A R T 100 Introduction to Art
WEEK 3: Value. Sketchbook: draw a colored or clear transparent object, such as marbles, with reflections. Creativity journal: place a coffee mug on paper, make a drawing from the ring. Alphabet of Art: choose two pieces of art in which shadows are given prominence, discuss.
A L P H A B E T O F A R T - value
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Photograher Jerry Uelsman, forerunner of the photomontage, creates his images in the darkroom, without the use of digital editing. He works only in black and white, so shadow and light define his images. Here shadow creates a sense of mystery. The brightness of the light is emphasized by the extreme contrast of the darkness on the left and bottom. Shading hides the body, while light on the head and in the center attracts the attention. The light from the doorway is reduced as it moves down the stairs into the mysterious shadows below. It doesn't compete for attention, leaving the bright spot the prime area of focus. |
There are two pieces of art here. One is the photo itself which uses dark and light to create seemingly abstract shapes which are really shadows in a staircase in the Yale Art Gallery. The dark area on the left gives prominence to and defines the shape of light, attracting, through extreme contrast, the eye. Shadows in the center of the image create a sense of dimension as the eye moves to the light of the rectangle, almost like a hallway.
The second piece of art is the building itself, designed by master architect, American Louis Kahn. His philosophy was to use shadow and light to delineate 'space'. Darkness was used to create places of quiet or mystery. He recognized how dark could bring drama to a space, evoking awe. Small amounts of light were allowed into the dark as he believed light defined the dark. He hid light sources so the focus was on the effect. He is considered to be one of the most influential architects of the twentieth century. He died in 1974. |
Yale University Art Gallery, ca. 1954. Construction view of staircase. Photo © Lionel Feininger. Yale University Art Gallery Archives.
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S K E T C H B O O K A S S I G N M E N T
If I hadn't told you, up top, about marbles, bet you never would've guessed what this is. This was considerably more difficult for me than drawing the bird last week. These marbles had very odd reflections and occlusions that I found difficult to replicate. The assignment was to use colored pencils. And I did. About thirty times. It's hard to erase colored pencil I learned, and since I can't draw without erasing, it's my main technique, I had to regroup and use regular pencils. And my eraser. Next week it's back to birds, and maybe I can regain some dignity. Except, we have to use colored pencils. |
C R E A T I V I T Y J O U R N A L
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