Landscape

Still Life

This was a still life of pencil on paper. I don't appreciate it very much, as I was somewhat scribbly throughout the piece. It looks too cartoonish for me, although I did get the proportions correct. If I have time within the next two weeks, I am going to try to create a similar, more focused piece.

Drawing Analysis

1) Gestural Drawings of the Masters, and the meaning of Contours:

Daumier uses numerous lines with a lot of movement in them. This helps to create the motion of a gesture in his drawing, surrounding and part of the contours. The lines behind, next to, and around show movement, especially in the corner. The sqiggly shape of the countour around the man standing on the chair show the force of his voice moving through his body. The shape and placement of the lines also adds to the mood of the figures.  

2) Extracting the  Essential Gesture and Contour

Here, Matisse uses one streak of solid lines over very light lines to emphasize and show the actual shape. This helps to define the figure, and makes the figure whole. The other lines add to the third dimension of the figure. The important gesture and character are defined with this type of contouring. 

3) Drawings with Drapery

Here, Cezanne clearly uses drapery to add to his still life. The cloth is very realistic with many shadows and highlights, giving life and contrast to the oranges and other pieces on and around the table. His drapery seems to be the proper proportions. It also seems to have a realistic placement on the table and around and under the fruit. 

 4) The Figure in Motion

Degas uses fine lines and chalk, as well as unique shadowing to bring these figures to life. Shadowing around the moving digits. This shows the vibration from motion. Another element which helps show motion is the shadowing on the muscles to show that they are extended or flexed. This can be seen in the neck, back, arms, and legs. 

5) Proportions and Blocking: Polykleitos’s Canon

Seen above, Polykleito was drawn first with blocks in the anatomical position to get a proper proportion for the entire figure. Below that map, the figure was moved one block at a time to create the exact angles, placement, and proportion. This seemed to have worked in the drawing or image of the sculpture. This is a clever idea, as I have not seen it before. This is the most specific blocking I have seen. 

6) Cezanne, and Diebenkorn: Modern Compositions and interpreting Landscape Space

Diebenkorn uses shadowing of darker colors here to add reality and depth to his painting. He uses highlights to show the sunlight here as well. Without these shadows, the painting would appear flat. Not only do shadows and highlights bring this painting to life, but so do the smoothness of lines and the angles of lines. The roads narrow and the rocks get smaller, showing an illusion of an increase in distance from the bottom to the top of the painting. 

Space: From Landscape to Trompe L'oil

The Hermaitage at Pontoise by Camille Pissarro from 1867 France is shown below. It uses its foreground, middle ground, and background to create depth. It isn't very deep but it is definitely not flat. You can see this in the houses, the shadowing of the trees, and the pathway, as well as the shape of the road. Also, there are many planes covered in this painting, and the land has hills and a lot of character and substance to them. 

The View of Laerdalsoren, on the Sognefjord by Themistokles von Eckenbrecher from 1901 Germany is shown below. This landscape also consists of the foreground, middle ground, and background. It shows a lot of depth with the use of the different mountains along the z-plane. The color of water, clouds, placement of rocks, and people, and the boathouses in the distance also greatly add depth to the landscape. 

Below is The Old Violin by William Harnett from 1886.It is nor in the National Gallery of Art in Washington. This piece uses shadowing and depth to show placement and layering of this Trompe l'oeil. The shadow on the paper makes the violin seen closer than the objects it is placed on. 

Below is Escaping Criticism by Pere Borrell del Caso, from Spain 1874.  This is a Trompe l'oeil painting that uses a rectangle shaped frame with the character layered on top of its edges. Both that and the help of some of the finest lighting and shadowing, as well as proper angles and proportions (linear perspective), make the young man come alive.