Week 3 Assignment: Focus on Shapes

This week's assignment is to focus on shapes. I enjoyed the challenge of using a more complex, still- life setup. I began with a preliminary drawing to help me locate the objects on the page. I usually do a thumb nail or preliminary sketch to get me into the eye-hand coordination mode. Doing this made me feel more comfortable with the assignment. Focusing on shapes really did help to organize the sketch and kept me from narrowing in on the fussy details.

This assignment was a very good review of the basics in visual thinking that sometimes get pushed to the side over time. I opted to make a preliminary sketch which helps me to organize a composition.
I was satisfied with the #2 sketch because it is a fairly good representation of the shapes. The #3 sketch is definitely wonky/wobbly. The Canson drawing paper is not a good choice for watercolor, but I chose the best of the 3 trials to complete this phase of the assignment.

Assignment Week 3:
#1 Preliminary sketch in colored pencil
showing revisions of point-to-point line

Assignment Week 3:
#2 Shapes in 2 colors using Inktense pencils
on Canson drawing paper 

Assignment Week 3:
#3 Negative shapes in 2 colors
Daniel Smith watercolors on Canson drawing paper

Image #4: I tried to use some local color in the shadows to make the composition more colorful. The grey (ultramarine blue and burnt sienna) that I mixed for the cup turned out too black for me and I would use more blue next time. The paper created buckling on the shadow area of the cup--too wet?

Assignment Week 3:
#4 Connecting shapes and shadows
D. Smith watercolors on Aquabee Super Deluxe sketch paper

Image #5: It's been raining for the past 2 days, so I opted for an indoor adventure to complete the last part of the assignment .  I found these unusual, 4-5 feet tall, pottery urns in the Palo Alto Art Center's courtyard. Unfortunately the light was dim and watery with minimal contrast, so I enhanced the shadows to compensate.

Assignment Week 3:
#5 Outdoor objects and shadows
Inktense colored pencils on Aquabee Super Deluxe sketch paper