Let Me Just Erase That

Hello everyone! I am now making good on my promise of a post with some art in it! And yes, I am aware that it is Thursday, and I will still have a trinket for you! Anyhoo, today's post is mainly focuses on my first two projects in my Drawing 2 class. The first project has been finished and graded, and the second one is due on Wednesday, so I still have a lot of work to do on it.

The first project had three simple guidelines: 1. Use charcoal as the media. 2. Use two different light sources for each piece. 3. Use your eraser as a mark making tool. The technique of erasure is not one that I am overly fond about. There is something about erasing my work that just stresses me to the core. However, no one asked me and I am paying the big bucks to learn things like this in college, so here is the first project...step by step.

First, I covered the entire paper using vine charcoal. Then I put my charcoal to the side and used my eraser to sketch out my objects, which were a set of 5 glass bottles.

                                        

Using the eraser as my main tool and occasionally fixing things with my charcoal, I was able to add value and space to my drawing.



While I was happy with the finished pieces (there were two--one with light from above and one with light from the right) the process was irritating and will most definitely not be on my favorites list any time soon. I managed to get a great grade on them though! Yay!



The second project is even more frustrating. We were instructed to get an inflatable object and show it going from inflation to deflation using contour lines in charcoal. I grabbed a clearance rack floaty from Wal-Mart and decided to go from inflation to deflation ending up with a deflated ball at the end. The piece is supposed to have a sense of history and progression, so we are drawing and then erasing our lines. We are supposed to have something close to 70 to 100 drawing on this page...of the same object...erased. We shall see how it goes. I am making good progress, but am still not loving my piece. However, as my first art teacher told me: "Every art piece goes through an ugly stage before it can be pretty." I am banking on those words right now.

I have two projects due on Wednesday, so be expecting a post of the final works. As you go about your day, get out of your comfort zone. It will be frustrating and possibly ugly, but it will soon turn to gorgeous. And, as always....its the random reasons.