bring them to class tucked into your newsprint pads, which you will need to bring every day to class. Make sure to have about 10 sheets with you on a daily basis. *You can share a pad with another student.
*Masonite Drawing Board, comes with handle and thick rubber band, to accommodate 18” x 24” drawing pads. NOTE: There are some drawing boards in the class, but it is best to have your own, particularly for helping to transport your drawing pads to and from class. DO NOT GET THE “BARRETTE” STYLE BOARDS, make sure that the clips are sturdy, and look like the picture in the link.
*Box for Supplies – I recommend getting a small plastic utility box from Home Depot or other hardware store and NOT ArtBins, which are needlessly expensive. There is a Home Depot across the street from Art Supply Warehouse.
Pocket folder for handouts.

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The following is a complete list of materials which you will need for the class. (The supplies listed above are those that you should bring with you the first day of class). Additional materials may be required. You can purchase all of your supplies at once (note that some items can be shared amongst 2-3 students where noted). However, you should have at the minimum the *starred materials by the first class meeting:

Click on links below to see images of what these supplies look like:

*Staedtler Mars Drawing Pencils, 2B (get about 3-5 pencils)
Extra Soft Vine Charcoal Sticks - get a package of any brand, but get Vine and not Willow.
*General’s HB, 2B or 4B and 6B Extra Soft Charcoal pencils – at least 3 of each.
*Stabilo CarbOthello Pastel Pencils - about 3-4 of various colors, purchase individually, not a set – choose dark colors such as brown, blue, red, etc. so that your drawings show up in photos. DO NOT choose light colors such as yellow / pink as these will not appear when you photograph your work. NOTE: The best color to purchase is 1400/645 (it's a reddish burnt sienna brown, but the colors are only identified by number on their barrels). They are not always in stock - it's worth it to order them online, even if you don't receive them right away.
If you can't find CarbOthello pencils, purchase 3-4 Conté Sketching Pencils, in dark brown colors.
Alphacolor Char-Kole Squares – Set of 12 (Do not purchase other brand of charcoal sticks). *You can share a pack with another student, or students.
*Sanding pad (sold at art stores specifically for sharpening pencils, comes with a light blue paper cover) (*pictured as part of set, but buy individually)
*Kneaded eraser (flat, square, gray eraser that bends like gum)
White Platic (Staedtler Mars) eraser
Chamois
Olfa Knife (preferred and easier to use) OR *#1 Exacto knife with extra blades and a safety cover
Metal pencil sharpener
*Newsprint 18” x 24” - any brand ok but it must be this size - you will need 2-3 pads, we'll go through paper fast.
*Biggie Sketch Pad, White, 18” x 24” - *NOTE: Due to the size of these sketch pads, please carefully tear out 10 sheets and bring them to class tucked into your newsprint pads, which you will need to bring every day to class. Make sure to have about 10 sheets with you on a daily basis. *You can share a pad with another student.
18” x 24” Tracing Paper - You will only need a few sheets, so if you wish to share the costs with another student or students, this is a good idea.
*Masonite Drawing Board, comes with handle and thick rubber band, to accommodate 18” x 24” drawing pads. NOTE: There are some drawing boards in the class, but it is best to have your own, particularly for helping to transport your drawing pads to and from class. DO NOT GET THE “BARRETTE” STYLE BOARDS, make sure that the clips are sturdy, and look like the picture in the link.
*Box for Supplies – I recommend getting a small plastic utility box from Home Depot or other hardware store and NOT ArtBins, which are needlessly expensive. There is a Home Depot across the street from Art Supply Warehouse.
Pocket folder for handouts.
2 Large Metal Bull Clips or 2 Large Metal Binder Clips
1 can of matte finish fixative, Crystal Clear or Blair
final fixative

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Optional: Cachet Deluxe Portfolio, 20" × 26" – for storing drawings that are loose, highly recommended for keeping your drawings safe and portfolio ready.
Optional: Softside Portfolio to accomodate 18" x 24" drawing pads and larger drawing board. Make sure that these portfolios aren't too tight a fit!
Optional: cordless electric pencil sharpener (Panasonic brand recommended) I typically bring my own to class which students are welcome to use, but it is best to have your own, if possible. At the minimum you must have a metal pencil sharpener with you every day.
Optional: *9” X 12” Spiral Bound Sketchbook - Bring this, along with a ballpoint pen, to class with you every day for taking notes, and for doing homework assignments.

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HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ART SUPPLY STORE:

Art Supply Warehouse – extremely cheap art supplies, with a great selection. They will help you find your supplies. They always have at the beginning of the semester a back to school SALE. Call to find out when their sales will be.

6672 Westminster Blvd.
Westminster, CA 92683
800-854-6467
714-891-3626
Mon-Fri 9:30am - 8:00pm
Sat-Sun 10:00am - 6:00pm
http://www.artsupplywarehouse.com/

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ART SUPPLY STORES near Santa Monica / Westside:

Graphaids
A bit on the expensive side. The upside is they have parking.

Utrecht
Good store, don't always have everything.

Dick Blick
My preferred store since you can purchase a yearly discount card ($10 or so) and they are well stocked and friendly.

Contact - Fall 2010

2010-09-02T12:45:00.001-07:00

Instructor's contact email: rebeccak4_at_gmail_dot_com (minus the underscores_)

Please feel free to contact me at any time with any questions about the class. Please do not leave comments on the blog that you expect me to find - please email me instead.

Welcome: Drawing The Fantastic - Fall 2010

2010-09-02T12:42:00.000-07:00

Click image above to enlarge.

Welcome! This blog is for students in Otis College of Art's "Drawing The Fantastic" class with instructor Rebecca Kimmel. Our class meets Thursdays, 3:45-6:45 pm.

Cut Off Point Between Semesters

2010-09-02T12:41:00.001-07:00

Please Note:

Everything above / prior to this post is for the current Fall 2010 semester of "Drawing The Fantastic".

Everything below / after this post is information from previous semesters. (You are welcome and encouraged to browse through previous posts, but they are not specifically for our current semester).

Homework Assignment #3: Unusual Pets & Their Unusual Owners

2010-04-01T13:00:00.000-07:00

Image above by Damir G. Martin

Homework Assignment #3: Unusual Pets & Their Unusual Owners

Everyone agrees that owners often resemble their pets and vice versa. Here is your opportunity to prove the point by creating a family portrait of a most unusual pet (or pets) and his or her or its most unusual owner (or owners). These pets and their owners obviously need not be realistic or of this world. Ideate to come up with the most amusing and witty combination of unusual pets and their owners that you can!

Do not make this a boring side by side comparison. Place the pet/s and its owner/s in a scenario, such as you see in Damir G. Martin's above. Put a great deal of thought into why a certain pet owner would own a certain pet - how would they live? How do they treat their pet? Who is really in charge?

Due Dates:

Thurs. 4/8: 8 ROUGH SKETCHES DUE.

These sketches must be done with traditional media, in pencil in your sketchbook. No digital sketches.
These must be 8 different ideas. They cannot be rough doodles. They must be fully fleshed out, comprehensible sketches with a clear idea and point of view.
Consider composition, lighting, point of view, but of course, most importantly, the story /narrative - which is entirely up to you.
Scan and print, or photocopy your sketches before class, and bring them to class to critique.

Thurs. 4/15: Final Sketch DUE.

Bring to class a photocopy or printed scan of your FINAL SKETCH. This must be a very clear, traditional media drawing in your sketchbook, or on 18" x 24" white drawing paper (no newsprint). Your sketchbook is preferable.

Thurs. 4/22:

Bring to class a photocopy or printed scan of your ROUGH Grayscale / Tonal drawing. This can be in either traditional or digital media.

Thurs. 4/29:

Bring to class a photocopy or printed scan of your FINAL Grayscale / Tonal drawing. This can be in either traditional or digital media.

Inspiration:
(Click Links below)

Digital Artist Damir G. Martin
As always, Google Image, Flickr, Pbase, and your own books or books are all fair game as reference resources. Just be sure to not directly copy any copyrighted references that you find - you must significantly alter any reference image in order for it to be considered legally yours. Also be sure to look through some of your favorite artists as inspiration. Check through some of your favorite blogs or image sources to get your creative juices flowing.
http://uglyoverload.blogspot.com/
http://cuteoverload.com/
CGSociety Portfolios
Digital Artist Bumskee
Digital Artist Peter Konig
Here, let me Google that for you
Here, let me Google that for you again

Dropbox - Use To Upload Files Prior To Class

2010-02-14T21:10:00.000-08:00

Please use Dropbox to upload your files before class:

https://www.dropbox.com/

You will have to first download dropbox to your home computer, but you can access dropbox from any computer by going to the website above.

Upload your files to the following Shared folder:

Otis Spring 2010_Drawing the Fantastic

Homework Assignment #2: Nighttime At The Museum of Curiosities

2010-02-11T11:05:00.000-08:00

Homework Assignment #2: Nighttime At The Museum of Curiosities

Due Dates:

Thurs. 2/18: 8 ROUGH SKETCHES DUE.

These sketches must be done with traditional media, in pencil in your sketchbook. No digital sketches.
These must be 8 different ideas. They cannot be rough doodles. They must be fully fleshed out, comprehensible sketches with a clear idea and point of view.
Consider composition, lighting, point of view, but of course, most importantly, the story /narrative - which is entirely up to you.
Scan and print, or photocopy your sketches before class, and bring them to class to critique.

Thurs. 2/25: Final Sketch DUE.

Bring to class a photocopy or printed scan of your FINAL SKETCH. This must be a very clear, traditional media drawing in your sketchbook, or on 18" x 24" white drawing paper (no newsprint). Your sketchbook is preferable.

Thurs. 3/4:

Bring to class a photocopy or printed scan of your ROUGH Grayscale / Tonal drawing. This can be in either traditional or digital media.

Thurs. 3/11:

Bring to class a photocopy or printed scan of your FINAL Grayscale / Tonal drawing. This can be in either traditional or digital media.

Inspiration:
(Click Links below)

Images below from Morbid Anatomy Blog:

Homework Assignment 1 - Spring 2010 - Self Portrait As A Creature - Weeks 1, 2 & 3 - Grayscales

2010-02-07T21:50:00.000-08:00

Below are grayscale versions of our 1st HW assignment, "Creature Self Portrait". I'll be posting more as they roll in.

Above: Lexi Vay

Above: Millie

Above: Christina Raygoza

Above: Veda Tsai

Above: Sarah Wolfe

Homework Assignment 1 - Spring 2010 - Self Portrait As A Creature - Weeks 1 & 2

2010-02-05T01:35:00.000-08:00

Some examples from our class: Homework Assignment 1 - Spring 2010 - Self Portrait As A Creature - Weeks 1 & 2. More uploads soon.

Below are some fast paintover suggestions for Christina and Kim - these are merely suggestions and not meant to be taken as absolutes.

More Inspiration For Your Homework - Artist Tsvetomir Georgiev (Ceco)

2010-02-02T08:47:00.001-08:00

Check out the work of Tsvetomir Georgiev (Ceco).

Inspiration For Your Homework

2010-01-31T23:59:00.000-08:00

http://www.creaturespot.com/

ILM Creature Designer Carlos Huante

Popular art web forum CGHub.com

The Drawings of Bronzino

2010-01-29T07:51:00.001-08:00

Check out the Drawings of Bronzino Exhibition (currently at the Met) online here.

Skeleton In Motion

2010-01-28T13:42:00.001-08:00

Below are reference images which I would encourage you to use in the development of your homework:

ZBrush Images Of The Skeleton

2010-01-28T13:40:00.000-08:00

Below are reference images which I would encourage you to use in the development of your homework:

Most of the images, with the exception of the last two (which are by artist Joel Mongeon) are from this ZBrush Central thread.

Head Demos and Reference Material - Focus on the Block In

2010-01-28T13:15:00.000-08:00

This post contains reference images of the human head as well as various demo drawings for drawing and understanding the construction of the head. You can use these images to help develop your homework.

Sequential views of the Planar Head begin below:

For more convenient viewing, here are the photos of the Planar Head that were posted to this Flickr site. Click images for larger view.
Some misc. views of the Planar Head below:

Head Demos:

Below: For inspiration, check out the head drawing (from master reference) of my high school student (who took the Life Drawing class at Irvine Valley College in Summer 2008).

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Note: in point of fact, the axes of the face are slightly curved around the volume of the face, and would converge at some point beyond the far side of the head in perspective. However it's just useful to get the parallel quality of the lines first and then slightly tweak the angles for more realism / likeness with the model or reference image.

Below: Demos of the block in, centerline, and the parallel horizontal axis lines of the face.

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Below: Images showing the concept of blocking in the head, using the work of Tony Ryder as reference:

Below: Block in demo of the human head (copy after Burne Hogarth):

Below: Head Demo using Tony Ryder reference for the head.

Below: Paintovers showing the block in of the head. Meet Chuck. Click on individual images for larger views, or just watch the Chuck animated gif at the top of this post.

Animated gif - animation will repeat continuously.

A Photoshop filter gives you a simplified b/w version of the head so that you only see the major areas of light and dark. The key to everything is SIMPLIFICATION.

The eyesockets are outlined, as well as the planes of the nose. Notice the "stealth bomber" shape of the underplane of the nose. Always consider the perspective of the head in relationship to your eye level.

Side plane of the face. Imagine how a sculptor shears off the side plane of the face. See the flickr gallery of planar heads.

Centerline of the face. Notice how it traverses / follows the contours of the face - like a skier that goes over lumps and bumps.

The horizontal axes of the face are, for all intents and purposes, parallel to one another.

Misc Head Reference Images (Click for Link)

Dick Blick Art Supply Sale - Through End of February 2010

2010-01-28T13:00:00.001-08:00

Fyi, Dick Blick in Santa Monica is having a 20% off sale through the end of February. They normally charge $10 to get an annual discount card, but through the end of February you can get one for free. Be sure to take your student ID card.

Homework Assignment 1 - Spring 2010 - Self Portrait As A Creature

2010-01-21T11:45:00.000-08:00

Above: check out the work of artist Bogi Piroth / aka "mikkamakka" for a nice dose of inspiration.

Homework Assignment 1 - Self Portrait As A Creature

Your first homework assignment is to reimagine yourself as a creature. It's up to you as to what creature that may be, but you must combine your own portrait with that of an animal or fictional creature.

You need only create the face / neck and the top of the shoulders - no body! I am looking for QUALITY, not quantity in this piece.

I'm really looking for quality over quantity, so polish this drawing / digital painting up to the best of your abilities! We will critique your work in class.

Part 1: Decide on a creature and do your Research!

Decide in class what creature that you want to combine with your self portrait. This can be a real life animal or any fictional character.

References, Resources, Inspiration, & Head Drawing Tutorials:

As always, Google Image, Flickr, Pbase, and your own books or books from the library are all fair game as reference resources. Just be sure to not directly copy any copyrighted references that you find - you must significantly alter any reference image in order for it to be considered legally yours. Also be sure to look through some of Peter Konig's work and your favorite artists as inspiration. Check through some of the blog links below to get your creative juices flowing.
UGLY OVERLOAD - blog of ugly creatures (highly inspirational!)
Head Demos & Facial Analysis Reference Photos
Head Drawing Examples From Other Classes
Artist Linda Bergkvist
Browse CGPortfolio (CGTalk.com's Portfolio system for artists)
Previous CGTalk.com Online Workshop: Self Portrait As A Creature
If you have other resource sites that you would like me to link, let me know.

Examples of student work from previous classes:

Below: Drawings for "Self Portrait As A Creature" Assignment:

Example ideation sketches:

Example finished drawings:

Below: Drawings for "Post-Apocalyptic Survival Bunny" Assignment:

My Head Drawing Demos & Examples:

Below: Head Demos from various clases:

Below: Master Copy done in class from Tony Ryder reference:

Part 2: Ideation

Process:

Create a set of small, rough thumbnails in your sketchbook before embarking on any finished piece. Try to convey the mood and atmosphere of the piece before ever adding any details. Think of light source, the mood which you want to convey and a background story for this morphed creature's head.
*Examples of Student Homework Assignment #3 - Self Portrait As A Creature - Initial Sketches
Check out some of these sketches as inspiration by artist Maurice Novembre:

Project Considerations / Criteria:

No boring, fully front on views of the head without any sense of dynamism or expression! Give some tilt or twist to the head / neck to make the pose more interesting. Maybe even the head is in the process of speaking, giving a snarl or smile, in the middle of "lunch" (whatever that is) etc. Try to evoke a mood as much as fulfill the basic requirements of creating a morphed head.
Consider a strong sense of lighting / chiarascuro. Look at the work of Caravaggio to get a strong sense of lighting. Note the clarity of the light source and the strong sense of design via lights and darks alone:

Detail of Judith Beheading Holofernes by Caravaggio

Media:

As always you can use the media of your choice. I prefer that these remain in your sketchbook, 8.5" x 11, or the digital equivalent.
For critique on Thursday, Feb. 5, be sure to photocopy your traditional sketchbook page so we can put it on the wall, or to print your work if you are working digitally.
I prefer that this remain in Black / White / Grayscale only.

Part 3: Final Drawing / Digital Painting

Once you have nailed down your concept and selected your best thumbnail, work up the linework for your piece and shade it. Be sure to bring a photocopy or print (no larger than 8.5" x 11" approx.) on Thurs., Feb. 5.

*Note: Mid Week Paintover Requests Encouraged!

Also, should you ever desire a paintover before any class, send me a jpg of your drawing / digital image at 800 pix maximum width, 72 dpi, and I will do a paintover with suggestions for your image.

Due Thursday, 1/28/10:

10 fully fleshed out ideation sketches for your self portrait as a creature. Any style may be used and any media - traditional or digital, but I want these to be drawings - in the sketch and thumbnail mode. We will critique these in class, so be mindful of presentation. These will be graded. Do not work on these at the last minute, as it will reflect in your grade!

LA Art Show 2010! A Must See Show!

2010-01-21T11:40:00.000-08:00

LA Art Show 2010! A must see show.

GENERAL SHOW DATES
Thursday, January 21, 2010, 11am - 8pm
Friday, January 22, 2010, 11am - 8pm
Saturday, January 23, 2010, 11am - 8pm
Sunday, January 24, 2010, 11am - 5pm

LOCATION
Los Angeles Convention Center
West Hall A, 1201 South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90015