ARTS2221 Life Drawing 1

Credit Hours: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: ARTS1101 Two-Dimensional Foundations

Course Description

This course has been designed in an effort to introduce and advance the study of the human figure through the process of drawing. It is a perceptual drawing course that expounds upon and requires a proficiency in the skills introduced in ARTS1101 and ARTS2211. The goal of the course is to further your perceptual drawing skills, related to representing three-dimensional forms, and apply them to the study of the figure. Our approach toward the figure will take place under two main topics. The first being an investigation into imperial, observational or perceptual drawing practices. The second is a thorough study of visual anatomy. Both of these topics will be supported by a variety of conceptual, formal and technical approaches to introduce, refine or strengthen our approaches towards the figure.

Goals and Objectives

Students will:

• Gain an understanding of basic visual anatomy through drawing and quizzes

• Begin to conceptualize the figure based on its visual principles

• Implement and advance drawings skills learned in ART101

• Learn academic models for representing the figure

• Consider the figure compositionally

The objective of the course is to result in a manner of drawing the human figure, where anatomical knowledge and perceptual knowledge are in full support of one another. Resulting in technically sound, confident, well-understood drawings.

All levels of figure drawing will be working from life models.

Books Needed

• Book: Constructive Anatomy by George B. Bridgman, Edward C. Bridgman

• Book: Morpho, Anatomy for artists by Michel Lauricella, Rocky Nook

Books Recommended

• Book: An Introduction to Perceptual Drawing, Second Edition by Brian Curtis

Books Suggested

• Book: Art Fundaments: Theory and Practice, 11^th Edition by Otoo G. Ocvirk, Stinson, Wigg, Bone, Cayton

• Book: Interactive of Color, Revised and Expanded Edition by Josef Albers

• Book: The Shape of a Pocket by John Berger

• Book: Drawing: Space, Form, and Expression by Wayne Enstice, Melody Peters

• Book: Berger on Drawing by John Berger

• Book: Figure Drawing: The Structure, Anatomy and Expressive Design of Human Form by Nathan Goldstein

• Book: Drawing the Human Form: Methods, Sources, Concepts, 2^nd Edition by William A. Berry

• Book: Drawing Lessons From the Great Masters by Robert Beverly Hale

• Book: Anatomy for the Artist by Jeno Barcsay

• Book: Gray’s Anatomy, 15^th Edition by Henry Gray F.R.S.

Materials Needed

• 1 pad of 18” x 24” Rough Newsprint Paper

• 1 pad of 18” x 24” White Drawing Paper (Strathmore, Canson, etc.)

• Sketchbook, minimum size of 11” x 8.5” (larger is preferable)

• Graphite pencils (8H, 6H, 4H, HB, 2B, 4B, 6B, 8B)

• Erasers (1 kneaded, 1 gum)

• Charcoal Pencils (medium, soft, extra soft)

• Hand-held metal pencil sharpener

• Vine Charcoal (soft, medium, hard)

• 2 large binder clips

• Masonite drawing board; approximately 24” x 26”

• E-Xacto Knife for sharpening

• Coarse grit sandpaper for fine sharpening

• Tacklebox / Artbox to hold drawing supplies

• Piece of string; approximately 4-5 feet long

• Plumb bob or another heavy weight to attach to the end of the string (an old padlock works well for this)

• 1 roll of masking tape (preferably painter’s tape)