The Value of Value

I'd hate to say it but I'm really benefiting from returning to undergrad at IUP and learning the basics. It's the studios in which I can see what I've really missed out on. Fundamentals of Drawing has really taught me lessons that extend beyond drawing and has found it's way into my digital art work.

Working in film and video you really take for granted being able to set up lights, tear them down and reset them within minutes. Within that time you can create several different pictures without having to finalize anything. In drawing,more or less your final drawing is your final drawing. You can visualize and play with your lighting set up before you begin but I feel it's real easy to ignore that step and just draw better or for worse what you see.

This concept of light and values has really made me step back and look at the work I've recently produced. It's made me realize how flat my images really were. And so I've come to value the use of value in my work, being able to create depth and volume. Making me consider setting and composition in my image.

Initially I wanted to go back and add value to an older image to show my point, but all my work is located on my external HD in my apartment. So I created an image used a lot by professors teaching values. If anyone ever tells you to go back and learn the basics, don't laugh or take offense because it really can benefit you. I've learned this the hard way but I've still learned it.

Gilles and The Sleep of Reason

Since September I've been taking two Art History courses, and while I find them absolutely fascinating the work it's self has not been my style. The closer my class gets to viewing contemporary work the more I find myself enjoying the artist's and their work. So I thought it would be a good change for me to show some work that I liked rather than show my own work.

The first painting is from Watteau and is entiteld "Gilles (comedia del arte)". Watteau painted during the 18th Century prior to the French Revolution. His other works were typical to the time in which he painted Aristocrats in a Rococo fashion.

The second image I viewed this week caught me partially with it's title. It is Francisco Goya y Luciendes' "The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters". It is an etching from 18th Century Spain produced before his Disaster's of War series.

Keep Working, Keep Working, Oops forgot to study!

Oops, I kept working on this when I should have been studying. Time to hit the books!

It Begins...

Take a Break, Create for Fun

Sometimes you just have to take a break from academia and just create for fun. Theres nothing better than making an image you want to make and for no reason.

From Concept to Finished Product - Obstacles

If theres anything to take away from the craziness of this week's classes it's that from concept to work of art you are bound to have road blocks and obstacles. The stubborn artist muscles through to create as close a product to the concept as possible. My sculptor professor told me the true artist works his concept around that obstacle, works with it, and changes their concept. Thats the true artist, and that is a true piece of art.

If I didn't believe him right away I certainly believe him now. Both of my current projects in sculpture and print media have both had their share of obstacles and both have seen serious amounts of change from the initial concept. And the changes are for the best, it has allowed me to review my idea and make it truer than in my original idea.

Sometimes facing obstacles and making changes equals out to more time spent on a piece, but who says thats a bad thing. If you hate your idea and your work by the time you've finished it, then chances are no one else will like your work. But if you can work through from an idea to a finished product and still feel strongly about your work then it will reflect in your work and the piece will become more interesting to the viewer.

Trying to stay Updated

Finnaly a chance to use my photoshop skills in printmaking. The last two assignments dealt primarily with hand drawn images and thats something I'm still working on.

So I'm currently working on lithography which inovles printing my images onto special paper rather than transferring hand drawn images onto plates. The image you see above is my first test image, I'll receive some feedback Tuesday and then make changes before the print onto the plate.

Hopefully tomorrow I can post some notes on my latest sculpture assignment, if I make it through the day tomorrow. I'm trying to open a computer monitor without shocking myself, I only need the plastic frame.