design

Thumbnail Drawings

| terriaw

We are in the midst of the Spring semester for my design class.  I turned in my line collage a couple weeks ago (I was so relieved to see I earned the full points), and since then, we moved on to designing with shapes.

Our next project was learning how to design with shapes.  Our teacher gave us three photos with instructions to draw eight thumbnails of each photo using only geometric shapes. No literal drawing allowed.  Squares. Rectangles. Circles. Ovals.  Triangles.

I received a photo of a rooster, so I starting drawing with triangles:

rooster thumbnails

After choosing one design, and experimenting with filling in the shapes with texture, we had to enlarge that drawing 300% and transfer it to a white illustrator board.  The next step was to fill in the larger drawing with black Higgins waterproof black ink.  Here is the enlarged rooster shape drawing I turned in:

Rooster Shape Drawing

The second photo I received was of a Gerber daisy flower, so I started drawing with ovals, circles and more triangles:

daisy thumbnails

Here is the enlarged daisy shape drawing I turned in:

final daisy shape drawing

Finally, I received a photo of a maple leaf, and I started drawing with ovals, triangles and diamonds:

leaf thumbnails

Here is the enlarged leaf shape drawing I turned in:final leaf shape drawing

This was a grand think-outside-the-box exercise for me, and I am happy with how each of my drawings turned out.  Everyone has such a unique perspective, so I am curious to see what other students came up with. This is the beginning of my art and design education, and I am excited to be in the midst of it!

Thankful Thursday – Creativity

| terriaw

This is going to sound corny but I’m having a hard time narrowing down what to focus on today to be thankful for!  I am thankful for many of the obvious things, but today, I am thankful for having an inside job, considering the high temperature around here is supposed to be MINUS 15 with a wind chill of MINUS 30-40!

Enough about the weather.  Seriously, I am thankful for the inspiration all around me.  First, I am thankful for the wonderful Creative Series Holly is starting over at decor8.  Holly is going to coach participants on getting our creative juices flowing, figure out what we love to do, and help us do some mind mapping, starting with recalling what we loved to do as a kid.  I am so excited for this series – the timing seems perfect and I love the direction Holly is giving!

Artful BLogging magazine

I am also thankful I found the courage this week to stick with my design class.  Yes, I know, it just started and I’ve only been to two sessions so far. I have been feeling so intimidated by everyone else’s artistic backgrounds that I wanted to drop it and take a more informal one or two day design or drawing class. (note to self: Procrastination is a no-no in 2009!)  However, that’s why I’m in the class, right?!  To learn and expand my horizons outside of the corporate environment.

my line library

We have to develop a line library, meaning we have to practice drawing different types of linear and curving lines, one style per sheet.  Seems pretty basic right?  But it’s so much more than that! This exercise really forced me to open up my mind. I kept thinking of the lines you see in quilting, but I also thought of stripes, plaids, zig zags, perforations, blades of grass, even spaghetti.  Oh yea, and I got to use some of those cool artist tools I just bought!

PS – Dave is going to show me some drawing tips this weekend. He’s had a lot more art than I have.  And then I’m going to SEW… A LOT!

My First Class

| terriaw

For those of you artists out there, you would probably have enjoyed my first day of design class.  

design textbook

Besides the usual things like introducing ourselves, going over the syllabus and schedule, the best part was going over the supply list! I have never had an art class before so most of the supplies were new to me.  I went shopping today for a Bristol pad, 2H and B and 2B pencils, a kneaded eraser, Sharpies (I know what those are!), tech pens, a plastic E ruler, a right-angled square, a T-square, French curves, a circle template, and the list goes on.

design class supplies

I didn’t start out the first class on the right foot, though.  I left work one hour before class started, thinking that would be enough time to travel about 18 miles to class.  One hour and ten minutes later, I was walking into class, ten minutes late! Luckily, my teacher was very understanding of the nasty traffic, especially during that snowy rush-hour. Whew, I hope the snow holds off another day so I’m not late again.  Now if I could just figure out how to use all these supplies.