A R T 100 Introduction to Art
WEEK 2: Texture. Sketchbook assignment: draw the texture of a bird on a tree. Alphabet of Art: choose two pieces of art that exhibit texture, discuss.
A L P H A B E T O F A R T - texture
Andrew Wyeth, Young Bull, 1960, dry brush (imgarcade.com). Wyeth is a realist and some of his art is almost photographic. His work could be considered representational, which is characterized by a high degree of detail. The fur of the bull and the surface of the rock wall is rendered in a style of simulated texture, resulting in a sublime sense of realism. This is accomplished not only with meticulous brush work, but also the effective use of tonal gradation. There is a wide range from dark to light. Frederick Remington, The Buffalo Horse, 1907, bronze (mimimatelot.com). I have witnessed the texture of this bronze with my own hands and it is a very tactile experience. It is primarily rough in texture. The detail is thorough, the bull even has bollocks, as the Brits say. Sight is not necessary to 'picture' this work, as your fingers move across the bumps, swirls, and concave and convex shapes. |
S K E T C H B O O K A S S I G N M E N T
I did much better this week. I used different pencils, varied the pressure and took my time. I relaxed and didn't attempt to copy the image exactly. I also laid off the eraser, which last week seemed to be my dominant technique. I did mange to get pencil lead all over my hand and then smear it around the paper. Also, instead of reminding myself that I couldn't, I surrendered my resistance by affirming the opposite. I find it challenging to draw, but I was happy with the result here, and with time and practice I'll improve even more. And it may turn into a pleasure. The bird was very light in color and I wasn't sure how to replicate that, so I drew light lines to break up the undefined white areas. The branch had a smooth, subtle texture. |
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