Some Graphic Works

11/18/11 - Iconography

Madonna with Christ and St. John the Baptist by Raphael ca 1500

The figures are linked by touching hands and the blue that Mary is wearing is said to symbolize the church. The red signifies the death of Christ. Mary and Christ are staring into each others' eyes and Mary has contraposto. There are contrasts of dark and light and shadowing and depth to enhance the emotion of the image. 

Madame X by John Singer Sargent in 1884

This is a painting of a young socialite, Virginie Amelie Avegno Gautreau, the wife of Pierre Gautreau. She was torn apart for this sexually suggestive pose and her pasty white skin. Her black, beautiful dress suggests wealth and beauty, with a dark side, while her posture represents a seductiveness. Sargent captures her maturely in this painting and how he saw her, which I don't think was in the light that the viewers may see her. 

Pope Innocent X by Diego Velazquez in 1650

His serious face represents his strong personality and his seriousness as a religious ruler. He is holding a paper that is signed by himself, which symbolizes some agreement, letter, or law. Red symbolizes seriousness, and the outfit and chair symbolize royalty. 

Young Woman with a Water Pitcher by Johannes Vermeer in 1662

This woman appears to be a middle class mistress of the house. She is waiting for someone/going to pour water for a guest. Her posture and environment are both peaceful. There is a map behind her of Europe, which symbolizes that she is aware of the world around her. Blue symbolizes the serenity of the portrait. This piece is simple and seems to reflect the Colonial Era. 

Pearl by Johannes Vermeer

Vermeer has repeatedly included pearls in his portraits. In this portrait, the pearl and the girl's face are highlighted and catch the viewer's attention. The turban and the pearl seem to be out of the portrait's time period. Some believe the girl is Vermeer's daughter while others think she is the daughter of Vermeer's principle commissioner. Another idea is that she is  servant girl, Griet. 

"Rita" - Portrait of a Classmate II

After drawing Palmer the first time, in my second drawing of a classmate, I made sure not to push too hard with my pencil. I has a softer touch and this definitely made an improvement. It is much more lifelike and less like a cartoon. The proportions are much better and I and glad to see that even the shadowing is much better. 

VOCAB

Sfumato: a painting technique that use blending instead of harsh outlines. Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci in 1503 is a great example of this.

Pentimento: an alteration in a painting, which is evident by traces of previous work which show that the artist changed his mind during the creating of the painting. The Arnolfini Wedding Portrait, by Jan Van Eyck in 1434 below is an example. 

Chiaroscuro: the contrast of light and dark, which is one way to demonstrate the illusion of depth on a 2-D surface. One example is Rembrandt's Self Portrait at 22, in 1628. 

Contour lines: lines that surround and define the edges of a subject which add shape and volume. They are not the same as the subject's outlines. These are evident in Paul Klee's Or the Mocker Mocked in 1930, seen below. 

Complementary color scheme: the use of colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel. i.e., blue and orange, red and green, purple and yellow. This scheme produces an energetic feeling and creates a vibrant look. Below is an example by a contemporary artist, Chris Carter:

Analogous color scheme: the use of colors that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel. i.e., green, yellow green, and yellow or red, red violet and violet. These color schemes are often found in nature and are pleasing to the eye and give a bright effect, which is appealing to many changing moods. One hue should usually be the main color when using this color scheme. Below is a print by designer Sean Seal:

Monochromatic color scheme: the use of color that consist of different values, meaning different tints and shades, of one color. These color schemes can be effective and soothing, although they are less vibrant than the others. Below is a painting posted by an art teacher, Briggs:

Iconography: the pictorial representation of a subject or a number of images that are put together collectively to illustrate a subject. It can mean the description of representational works or art. It can also mean the study of the visual representation in the arts. Below is Vision of a Knight by Raphael in 1504. 

Inconology: the branch of knowledge that deals with the subject of icons or images. It is also the subject matter of the study of icons collectively or as objects.

Foreshortening: the visual effect or optical illusion that either an object or distance appears shorter than it is because it is angled toward the viewer. It is also the act of angling the object toward the viewer to get this affect. Below is a painting of the Foreshortened Christ by Mantegna in 1500. 

Crosshatching: creating shading effects with closely spaced parallel lines, with more such lines placed at an angle across them. Below is an example of a lin engraving that uses crosshathing by Hendrick Goltzius' The Massacre of the Innocent in 1617. 

Modernism: an art movement that was characterized by an intentional departure from tradition and the use of innovative forms of expression that differentiate an abundance of styles in the arts and literature during the late 19th century and early 20th century. Hans Hofmann painted The Gate in 1960, seen below.

Post Modernism: art, architecture, or literature that reflects against the principles of early modernism such as new kinds of materials and paint and subject matters, as well as a new sense of abstract art. Post Modern art reintroduced traditional and classical elements of style. Modern ideas and concepts were also carried to their extremes. Below is an image create by John Singer Sargent called Madame X painted in 1884.

Picture plane: the plane or flat level, in perspective, that is occupied by the surface of the picture; Its frontal boundary. below is a drawing to further explain the definition. (author unknown)

Foreground: the area of a picture which is often at the bottom. It appears to be closest to the viewer. It is also to give priority to one aspect of a thing over another.

Middle ground: the part of the artwork that lies between the foreground and the background.

Background: the part of the picture that appears to be farthest away from the viewer, which is usually closest to the horizon. It is the opposite of the foreground. 

Fun Sketches

Paul Cezanne

A work of art which did not begin in emotion is not art.

- Paul Cezanne

For an Impressionist to paint from nature is not to paint the subject, but to realize sensations.

- Paul Cezanne

Painting from nature is not copying the object; it is realizing one's sensations.

- Paul Cezanne

11/04/11 Models & Matisse

Above is one of Matisse's Models

Matisse uses the space around the models to get the proper proportions. He uses light strokes and playful colors, which allow for the capturing of the mood and tone of the model and scene. He can really capture her casual posture here. The model appears more realistic looking and the space around her, which is more playful, but he still defines them greatly. 


My figures:

I had a difficult time with proportions but it is coming along. For me it is difficult to sketch both the model and the space around her so that I can proportion and place things properly. 

Hans Hofmann

"Nature’s purpose in relation to the visual arts is to provide stimulus – not imitation…. ….From its ceaseless urge to create springs all Life – all movement and rhythm – time and light, color and mood – in short, all reality in Form and Thought."

- Hans Hofmann

In other words, when creating a work of art do not copy what you see but be inspired by the things around you. In this case, the defeated animal "The Vanquished" is not defined, but becomes defined by abstractly being created, just as the background uses geometric shapes and colors to balance and shape the animal, although the space around it is not defined but mentioned by these shapes. The positioning of the animal is suggested, as the tension of its face points downward. 

"The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak."

- Hans Hofmann

As I have drawn more and more figurative sketches, I have learned that the space around the figure is very important to create the figure, even though in actuality the space around the figure is not what we focus on. I have seen an improvement little by little, but more in proportion than anything else.

"Since light is best expressed through differences in color quality, color should not be handled as a tonal gradation, to produce the effect of light."

- Hans Hofmann

In other words, the effect of light is not produced by gradually changing the tone of a color, but by changing the quality of the color. 

Hofmann illuminates the painting by the use of multiple, bright colors and shadows the image with the use of black, which helps sets the overall mood of the painting. There is great contrast, and the colors are unlikely but he makes them seem real. 

My Figures:

09/30/11 Hands

At first I just started drawing the hand. My goals going into the drawing were to be proportionate and shadow smoothly. I was very pleased with the outcome. The shadowing worked out nicely and the details are pleasant and lifelike. I decided to add the box of dog bones to complete the drawing. 

Jessica Biel - Working on proportions and noses

In this photo, i just wanted to focus on proportions and drawing a decent nose. It is quite cartoonish so I would like to redraw her one day and make it less so. 

09/23/11 Point Perspective

 

09/16/11 Erasing

In this picture, I used the erasing technique to show the use of space. I erased to create the path, clouds, and the tree, to show light, and to show the space around the left side of the tower. Goya used techniques to strongly contrast light and dark. He uses crosshatching to shadow. I wanted to show a global depiction  similar to the christmas glass decorations that are filled with water, but i wanted it to be medium toned with the details in highlight. I successfully used an eraser for that. Most of my art is somewhat real and somewhat abstract. This shows that.