Artist Number One: Salvador Dali

The way the large blocks of positive space (i.e. the exploded fragments of the head, the figures in the "Pomegranate" painting) interrupt the negative spaces of the background make for interesting shapes that lead your eye around the paintings. Plus, Dali was a fucking genius/madman. Everything he did was amazing.

(I don't know how to move pictures around in my post, and your tutorial didn't help because I don't have a Mac. So, boo on you Jason. Each artist will be a different post.)

Assigned Assignment Post.

Why did I come to MCA?

I decided to attend MCA because of its proximity to my home in Nashville, the scholarship I was awarded, and the hope that Memphis would end up being a neat city to thrive in.

What is my major?

Hopefully photography. I came in here thinking Illustration, so who knows.

What attracted me to MCA?

I actually drove to MCA in the early fall of '09 so my friend could meet with Shannon for a tour. He went to SAIC, I went to MCA. Funny how things happen that way. To address what attracted me to the school: Probably the small class sizes, and the campus. The scholarship I received swayed me a tad too, ha.

What do I want to do in the future?

I want to be a musician/concert photographer, and follow in the heavy footsteps that Annie Leibovitz laid. If I can come anywhere close to her astronomical talent, I will die a happy woman. My only goal is to mesh my deep adoration with music with my undying love of art.

First post of the Drawing 2 season.

Here we be, on this lovely internet sea.

It is 1:15 AM. I have no reason to be up this late. I did my homework earlier in the afternoon. It's bamboo. If I learned anything from last semester, it would be time management. I've never had such time restrictions on art assignments, and I fucked up whole lot. My goal this time around is to do much better on my homework projects.

I wish we could listen to different music. Matisyahu and Metallica is definitely not something I want to listen to while drawing. Maybe some Charlie Feathers or Wanda Jackson. Or, I wish an iPod would suddenly appear in my life, just for me. My first generation one sadly passed away this summer over the 4th of July week. There might have been beer involved.

Charcoal and I are in a tumultuous relationship.

Speaking of relationships, I had a realization. Every single (pun) person I know in Memphis has a significant other. Even the creepy gas station guy has a baby momma. Not that I want to be a baby momma or anything, but come on. I'm starting to fret.

Would it be weird if I brought a pillow to class to sit on so my butt doesn't go numb?

Yeah. I think so.

KABLAM! ELIMINATION. Lack of education! (Self-evaluation)

PROS:

This class made me draw in a larger format. This is good. I tend to keep a small sketchbook, and my pieces before were rarely larger than 18 x 24. Drah byeeg, or go hawm! YEEEEEHAAAWWWW

I now am no longer on the fence with Jack Johnson. Hate him all the way. Sorry Jason. He's like Mexican food without salsa. Instead of spice, he has a guitar. A sad one. One that you would buy from Esteban on HSN.

I found out conte and I could start a relationship. He's going to have to get a job though, and quit eating Cheese Puffs on the couch.

Bones are fun to draw. Specifically animal.

I can now include line variation in more things without wanting to shade so bad.

CONS:

I found out it takes exactly 23 minutes before I get uncomfortable on a drawing horse. It feels really odd when your butt falls asleep.

The rulers really made me dislike the class for weeks. I just think it is ludicrous to draw a round object with a ruler (aka planar analysis).

Sometimes the still lifes blew hard. A jack-o-lantern? For real? And I'm pretty sure everyone in the room drew it too.

The studio is really way too small for the size of the class.

Gesture drawings and whatnot: Come on. At least another week of that should of happened.

But, for the real self-evaluation part of this post:

I think my time managment skills could have been way better. I felt embarrased turning in some of the work I did. As far as in-class work, I was pleased. Drawing four pictures straight in a row was very tedious, but I'm sure it taught me something. Still grasping for the meaning. I let up on my details-details OCD, I think. Overall, the course is titled well. It is a foundation, Drawing 101 course. It will never be extremely exciting. No need to fail it either. I think I was middle-of-the-pack homework-wise, but class work I think was pretty good. I'd be alright with a B or something.

See you next semester; thanks for professin'.

NOVEMBER, I THINK I LOVE YOU.

NOVEMBER MENU OF EVENTS FOR MIM TO PARTAKE IN:

KING KHAN & BBQ SHOW 11/10
JEFF the BROTHERHOOD 11/11
HOME FOR THE WEEKEND 11/12-11/15
DAN AUERBACH 11/20
TRIP TO MICHIGAN 11/25-11/29
THANKSGIVING 11/26

(Homework and other assignments will be done in between the mayhem. Probably.)

P.S.(Drawing ivy was kind of a stupid idea.)
P.P.S.(GUESS WHO'S IN YOUR CLASS NEXT SEMESTER?)
P.P.P.S.(It's me.)

Blind Contour Self-Portraits

I absolutely enjoy blind contours. I think that they extremely important, as are gesture drawings. For us to spend just one day on them seems nonsensical and entirely too rushed. I think they are a pivotal part of drawing. Learning to loosen and use our entire bodies is critical, in my opinion. My friend Ross goes to Watkins in Nashville, and they've been doing gesture drawings for six weeks now. I think we should spend more time on it. It would screw up the syllabus, but I really think it's a critical step. Anyway, back to the matter at hand. Doing the portraits was a fabulous departure from the usual homework. Beside the obvious points of them being improportionate and whatnot, they mostly looked like me. I liked the conte one the most, I believe.

Also, Jason: Do you listen to the Black Keys? I really think you'd like them. It's classified as "new blues", I think. Start with the album 'Thickfreakness' and go from there.

The frontman, Dan Auerbach, is playing a solo show at Minglewood Hall in November. You should go.

And, since I assume you like the White Stripes, check out their earlier album "De Stijl". Probably your cup of tea. It was their second record.

Check them all out, actually. They're all great: The White Stripes, De Stijl, White Blood Cells, Elephant, Get Behind Me Satan, and Icky Thump.

The Raconteurs (one of Jack White's brainchildren) is a fabulous band as well. It's Jack White, Jack Lawrence, Brendan Benson, and Patrick Keeler.

He's in another band called the Dead Weather, and the front lady is Allison Mosshart from Kills fame. All good. Jack White is a genius. He's been my idol since I was 11.

Mid-Term grades.

Jason: Concerning the sitter planar analysis homework, I did have a sitter. I had him sit like that when I roughed in the sketch. When I started drawing the planes, he put his hand that way again.


Edited to add: Details are not "crap." I understand however that they have no place in Drawing 1, to an extent. I can't help but draw what I see. I feel that eliminating this "crap" is untrue to the environment in which the drawing is made. I get your argument, I suppose, but calling it crap is a little demeaning.