Line Assignment Brief
Please Complete the following and return to me for Critique.
There are three parts to the assignment.
Please make sure that you include the correct botanical name of the plant. For more help with this, please read the page on Botanical Names
Please make sure that your images are the right way up and large enough for me to see the details. For more help, please read the page on Photographing & Submitting Artwork
If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to contact me
1. Create a tonal strip chart showing the different grades of pencil
Draw 11 squares on a piece of paper. Label these squares from 0-10
The first square is 0 and is the white of the paper
The middle square is 5 and is HB
The last square is 10 and is your darkest grade of pencil (e.g. 8B)
Fill the squares evenly with the different grades of pencil, placing your lightest grade of pencil (e.g. 4H) in square 1, second lightest (e.g 2H) in square 2, third lightest(e.g. H) in square 3 etc. until you have created a graded tonal strip.
Tips:
Different brands of pencil vary greatly in tones and quality. Test out your pencils first on a spare sheet of paper.
DO NOT PRESS TOO HARD! Keep the tones even and build up the depth of tone gradually. A putty eraser can help even out the layer of graphite if you gently press it onto the surface of the paper and peel off. Don’t rub as the graphite will smudge.
2. Design a composition for a painting and draw it as a simple line drawing.
Choose a subject that has both leaves and a flower/flowers OR leaves and fruit.
This line drawing may be used as your subject for the next module on Tone.
Your choice of subject is entirely up to you. The design can be as simple or as complex as you wish – work within your skill levels.
Draw life size, e.g. 1:1
The finished drawing should be on paper or tracing paper and may be drawn in pencil or in ink. If drawing in pencil please use a B pencil so that the lines are visible.
What I am looking for is how well you use LINE-
- Do the lines accurately describe the plant’s botanical features?
- Are the lines drawn confidently?
- Do the lines of the composition lead your eye around the page?
- Is the design balanced? Do the shapes of the plant balance with the shapes around the plant?
Remember- A simple line drawing follows the outline of a subject describing the shape and basic features, without reference to the tones or the colours.
Tips:
Choose a subject that you like or that has a special meaning to you- if you are not excited by your subject, you will quickly become bored.
Use gesture sketches to become familiar with your subject. Lightly sketch out your subject onto a sheet of paper and then refine the lines in ink before gently erasing the pencil marks
Place a clean sheet of tracing paper over the drawing, secure with tape and do a simple line drawing in pencil or ink on the tracing paper
3. Create a cross-contour drawing of all or part of your simple line drawing in pencil or ink.
Tips:
Place a sheet of clean tracing paper over your line drawing and secure in place with low tack tape.
Use the natural marking on the subject as your starting point. Allow your lines to follow the natural undulations on the surface.
Do the first contour drawing in pencil to get the feel of the contours
Place a second piece of tracing paper over the rough contour line and this time refine your lines in ink
