design1311

I hate doing this. I also want to just draw what I see and figure out the relationships myself. I do not want to use a grid or think about this mathematically using perspective because it's making at even harder for me. I thought I was making pretty good progress today until I was told to use a grid and use a viewfinder and think about perspective and my horizon line and vanishing points and whatnot. I just want to scream! The line drawing was relaxing up until that point and I even hadn't been feeling too pessimistic. I just want this to be over. The next leg of the semester seems to be looming in a frightening manner. I'm glad to hear most of my peers are also having issues. I feel the same, Laura and Lindsey: I just want to draw what's there and what I see and using perspective is harder than I thought.

Arrgh!

Posted by rafie002 at 11:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

so i haven't had much time to work on this lately, but i'm hoping for more time this week. as for my drawing, like a lot of you have said already, i am nervous it will be off. I am not very patient with some things, and this is definitely annoying me now. i feel like when i draw something it will look correct, on my pad and in my viewfinder, but when i draw another object, they both look incorrect. i am excited to see how everyone else approached this and how they are turning out!

Posted by gardn166 at 11:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So I'm having some problems with establishing my vanishing point...and horizon line...and ground plane...so basically everything we were supposed to do for this drawing. I re-read the chapter but that didn't help much considering they explained how to establish these in a one point perspective, box of room. Whereas my drawing is looking through the railings to the ground floor of McNeal...not quite as straight forward. Needless to say I'll have lots of questions in class tomorrow and I hope I eventually figure it out!
-Claire

Posted by joh04740 at 11:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I agree! I just want to begin! I look forward to working on the final McNeal, however I am nervous that my perspective will be off. It is so hard for me to think of perspective mathematically, for some reason. I mean, it makes the most sense, but for some reason I just cannot grasp the concept. I guess practice makes perfect...so for now I will continue to erase my crazy line drawing! see you all tomorrow- Laura

Posted by vanri009 at 10:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I just want to start the final drawing. Line drawings are frustrating for me, because when I am told to draw something, I just want to draw what I see. Line drawings, however, are very mathematical and are more of just outlining things and figuring out where everything belongs. the final drawing will be much more fun for me, especially since there are a lot of details involved.

Posted by smit4700 at 8:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It has been really challenging for me to re-group after break! I felt scattered on Monday's class and no matter how much I tried to focus, my creative energy was not working out so well. After being thrown back into the swing of things I feel like I will be ready to slow down and just concentrate on what I am drawing. One thing that I have been struggling with is composition, it seems that I get to the final product and realize, oh, I could have done better. Some things that are helping me are using a camera and viewfinder to crop, shifting my angles, and moving objects around for a much longer time than I had been doing before. Kelly suggested looking at anything and analyzing composition. You see posters everyday on the walk around campus and it is interesting to see others' takes on composition. Good luck with the McNeal drawings. I am a little nervous to start the final McNeal drawing, but hopefully will choose a good-no-great composition:)

Posted by vanri009 at 9:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

so i just got back from my spring break about 5 hours ago, and i have been working straight since then
anyone know the deductions for being a day late for a project?, i couldnt find it on the syllabus. i am going to try ot work on these, but so far it has been taking a long timeeee...my 3d isnt turning out as good as i wanted to, but i think i can make some touchups and make it work. can't wait to see all of yours tomorrow!

Posted by gardn166 at 10:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Happy spring everyone! What a glorious past few days! On a very random side note, Friday the 20th marked the Persian New Year, so, from me to you, happy 1388, happy new year.

Something I learned about building models: Don't commit unless you're positive that what you've envisioned is what you want. While I thought I had my master plan mapped out, I find myself stuck in the same place I was last class period. I thought it would be easy to build around what I have, but it is quite a challenge. I have added nothing because I don't know what to add. Or, more appropriately, I wanted to combine my three elements in an interesting composition, but I've glued my pieces down and it's too late to remove in order to create something better. Alas.

I hope everyone had a great spring break. Though tired, I feel energized and ready to tackle the rest of the semester. Seven weeks left! We can do it.

Until the morning,
Naseem

Posted by rafie002 at 5:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This 3d model is proving to be more frustrating than I thought. First of all, I can't work an exacto knife. And I just realized that I made cuts on the wrong side of my tag board. So instead of zig-zagging like I want it to, it's going to make a cylinder. Perfect... And I'm not sure I can make this smaller than 8 cubic inches... this is going to be an interesting spring (no) break...

I agree with the whoever wrote below me that we, collectively as a class, are scared of something abstract and given almost no instruction on it. I say let's run amuck! You know? Like that ideo clip in DHA 1101, let's encourage wild ideas! haha, sorry, I couldn't resist the reference.

-Liz

Posted by farme086 at 7:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Maybe it was the specification that the 3D project should be between 6:6:6 and 8:8:8 that instinctively caused me to create my sculpture out of a cube, but (I like to think) that it was a creative decision. And it was, really.

The purpose of the cube is to create a simple space where three elements of McNeal can interact. It is not so much part of my design but, rather, a facilitator for my design. It is a necessary barrier between the interior environment of McNeal and the exterior. The only thing that can penetrate this barrier is light.... which also happens to be the unifying theme of my sculpture.

Light, in the form of spray paint, will flow through the windows into the scene. The exterior of my sculpture will be painted a solid color and the inside will be spattered with paint. The spattering will create a texture that represent light. Abstract, I know, but it will be very cool.

Anyway, I'm really excited to see how this project progresses. I plan on doing some serious spray painting over break.

Have a great break everyone!

Posted by etzko002 at 10:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When we first started this project I thought that it was refreshing to actually be doing something different; I was excited because I thought that this project would be easy, but boy was I wrong. When I started building up my paper models, I quickly realized that this project is actually more frustrating to me than the last one we just did. I think the main difficulty I had when I did my sketches is not considering the different angles and perspective the 3D model can be viewed from because when I built my models, they could only be looked at from one angle instead of many angles. I ended up going back into the lobby to do new sketches.

Posted by davi1868 at 1:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I am so excited that we get to take a "break" and do something involving 3d forms! I love sculpting, so this is such a refreshing assignment to me! Going out into the building and noticing the elements that I usually just pass by on my frantic jog to class was very interesting. I noticed more shapes and directional lines than I thought were actually there. Even the ceiling became interesting to me. Also, I really enjoy being able to do this assignment abstractly. I think that so much emotion can be put into artwork when you are able to just chose important pieces and combine them together, explaining how you feel about those elements. I feel like I am free to express myself, and not be stuck in a "realistic" rut.

I hope you all are doing well on your sculptures.
See you all bright and early!

Posted by richt227 at 11:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I find it interesting that most of us are struggling with this particular assignment. Is it because creating abstract ideas frightens us? Because we have no even ground to tread, no explicit rules to follow? It does seem all the more daunting, almost like there's more room for failure.

I'd like to see some sketches that you guys did, to compare them against my own to see who's on what plane and so forth. I sketched some strange things and am not sure if they're appropriate for the rubric of this project. For example, I drew the couches on the ground level from an aerial perspective and I morphed them into huge centipedes. Eh? I also drew one of the fake trees filled with climbing stick figures, which are supposed to be design students.

Was anyone else thrown off by daylight savings time? Just yesterday it would have been 9:28 at this time...or 10:28, who knows.

Until tomorrow.

Posted by rafie002 at 10:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yeah i am in the same boat as most of you. i am pretty lost at what to do. i have some sketches down, and i kind of worked on a model, but after i did that i don't really like it. i guess i will just keep plugging away and see what happens. i think i know what the contrast part means too. i am using the leaves, pillars, and stairs. my leaves are the biggest part of the composition. but i may be completely wrong. i guess we'll see tomorrow.

Posted by gardn166 at 9:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I feel pretty lost about this 3D assignment. I am very confused about the 'contrast of three elements' part. I still need to find materials to use, and I think I chose a very complex part of McNeal to represent three-dimensionally, so I am very nervous about how it will turn out.

Posted by smit4700 at 5:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm not sure if I'm actually doing this project right but I'm having a lot of fun with it! I don't know if I'll actually like making the real 3D version of my sketch, since that sounds like it could be frustrating. Bit it's fun to draw a little bit more abstractly and just see what you can create from things in McNeal.
I'm excited to see what everyone else came up with, and I feel like we'll all have different projects with different views because it seems like the assignment is pretty open-ended.
See everyone tomorrow!
Claire

Posted by joh04740 at 3:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

At first when Kelly told us that we would end up spending 20 hours on the compositional drawings I didn't believe her. I figured that even though I'm a slow drawer, I'm not THAT slow. I was wrong. Last weekend I probably spent at least 15 hours on it, and I think I'll probably have to spend a huge chunk of time this afternoon/evening to finish it up.

I'm struggling with this new project. I don't understand the concept of drawing abstract but in 3D. Whenever I draw anything abstract, it is definitely 2D. Am I thinking too hard? Also (if anyone will read this in time), for Monday we just have to have the paper model, correct? I'm super confused, and I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing...so I'm just going to make it up as I go. See you all bright and early tomorrow!

-Lindsay

Posted by stcla022 at 2:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I definitely agree with everyone, the composition study was fun but it was also very time consuming. I felt like we needed a little more time to work on it considering she wants our pencil technique to be near perfect. Speaking of technique, how did you guys get your blending to look so smooth? Are you guys using your fingers to blend or are you using a blending stick? I use a blending stick but my blending still ends up looking a bit blotchy and rough in some areas. Which way do you guys recommend?

Posted by davi1868 at 10:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yay. I spent the majority of my Saturday and did my entire composition from start to finish. I'm really happy with the end result. It is very similar to one of the practice compositions I did (the one with the iced coffee can in the center). I paid a lot more attention to the little details of lights and shaddow than in my practice drawing. The final product is much bolder and powerful.

I added a gingham pattern to the bottom of the composition to help define the space and prevent the objects from floating in a giant white abyss. It adds a layer of perspective and also creates negative space on the top of the composition. The result is a very balanced, natural-looking composition. This was a fun project.

Posted by etzko002 at 8:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I was excited to start drawing my final project when the weekend was coming up, but as time flew by... I realized how long it might truly take and how much work I needed to put into it. I began to really stress out. my problem was that although I had sketches of my layout, it did not transfer well onto the larger scale. Starting the final, I had to re-draw my objects MANY times (which ate up to much time.... of an already extremely busy weekend). I think they are finally in place.... but I havent even began detail!!!! AGH!! Now, at almost twelve at night, I am going to put more into it and work into the night :) Good thing I am a night person who likes to draw haha. I I wish there were more time in the day!!!!! One thing I hate about drawing is that I can never seem to make something perfect (in my eyes) because I never have enough time. That is why I handed in art projects in high school half done multiple times. Well, hope you all are NOT having my problems.

see you bright and early!!
-Bri

Posted by richt227 at 11:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

so my drawing is way behind where i wanted it to be right now. i think it is because i took so long getting my composition and proportions correct. however, there is still one part that is bothering me, and now that i moved my objects, i cant get them in the same position as they were before! but i took a bunch of pictures (which i suggest you all do), and i think i will be able to get them placed correctly tomorrow. i have been wary about shading my different areas as well. i just get nervous that i will shade it incorrectly, or not be able to go back a step. especially now after i have moved my objects. maybe my eyes are tired, or i am just sick of looking at it. i think a good nights sleep will be exactly what i need. i am just thankful the hard part is out of they way (for me at least, which was composition and proportion) and now its just hours of shading to do! cant wait. haha

i am really excited to see everyone's and get feedback. i feel like the feedback we get from each other is much better than any feedback i've gotten in other classes. everyone is just so darn helpful ha. see you all tomorrow!

Posted by gardn166 at 11:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So i havent had much time to work on my assignment, but its going well.
i was just writing to suggest to everyone to make a view finder..i made one and everything is going much much much better.

good luck!

Posted by gardn166 at 4:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm having a really hard time with assignment 2 because every time, I sit and work dilligently for about an hour. Then I take a break, eat some grapes, and go back to it and IT LOOKS SO DIFFERENT! I'm like.aahhh...did I really draw that? I think it might be the fact that my primary light source is the sun. And the sun moves, haha, funny...

I can't get the light and the proportions to settle, which is the point of this assignment, so I'm frustrated.

Until tomorrow,
Liz

Posted by farme086 at 4:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I discovered that graphite sticks do not blend well, which was very disappointing because I used those on a good chunk of my drawing. So I then went back and used pencil over it and blended that. Also, I really have a problem with getting a good range of values; it always just looks like I have a bunch of midtones. Even when I think I just made a really dark value, it ends up fading into the rest of the colors.

Posted by smit4700 at 10:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)