Sketchbook Studio
Introduction
This five-week course will help students develop observation and drawing skills by capturing life right around us. We will practice quick sketching, finding the focal point, exploring visual memory, and sketch journaling. Students will be encouraged to work with pen and ink initially and eventually add other tools as the course progresses.
The course counts for 3 semester hours and may be used for a drawing course, studio arts requirement or elective. We will meet to talk and draw as a group each Friday. Other times, we will draw on our own or in optional smaller groups.
- ARTS4999-01: Sketchbook Studio
- Summer Term: Fridays, 12 noon til 3:45pm
- Instructor: Matt Cram, mcram@shawnee.edu
Goals and Objectives:
The goals of this course are as follows:
- Develop a daily drawing process
- Observe and record their daily surroundings
- Explore drawing from life through quick sketching and in-depth studies
- Strengthen awareness of form and space
- Maintain a sketchbook journal
Materials Needed
- sketchbook as provided
- Micron pens as provided
- other art supplies as desired
- smartphone
- scanner app. Dropbox works perfectly.
- discord account
- Water bottle or beverage in non-breakable, resealable bottle (likely you’ll get thirsty)
Student activity
Students will document their thoughts and surroundings by recording drawings into their sketchbook. During class days, we will draw together on the same subject or range of subjects. Other days, students will draw independently on observed subjects of their choice. Students should draw in their sketchbook nearly every day, even if only for 15 minutes. Consistency is the pathway to competency.
Drawings should be posted daily to the discord channel.
Grading
Grades for this class will largely be participation. Consistency with recording images into the sketchbook will be the closest objective goal.
The target for drawing in the sketchbook is:
- 5 days of long investment, 2-4 hours, into a sequence of drawings. As long as you attend each class, this will be covered. If you miss a meeting, you should make up this time with a 2+ hour drawing session from observation.
- A minimum of 20 examples of daily drawing over the time of the course outside of in-class drawings. These should be a minimum of 15 minute drawings from observation. These should not be done in one sitting.
Sketchbook Drawing Ideas
The goal of keeping a sketchbook for this class is to get familiar with drawing as a way to interpret your world. Finished drawings are not necessarily important, though that can be one of your goals. Try to draw from life as much as possible and use images to supplement live models that are unavailable.
Give yourself permission to make bad images. This is really important. The process is what is meaningful, not the product, at least in our case. Commit to the lines, even when they are not exactly “correct.” Use the full page and even overlap images. Feel free to use words and even make short notes.
Change the time. Do some drawings quickly (not hastily) in as little as 5 minutes. Don’t spend more than 45 minutes on any one drawing.