Observational Drawing
Class: Art 121 - Observational Drawing
This drawing was the last one I completed in Art 121. Over the course of the class, we learned about line and shading and what makes a successful composition. For this project, we used that knowledge to create our final observational drawing. The goal of this drawing was to draw a composition that demonstrates an understanding of space and value. Pictured above are three thumbnails I sketched during the preliminary stages of my drawing. I experimented with a few different compositions, and in the end decided to go with my third sketch, as this composition provides a good, zoomed-out view of the still life and helped me to best capture a sense of space and depth.
Above is an image of my completed observational drawing. I began this piece by using sight-measuring to get an idea of the placement of objects within my picture plane. From there, I began to lightly sketch each object, beginning with the larger shapes of the walls, ceiling, and floor, and then gradually moving into the smaller, more detailed objects of the still life. Because this drawing was completed in the last week of class, we only had two class sessions in which to complete it. As a result, I had to decide which elements of the drawing to emphasize the most and which elements to leave more vague and unfinished. I chose to focus most of my attention on the objects in the foreground of the composition: the plant, shelf, stools, etc. Using hatching and light shading, I added value to these elements, creating a sense of depth and space within the piece. Finally, during the last ten minutes of class, I went in with white charcoal and added a few key areas of highlight into the drawing. This finishing touch added a lot to the piece and helped to further emphasize a feeling of space by adding realistic variation in light and value.
