23 Aug 2009

Course work: Completed work on Assignment 1, Section 1, “Making Marks,” pp 6-7.Another twelve 5 x 5 cm boxes in sketchbook were filled with a variety of linear and non-linear marks, using an assortment of drawing instruments. Spent some time working out a proposed program that will allow me to study my way through the reading list without too much difficulty, while still allowing some time for non-reading-list books. Reorganized my Learning Log from a collection of hastily-written notes.

Summary Observations on Making Marks Exercises(Check and Log):

There is a good bit of pleasure to be had by random doodling as well as by more formal efforts to think of yet something else to make a mark with, and yet another kind of mark to make. I did find it was somewhat difficult at times to tell just what was expected of the student: some of the exercises seemed virtually identical. After filling 54 5 x 5 cm boxes, I’ll be happy not to see another one for a while. I did learn to make quite a variety of marks, many of which may be of future value. The nature of the marks strongly influences the emotions felt by the person drawing both at the time and upon later viewing: a collection of dots requires calmness to produce, and seems to induce calmness in the viewer. Bold, jagged lines can hardly be drawn by a calm, reflective mind, nor are they a stimulus to reflection. Large, flowing circular patters are a pleasure to draw and to view subsequently (some seem quite reminiscent of Pollock). I can see that redoing some of the exercises in color would be not only interesting, but beneficial. My favorite part of this exercise was the first one: producing the large doodles. This seemed less confining than the later work in 5 x 5 cm squares.

Reading:
The Complete Drawing Course, Ian Simpson
Running Press, Philadelphia, PA 1993
Lesson 2 (pp 22-25)
(This reading introduces contour drawing, and suggests three exercises)

Personal Sketchbook work: Five partial sketches of one of the cats, incomplete because of feline hyperactivity, done in my A4 sketchbook.
Exercise on p22, Simpson (see reference above). Only the willing mind could recognize the subject in this blind contour drawing.

Weekly Thoughts on Learning Experience:  Made a lot of marks with a lot of tools in a lot of 5x5cm boxes.  It was interesting to try our some new media, and to work at thinking of yet another mark to fill yet another box.  The most relaxing part of the exercises to date: the large doodles, which are just plain fun.
Total time: apx. 3 hrs